POTD: AKs & PKs in Russian Ryazan Airborne Force School

@Martin Grønsdal Train how you fight. Most of them will come out of training, and when they go to work, be issued a rifle with some kind of optics on it. Iron sights are important to learn, certainly, but these days, they're more of a backup. At least in the west.

@Martin Grønsdal ...thats not how that works, but that's a story for another day. Maybe after I'm done with gym.

@Martin Grønsdal Pit average US teen hick vs average Russian conscript in shooting match, let alone high-stress scenario. You'll soon learn that having irons is not unlike having muscles: everyone has some, but the fact is not enough to do anything remarkable.

@Kaban Good analogy

@Martin Grønsdal Standards have been steadily dropping since my time...

@Anomanom agree, but every soldier/shooter should master open sights first, to the point of being proficient in using them.

Then, you can train as you really fight all the way - I 100 % agree with that.

@Kaban problem is that average US youngster would at some point have fired a rifle/pistol.

Almost no Russian would ever see a weapon, unless in a museum or carried by a policeman.

the real problem is that no one (in the Russian gvt) cares if the average Russian dies, while we mourn every of our soldiers.

@Uniform223 in shooting?

@Martin Grønsdal Entirely correct for us city pukes. Boys living in certain areas where hunting / poaching is mundane (not a way for the rich to show off their engraved Blasers and drink liquor so expensive I've never heard of the brand), are usually...not so oblivious to firearms. Eastern part of country come to mind. I agree it makes little difference in the end.

@Martin Grønsdal In general

@Uniform223 Yeah. I remember to be slightly surprised that some of the men in my platoon didn't ski very well. Today's draftees probably don't know what skis are for and when to use them