Does anyone know if any police departments use the RAS-47 rifle? A friend says that several do, I have never seen it, but am far from an expert. Thanks

I have never seen nor heard of a US law enforcement agency that issues AK-47 clones to its officers.

Sounds like your friend is either confused, or full of crap.

I would have noticed if I’d ever heard of an American LE agency’s issuing an AK type rifle, but no, I haven’t.

As I was wrapping up and preparing to leave after a response to an active shooter class, however, I did hear a non-LEO confidently opine to one of the other attendees that agencies should issue AKs because they were superior weapons as compared with ARs.

I am unaware of any US agency that issues an AK to its officers. If such an agency exists, I would suspect they would do better than Century Arms. I’m also unaware of any company making an AK rifle rack for patrol cars,but I’ve also never looked.

There would be a very real public relations issue with officers armed with AKs. We had real trouble getting ARs approved because of “how they look.” We actually very (very, as in none ever made it to the field) briefly had .223 pump action rifles in inventory for patrol rifles. This was after someone realized that surpluses out M14s weren’t appropriate patrol rifles in an urban environment.

It would be worse with AKs. Most people see ARs as “soldier guns” and that makes them nervous enough. AKs are “bad guy” guns.

I’ll be completely honest. I own and shoot both. They are both solid and mature platforms. For a serious weapon I’ll take an average quality AR over a average quality AK all day long.

Issuing an AK style firearm as a law enforcement patrol rifle would make no sense at all.

The only place I could see that happening would be rural departments where the department might encourage officers to have patrol rifles paid-for-personally, but couldn't afford to issue them (thus officers could use anything that met minimum requirements).

Besides the bad press (which is enough reason by itself to not allow them), the manual of arms is going to be different from anything anyone in the US military is used to.

I think your friend is mistaken.

I’m sorry, I heard RAS 47 and started laughing. What was the question again?

Not that I'm aware of. The only thing I can think of is a personally approved rifle however echoing the above I cant see a RAS47 being the gun to have.

Did your friend provide any specific details, or proof? Or did he just claim to "know"?

"Overheard in gun store..."

quote:

Originally posted by LDD:
The only place I could see that happening would be rural departments where the department might encourage officers to have patrol rifles paid-for-personally ....

Yes, although I didn’t think of it, that’s a possibility.

There is, after all, a teevee(?) show that has a rural sheriff running around with an iron-sighted lever action rifle, and as tactically … unwise as such a practice might be, it’s not inconceivable. In agencies where it would be permitted or at least overlooked, there are probably officers who have AKs of some sort in their patrol vehicles.

Speaking of teevee, it worked for Constable Bob, so maybe it's not such a bad idea...

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Did your friend provide any specific details, or proof? Or did he just claim to "know"?

He showed me an article of a police force in very northern Alaska. This.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com...ugWEWpDno5itWdlqbdX4

Interesting. I could see the benefit of an AK over an AR in such an austere environment as the North Slope of Alaska.

Still, Krebs, Arsenal, etc. AKs are significantly higher quality than RAS-47s from Century.

Think Snap On Tools vs. Harbor Freight.



Somewhere in my training materials, I have an interesting report of a series of tests by the Alaska State Police in the late 80s or early 90s, in which they tested a number of modern (at the time) rifle platforms for their extreme cold weather performance. IIRC, it included the AK, AR, and Mini-14, as well as a number of Cold War-era military rifles like the Valmet, Galil, FAL, FNC, some flavor of HK, etc.

I'll see if I can dig that out.

quote:

Originally posted by Kuisis:

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Did your friend provide any specific details, or proof? Or did he just claim to "know"?

He showed me an article of a police force in very northern Alaska. This.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com...ugWEWpDno5itWdlqbdX4

Huh, the exception to every rule. I will point out that the RAS-47 is a FAR cry from the Krebs Custom AKs pictured.

quote:

Originally posted by Kuisis:
Does anyone know if any police departments use the RAS-47 rifle? A friend says that several do, I have never seen it, but am far from an expert. Thanks

Multiple departments
Moscow, Minsk, St Petersburg...

Here? In the US? Probably not.


Edit: according to the article, I stand corrected

I have attended rifle classes for small agency's since 1992. I know that it was common with tiny and I mean tiny agency's that you had to provide most if not all of you duty weapons for work. I have observed SKS rifles with Remington 7.62 x 39 core lok being used for a duty round as the most common non US military style rifle used. M1 carbines, lever and pump rifles for the officers waaay out there were also present. Most officers tried to buy a Colt or a Bushmaster at the time so if "free" ammo came
available they were GTG. With Georgia having a mandated rifle qualification for officers times are not so liberal as before (1989 - 1999 time frame). VI

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
"Overheard in gun store..."

Yup..

I'd wager no police ever used a RAS-47.

Co worker of mine's husband supposedly kept an AK in the trunk. Dallas area PD, can't recall which one. Struck me as funny, and I probably questioned her about it and can't remember the details. Found it weird but I can dig it. For whatever that's worth.

I could possibly see a reason for an agency that might have to deal with animals needing something that is considered humane to kill a decent sized animal. But then, a shotgun with slugs should cover that, and every police car should have a shotgun.

I can never see that happening. Besides the obvious over penetration issues, the PR would be terrible.