I wish we had just copied the AK back in the 50's. I've no doubt that we would have turned it into a much better rifle. One with good sights, better ergonomics and higher manufacturing quality.
It's not that Russians build crap. They don't. They just seem to be so obsessed with ruggedness and simplification that they forget that people actually have to use their products. Just put a good Russian optic up against a good American one. Both are rugged, both have good clear glass, but generally the Russian one is mounted where a cheek weld isn't even possible, has turrets that can't be easily adjusted and it has a third rate reticle. The American optic on the other hand excels in all these areas.
It seems to me that all Russian military products share this design philosophy. The quality is good enough, but you're expected to adapt to the product rather than the other way around.
It's not that Russians build crap. They don't. They just seem to be so obsessed with ruggedness and simplification that they forget that people actually have to use their products. Just put a good Russian optic up against a good American one. Both are rugged, both have good clear glass, but generally the Russian one is mounted where a cheek weld isn't even possible, has turrets that can't be easily adjusted and it has a third rate reticle. The American optic on the other hand excels in all these areas.
It seems to me that all Russian military products share this design philosophy. The quality is good enough, but you're expected to adapt to the product rather than the other way around.