Is anyone else envious of Libyans' access to AKs, FALs, ammo?

[Ignition Override]

Every time I see a photo of a citizen with the FAL etc, it must be quite a rewarding experience for the guy to be able to grab a combat rifle and maybe heaps of ammo.

 

[Rail Driver]

As much as I'd love to have the guns, I haven't heard good things about their civil rights or freedoms. I think I'll stick with America, failings and all.

 

[Trahma Hownd]

Not any more than I am envious of a cancer patient's access to legal painkillers.

 

[Ignition Override]

Not many of us would want to live in that country, and I agree 100%.

My question only addresses the citizens' access to guns and ammo.

 

[Trahma Hownd]

While I know you meant no offense, I do think it is in poor taste to make light of such a serious situation. Fantasizing about getting "free access" to those kinds of arms ignores the bloody struggle that the Libyans undertook to acquire them. I wouldn't even post this response on some other firearms related forums that I use, but given the nature of THR I think it's kind of an out-of-place question.

It could just be that I'm being too serious. Either way, be well and safe shooting!

 

[Ignition Override]

Trahma: Very good point, although I'm not trying to minimize their situation.
Realized that the question about guns might lead others to broaden the topic, but it was so tempting to ask from the perspective
of being armed citizens.

Just wondered how many shooters would like the chance to pick out a weapon with no govt. forces left to guard them.
Would you guys pick an AK, FAL, Enfield or something else?

If the curiosity about having access to them and what to choose is callous, I apologize.

 

[Liberation]

They are all government guns.

FNH has been a known to arm despotic regimes, they almost sold SCARs to Libya, but it wasn't because of any morals, it was because they decided to just get AKs.

If you really pay attention though, you will see a lot of them have Blackhawk vests and some have CIRAS. They could be knock offs, but I'm pretty sure some of them have the real deal.

 

[Shadow 7D]

YEP

 

[plunge]

if you are envious of the libyans access to guns, you might want to travel more. or move. they don't have ak's or fal's because it's "cool" or they are "cool guns." they would all be running around with hi-points or jennings if that was what they had access to

 

[azmjs]

Nope.

It's not really a coincidence that in anarchic countries there isn't law and order.

 

[elcaminoariba]

Yes. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=610373

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I am not at all envious of what they had to go through to get them.

 

[fehhkk]

Libya is in a SHTF situation, certainly do no envy being in that. But I do envy seeing those FN FALs hehe.

 

[Buck Kramer]

FALS, the right hand of any soon to be free country!!!

 

[Chris Rhines]

Not even slightly. It kind of takes the fun out of things, knowing that you'll probably have to use that FAL in a futile attempt to protect yourself against government soldiers or nutcase militias.

-C

 

[22-rimfire]

Chris Rhines... +1

 

[Robert]

Not in the least. Simply having a firearm, select fire or not, is only one small stone in the building process it takes to make a free nation. Free men are not determined by what type of fire arm they carry. And to put it mildly, the entire region does not have the greatest track record on individual freedoms and human rights.

But folks just keep missing the point. I will use the now locked thread on the same subject as reference, http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=610373
Freedom is far more than having an AK or FAL with a fun switch. Especially when you have a very good chance of not living long enough to enjoy it.

 

[BK]

the citizens' access to guns and ammo.

At a terrible cost. They're living in a war zone.

 

[Animal Mother]

I myself think its a very good thing to see a popular uprising against against a despotic dictator succeed. Time will tell if the Libyans have enough wisdom not to fall right back into the same pattern of governance as nearly every other country in that region. But they do have a real opportunity to re-make their government into something better, and that is truly something.

I'm not really envious of the Libyan rebels access to full auto weaponry. While it would be fun to get behind a DSkKM for some trigger time, there are some serious obligations and responsibilities that come along with joining the rebels. While I certainly wish the Hughes amendment was overturned, and I financially support an organizations that are working to get there, I'm not envious enough to take a trip to Libya.

I did hear on NPR of a father and son that did travel to Libya from the US to help out the rebels, I'm sure they had plenty of opportunities to shoot full auto weapons during the few weeks of training that they had. They gave radio interviews of how proud they were to help out. Later they were found together, both burned to death after their vehicle was hit by a rocket, as they were driving into their first battle.

 

[kozak6]

I am SO jealous.

I wish we could have (another) civil war so I could get some cheap M16's. Or maybe one with a nice M203.



I think you are being insensitive about a difficult situation, and that your comments are ignorant at best and distasteful at worse.

I'd imagine that seizing a fallen countryman's FAL would be a good start, it's still difficult when the loyalists are better armed with artillery and TANKS and such.

Also, firearms may be less accessible than you think.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/world/africa/21rebels.html

Kalashnikov prices in eastern Libya point to wartime scarcity — some fighters said they paid more than $2,000 for their weapon, several times a typical price. In the siege of Misurata, many rebels at the front have no firearms at all, and wait for a friend to fall before joining the fight.

http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/06/military-small-arms-libya-security-puzzles-and-profiteers/

This spring in eastern Libya, the prices for Kalashnikovs and FN FAL rifles crested at top-dollar war prices – as much as $2,500 for a rifle in good condition. Even heavily used specimens fetched more than $1,500 each, said Alaadin Alsharkasy, one of the organizers of rebel weapon purchases in Benghazi, the rebel capital.

What does all of this mean? At market prices, the rebels are paying as much as nearly $70,000 to equip perhaps 30 men with weapons for battle. And given that much of this money has been paid to fellow Libyans who are not exposed to the fighting but profit from it, these prices have been a source of anger among those who are actually taking the physical risks in this war.

While those prices do beat ours, I'd, you know, rather have a functioning government.

 

[TexasRifleman]

That's 2 of these bizzaro land threads in the last few days.

I think maybe some reading on what the word "freedom" actually means might be good for some folks.