Something I Liked About Somalia

[biku324]

I did a complex investigations training contract in Mogadishu in '23 and '24. While there we provided Bulgarian-manufactured AK variants to Somali Federal Police. Before issuing these we had to function test every rifle and collect a fired case (called an 'exemplar') for their nascent crime lab to examine, document, and file. That was my first serious experience with firing lots of AKs and lots more of the 7.62x39, although I had elementary training with AK 56 and really ****** Romanian folding stock AK rifles in 2012 before a different contract in a different place. While I remain no fan of AKs (I had been trained on the AR platform in '89 and have regularly used the for business and sport since) the 7.62x39 grew on me.

I have been eyeballing the Colt M4 (CR6762) in 7.62x39 since they restarted production a couple of years ago. Well, Brownell's has a special on them $150 cheaper than any I had found, so one is on the way to my FFL. I also found boxer-primed Norma 124 grain FMJ brass case ammo that was precisely what we provided the Somalis at a reasonable price online, so I am fixed up to scratch this itch in a week or so.

Who says nothing good comes from Somalia?

Here is a stock photo of the rifle:

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.postimg.cc%2FsDP9rYYW%2FColt-CR6762-right-view.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=98326e20f7821528f8ccc746da0a6bc9e7fc2ff6bd1d6dd5ea1e4af20ae69831&ipo=images

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I think that falls under the blind squirrel rule!!!

 

[dben002]

To quote Will Smith...."I gotta get me one of these"

 

[gunbarrel]

Do they still have Technicals?

 

[biku324]

Al Shabab does have a few, but it's easier for them to overrun isolated Somali Army outposts and steal their military vehicles, arms, and uniforms. The most coveted weapons are Russian DShKs, essentially comparable to an M2 except in 12.7mm.

 

[tlawler]

Somalia is the one port call we made where I never had any desire to go ashore. We ported in Berbera and it was the longest 2 days. This was back in '82.

 

[biku324]

You. chose well. Both Lido Beach and Pearl Beach Hotel near the port were bombed while I was there. You wouldn't want to wander around looking European at Bekaara Market either.

 

[Ματθιας]

AR 7.62x39 seem to be magazine sensitive. I've had two over the years and both had mag issues - eventually I sold the uppers. Duramag seemed to work on both.

 

[biku324]

I've seen the criticism - you liked Duramag?

 

[Ματθιας]

Duramag worked for both uppers. I'm a sample of one.

In my ARs, I've never had issues with Duramag or C-products.

 

[robertrwalsh]

The thing I like most about Somalia is that it makes Oakland look civilized.

 

[Stevens]

I travelled to Somalia often during the 80s and early 90s It wasn't too bad then still lots of Italian influence. The company I was working for, CAMECO, we made sugar cane machinery which we sold to the sugar plantation and mill, SNAI, in Jowhar, north of Mogadiscio, and to the Jubba sugar company near Kismayu in the South. I enjoyed the trips, and made friends there, though the conditions were not the best, I see things now are very difficult.

 

[biku324]

'Very difficult' is an understatement. The only places reasonably even accessible to non-Somalis are Bosasso, Kismayo, Garowe, and Mogadishu. Al Shabab infiltrates every facet of Somali life and has a better revenue stream that the Somali Federal Government. As well, IS has made inroads into mountain Puntland; Somaliland and Puntland continue to fight each other in low-level conflict.

And yet, Somalis themselves are warm, hospitable, and are grimly enduring the more than 30 years of instability that keeps out investment and keeps them abjectly poor.

 

[S-W4EVER]

I hope yours is more reliable than my Colt R6830. I bought it used (Bubba had tried to turn it into an M4 clone) and I restored it. I haven't shot it since I bought ten round mags for it (which I need to do) as the thirties were unreliable.

 

[biku324]

Not worried much about fending off platoon-sized assaults, so 10 round mags would suit me. Colt supposedly fixed the 30 round mag problem by building mags for the caliber instead of trying to refit 5.56 mags. We'll see.

 

[S-W4EVER]

Not worried much about fending off platoon-sized assaults, so 10 round mags would suit me...

If I had to fend off a platoon-sized assault it would mean I took the wrong exit off the freeway when I was on vacation (something I'm pretty careful about not doing). My R6830 would be the last rifle I'd reach for but it was designed to be a hunting rifle anyway. I only bought it for a range toy anyway (& I thought it deserved to be restored to its former glory).

 

[mocha001]

you should have said hello to one of my favorite congresswoman

 

[biku324]

The rifle showed up at my FFL today - I got to look at it briefly before it went back behind the counter for my first-ever 7-day waiting period. Colt did not spare the cosmoline - it will need substantial degreasing once home.

 

[biku324]

Just had a positive experience ordering Norma 124 grain Tactical rounds from a 100% online outfit in Ashland, OH. Ordered Monday, delivered today as promised! I was pleasantly surprised, as I've had mixed results from internet-only vendors.

https://northamericanshootingsupply.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Norma-Tactical-762-39-124gr-FMJ-FI-01.jpg

 

[Muley Gil]

When I was in Afghanistan in '04-'07, the State Department bought the Afghan Police AMD-65s. They ran fine but my Bushmaster M4 clone was better.

 

[biku324]

With the arms embargo that only ended in December '23, State kept control of weapons that were loaned to Somalis and audited them routinely. At the end of the projected duty life, they replaced them with whatever was available and on contract, hence AK 56s replaced with the Bulgarian M-75s, and some export Galils. When they were exchanged, it was one for one; any missing (there weren't many) required an investigation and either justification or consequences (usually jail and/or retraining).

In Africa, wooden stock rifles seem to hold up better than synthetics - the Bulgarian M-75s were not better than the aging AK 56s that they replaced. We used South African firearms trainers who were really familiar with all AK variants.

None of the AKs (or Galils, for that matter) were equivalent to M4s in accuracy or shootability, IME, but the AKs were more durable with poor maintenance and more tolerant of really awful (old, poorly stored) ammo. Many of the M-75s would barely group 4 or 5 inches at 25 meters from a bench - some were much better, but not many.

But I really liked the 7.62x39 cartridge with good ammo.

 

[Sarge9]

Bring back more imports. Ammo and tools. IMO

 

[biku324]

No thanks on old Somali ammo or tools! I did see an old (reputed) warlord with a beat-up South African R-1 (FAL clone) that I would have enjoyed.

 

[cololab]

Let us know what the feed ramp looks like. Some AR 7.62X39 uppers used the same ramp profile as was used on 5.56 platforms and they didn't feed 7.62 rounds reliably. I think Bushmaster largely solved the feeding issue by mimicking the AK feedramp profile (and using a re-designed magazine). Windham Weaponry used the same arrangement on their 7.62X39 AR offerings which worked well. Not sure what other manufacturers have done on their products.

C Products magazines seem to perform well in my experience.

 

[Stevens]

Here is a photo of a corner of Mogadishu Harbor I took in 1978. I am sure it must be bombed out years ago. It was built by Italy when Somalia was one of their colonies

 

[biku324]

That's the Old Port - new facilities are on the NE edge now. It's small for a country of that size, but there are decent facilities at more peaceful Bossaso and Kismayo.

Here's the new port:

 

[biku324]

Duramag worked for both uppers. I'm a sample of one.

In my ARs, I've never had issues with Duramag or C-products.

You know your ARs!

Just picked up my M4 from FFL jail today and the mag inside the box with the rifle in the plastic sleeve with the lock and manual was a Duramag.They're not spending any marketing money on frills at Colt - the rifle came in a plain cardboard box with a plain paper label glued on; the weapon itself was inside a plastic bag with plenty of preservative on the inside. It's taken most of the afternoon to clean all of the stuff from the many, many places it coated. They must spray that stuff on!

Anyway, the rifle seems excellent. Finish is uniform with no metal chips or abnormalities anywhere. Trigger is quite usable, the backup iron sights will be my only sights (no Gucci items, please), and the MSI sling fits like a glove. The mags (one with the rifle, one purchased separately) loaded easily enough; much, much easier than Shield 2.0 mags.

Range testing this weekend.

 

[biku324]

Finally got to range-test my new Com-block chambered Colt CR 6762. It works exactly as I'd hoped, and then some.

Some comments:

1. I cannot tell any difference in the feed ramp between my rifle and a friend's issued Colt 6920 - Cololab asked. There may be a difference, but we couldn't see it - not in angle, not in anything easily visible.

2. I had one stoppage - the very first round fired, using a Duramag 10-round mag, stove-piped. There were no other stoppages from that mag nor from any of the two 20-round or two 30-round Duramags.

3. The trigger is heavy, but utterly predictable. We became friends.

3. The large aperture in the backup iron sight, which is the only sight I intend to use, is far too large for my taste - after some frustration with group sizes, I sighted in with the small aperture. Below is my best group in 50 rounds fired. It was fired prone off a sandbag with a tight sling at 100 yards in a varying 5-15 mph direct headwind. The round to the left is a called flyer; the reason for two distinct 2-round groups is my %#$@!* set of bifocals.

Passed some friends on the way to my shooting spot.

All in all, I am well-satisfied with the rifle; it's found a place in my safe. Now for some small-base dies...

 

[biku324]

Forgot to mention recoil - it was noticeably heavier than the same carbine in 5.56, but not unpleasant. Brass ejected predictably 5-10 feet to the right.