Kalash Klas 10MAR24

The Avtomat Kalashnikova has soldiered dutifully in every imaginable environment, from the frozen steppe of eastern Europe, to the jungles of southeast Asia, the grasslands of South Africa, the mountains of central Asia, and the bustling cities of the Middle East. Why has this weapon proven itself so successful over so many decades in so many conflicts? What is it about the AK that makes it so legendary, reknown for it’s simplicity, durability, and reliability?

Anyone who has watched movies, played video games, visited the gun store, or seen the news will quickly recognize the iconic ak47 and its many many variants. Developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov and the Soviet Union based upon lessons learned during world war II, the worlds most iconic and most widely copied weapon has seen action in every continent and in practically every human conflict since it’s inception.

Learn about the rifle’s development philosophy, manual of arms, care and maintenance, zeroing procedure, and of course, battlefield effectiveness in this high speed action packed 6 hour class taught by Brian Wang, who has just recently returned from 6 months working in Ukraine as the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade’s small arms instructor, and who has seen these weapons in action first hand.

Prerequisite:

This class is not for beginners. You must have prior rifle training. You must have training on safe weapons handling, and basic loading and unloading procedures in order to attend this seminar.

Loaner equipment:

We have limited sets of loaner Kalashnikov rifles and equipment. If you wish to use the school’s rifles, mags, magazine carriers, and ammunition, please contact Brian at info@monarchdefense.org.

The school subsidizes the cost of bulk training ammunition, so oftentimes sourcing your ammo from Monarch Defense will be your most cost effective option. We stock most common calibers on hand for your convenience and provide it to you at cost.

Topics: 

Design philosophy
What makes a successful combat weapon?
Basic overview of function and capabilities
Disassembly and reassembly
Loading procedure
Unloading procedure
Tactical reload
Emergency reload
Simple malfunction
Complex malfunction
Manipulating the safety
Proper sling set up and usage
Manipulating the safety
Caliber comparison 7.62x39mm, 5.45x39mm, 5.56x45mm, etc.
Effective range, realistic accuracy, how to use the rear sight
Zeroing procedure, tools needed for zeroing
“Straight shot distance” and proper sight alignment and sight picture unique to soviet weapons
How to mount optics, best practices for accessories, rails and modernization
High stress run and gun drills in the rain, trenches, and muddy shell craters

Schedule: 

Arrive and stage your equipment by 8:45am, be on time especially if you need to borrow equipment. We do not break for lunch. Bring snacks or sandwiches that you can munch on in between shooting sessions. We will proceed through the topics list in chonological order. We aim to end formally at 3pm, with open range time after 3pm till dusk. In other words, at 3pm we have a “soft” ending, and if you must leave you may, but if you wish to stay on and continue training, we will!

Location:

Our facility is in the mountains 1 hour east of San Jose, 1 hour south from Livermore. Detail directions will be emailed to those who sign up. If you are inexperienced in driving mountain roads, give yourself 2 hours to make the trip.

Packing list: 

Sturdy boots
Wool socks
Extra socks in plastic bag
Sturdy pants
Belt
Layer garments so you can adjust for cold, wet, or warm weather
Hat
Ballistic helmets optional
Rifle rated body armor optional
Chest rig, plate carrier, or magazine carrier. We have loaners.
Rifle, any caliber
4 magazines
240+ rounds of ammunition
Cleaning kit with oil, rag, toothbrush
Eye protection
Ear protection (Nyet, sovetskaya armyya not give you earplug)
Front sight adjustment tool, if you own one
Sling, preferably classic surplus ak canvas sling with steel buckles
1 gallon of water