First, I never said all "variants" were the same, nor do they perform the same. Aspects of a firearm such as barrel length, weight, lining, muzzle brake style, fittings, method of attachment, rifling twist, and even age/use can cause variants of the same style to differ in performance. Stocks, grips, mode of fire, and every functional component can also cause variances in performance data. What I'm talking about is when a weapon is a nearly 100% identical copy of another other than the name. Where every little part is interchangeable with the other. Where upon inspection, with markings removed, one person could not tell the difference between the two, then I really don't see the point in having them.
You are trying to compare an M4 with an M16, or an AK-47 with an AK-74? Those are completely different weapon systems, with different calibers, barrel lengths, or other major functional differences. There are no simple cosmetic differences between them.
If someone were to lead me to a table covered in different AK-47's, all fresh from the factory with identical handling and identical number of rounds put through them, but just made by a different factory, then nearly 99% of them will fire the same. Sure, different factories will have different tolerances that lead them to produce items that are slightly better or worse than the other, but their overall performance difference is going to be so slight that the average shooter will not be able to tell. I'm talking very minimal MOA changes, doesn't matter if it was made in Russia, China, Yugoslavia, or wherever.
You mention that Jane's made some comment, but you failed to note their conditions of the testing. How many rounds were fired from each weapon before their test? What type and level of maintenance had been performed on each weapon prior to the test? What type(s) of ammunition were they using in each weapon during the tests? All of those things can have performance differences on a firearm, and in order form a proper baseline you need to ensure that all weapons start with the exact same tolerances, and the test is done with the same ammunition from the same lot. Any variance in those standards will foul the results.
Yes, some weapons that I have used performed better than others of the same family. But never have I seen a weapon within the same tolerances that did so at a drastic level. Again, there might have been very minor differences in ballistics data, but soldiers aren't going to be picky about a weapon just because one of them is .5 MOA more accurate (excluding marksman weapons).
Having used AK's from all over the world, made by various manufacturers and with various levels of use/maintenance, I personally will stand by my point that the M70 series weapons I fired had no drastic performance differences over any of the others of equal tolerance. Note that I say "Equal Tolerance". I will not say that the Zastava rifles performed any more or less equal, because from my experience they performed at the same level as the other models.
I also never said that US-made weapons were any better than others. Personally, I tend to prefer H&K pistols over any other. Same with their SMG's. But different manufacturers produce different weapons with different features, and because of this I will often choose a weapon system based on the specific mission requirements. I might go with an M4, maybe I'll go with a G36, it all depends on the actual mission at hand. For me, country of origin means nothing. Specific features of a firearm and the reputation behind the manufacturer are my primary deciding factors.
I'm not going to turn this topic into an argument about which firearms are better, or which manufacturer is better, or which country is better. I know my level of experience and time handling the weapons, so I'm comfortable making statements based on my own opinions. If you want to shout out about how wonderful your country's rifles are, fine with me. I don't have to agree with you about it, you're free to make your own comments based on opinion. R@S is the one creating this mod, so he has final say in what goes and what stays. And since we are both "equals" in his eyes as players of the mod, he'll make his own decisions on which opinions to base his decisions on. If he adds copies, that's his choice.
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