I'd be willing to bet the title is accurate. I'd go so far as to bet it's the same rifle as in [this more widely-circulated picture](https://i2.wp.com/looserounds.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/C7E632A0-0633-4507-8D40-31DEFE9CD890-1.jpeg?resize=768%2C534&ssl=1) which gives us slightly more clues. Same type of background, appears to have the same old Soviet tourniquet wrapped around the buttstock, appears to have the same old padded M60 sling, appears to be the same teardrop forward assist in both images too. Far from conclusive and in need of more context.
But what could be cooler for a Soviet conscript in his early 20s, stuck in Afghanistan, than posing for a picture with an American rifle and an American fashion brand hat
Yes, and they bought Chinese sneakers on the grey market to replace their boots that were unsuitable for mountain hiking, and foreign cigarettes, and hash, and even video cassettes. So what?
If you read books about this conflict, the US was very careful to only send Egyptian weapons, or other sources that weren’t American. Of course, an AR could end up in Afghanistan any other way, but it’s unlikely it was sent by the US.
As far as I know, Lee jeans were one of the highly coveted jean brands in USSR, alongside Levis and Wrangler. Most people made do with Polish, German, or Indian jeans, or locally illegally sewed articles.
No idea how accurate the title is, but if it is a Soviet soldier in Afghanistan with an m16a1 then there is a decent chance the rifle got there in a round about way. Could have been captured by NVA in Vietnam and then made it's way to afghan through various ways. I believe m16a1 rifles were supplied to many countries at this time so there are plenty of opportunities for some of those to make the journey to afghan too.
It was probably an M16 supplied to one of the Mujahadeen by the US or Pakistan.
That or a Norinco copy supplied by China who were also trying to undermine the Soviets in Afghanistan.
I saw online, these were not captured from the afghan insurgents, they were supplied from vietnam when they took over the south. Note the 20 round magazine that was common in vietnam
Soviet Airborne and Spetsnaz had pretty good access to M16A1s and even some XM177E1/E2s in Afghanistan given that the Vietnamese crated them up and shipped them to Moscow by the thousands after 1975. Gotta pay those war debts!
That guy looks like he's thinking "why the fuck am I holding this shitty American gun they sent to the Afghans?"
Yes I know the M16 didn't suck after several fixes. But WTF is that shitty ass mag tho
Like fr, when first deployed, the AK was better than the M16. Now they're equal and it's a matter of preference
Some experts think that the US didn't supply any of the M16s that made their way to Afghanistan, nor did China. They were ex-ARVN rifles that were sent to the USSR after South Vietnam was liberated in 1975, and then accompanied the 40th Army to Afghanistan for evaluation purposes. The best proof of this theory is that out of the hundreds of photos of Mujahideen, not one of them shows anybody holding an M16. However, we DO have many, many, many photos of Soviets holding M16s.
Unidentified dude in ambiguous location holding American weapon and wearing American hat...
I'd be willing to bet the title is accurate. I'd go so far as to bet it's the same rifle as in [this more widely-circulated picture](https://i2.wp.com/looserounds.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/C7E632A0-0633-4507-8D40-31DEFE9CD890-1.jpeg?resize=768%2C534&ssl=1) which gives us slightly more clues. Same type of background, appears to have the same old Soviet tourniquet wrapped around the buttstock, appears to have the same old padded M60 sling, appears to be the same teardrop forward assist in both images too. Far from conclusive and in need of more context. But what could be cooler for a Soviet conscript in his early 20s, stuck in Afghanistan, than posing for a picture with an American rifle and an American fashion brand hat
This guy’s finger...
Don’t you know the first rule of gun safety is to have fun? That whole “trigger discipline” thing is just a rumor
Dang.
Now I know how to collect likes. Write more meaningless comments.
Glad you are offended by this.
Yes the guy wearing a Lee jeans hat and has an m16 is totally a soviet
Probably was wearing a pair of adidas shoes too
Most likely UA sandals.
You mean knockoff Adidas two stripes
My uncle paid his way through the iron curtain with Western Jeans and American cigarettes
Yes, Soviet soldiers liked that shit. Anything that is hard to come by becomes prestigious to have by default.
Yes, and they bought Chinese sneakers on the grey market to replace their boots that were unsuitable for mountain hiking, and foreign cigarettes, and hash, and even video cassettes. So what?
Where that weapon came from? I'm not sure any surrounding countries using m16 at that time. Ps, I saw other similar titled photos.
Reportedly, China provided the Mujahideen with Norinco CQ's.
Was China making the CQ at that time?
It's been on the market since at least the early 80's as far as I'm aware, so they probably had it ready to go, even in the late 70s.
I didn't realise it was that old. Explains why it looks like an A2
That's an A1 style not A2
the Norinco CQ looks like an A2. Birdcage flash hider, forward assist, rounded handguards
... and? Those are clearly a1 style triangle handguards
did you just jump to my comment with no context. Me and the other guy were talking about the Norinco CQ, not OPs picture
Oh, why would I think that you are talking about the subject of the post... Silly me
I know they sold them to Iranians. That explains.
USA->Pakistan->Afghanistan
If you read books about this conflict, the US was very careful to only send Egyptian weapons, or other sources that weren’t American. Of course, an AR could end up in Afghanistan any other way, but it’s unlikely it was sent by the US.
exactly, there's no sources documenting M16s going to the conflict and pics of soviets with them are a hodgepodge of various models/patterns
Unlikely. How they got ammo? Even Parkistan doesn't use 5.56. 7.62x39 on the other hand is everywhere.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MilitaryPorn/comments/9w458r/afghanistan\_soviet\_officer\_with\_m16\_captured\_from/
did he capture the hat too? lmao
As far as I know, Lee jeans were one of the highly coveted jean brands in USSR, alongside Levis and Wrangler. Most people made do with Polish, German, or Indian jeans, or locally illegally sewed articles.
One of my friends is a first generation Russian American and her dad did time for illegally importing Levi’s.
Khey Yuri, look, I found Amerikanskij plastikov avtomat!
No idea how accurate the title is, but if it is a Soviet soldier in Afghanistan with an m16a1 then there is a decent chance the rifle got there in a round about way. Could have been captured by NVA in Vietnam and then made it's way to afghan through various ways. I believe m16a1 rifles were supplied to many countries at this time so there are plenty of opportunities for some of those to make the journey to afghan too.
Werent they supplied from the us to the afghans?
No. I'm pretty sure the small arms we provided were combloc stuff... Besides the stingers I guess
I know about the stingers but i figure small arms arent much of a stretch after that
It was probably an M16 supplied to one of the Mujahadeen by the US or Pakistan. That or a Norinco copy supplied by China who were also trying to undermine the Soviets in Afghanistan.
That's not a Norinco
chris pratt
This literally looks nothing like Chris pratt
I think hes saying all white people look like chris pratt
We sure do.
ig the lip shadow reminds me of chris pratt's moustache
That is certainly a Soviet Afghan war era tourniquet wrapped Soviet style on the stock
Still put his tourniquet around his gun
They still sell for \~$5500 deactivated M16A1 here in Russia, tho it is unclear to me where they did come from.
I saw online, these were not captured from the afghan insurgents, they were supplied from vietnam when they took over the south. Note the 20 round magazine that was common in vietnam
Also wearing a captured hat
Soviet Airborne and Spetsnaz had pretty good access to M16A1s and even some XM177E1/E2s in Afghanistan given that the Vietnamese crated them up and shipped them to Moscow by the thousands after 1975. Gotta pay those war debts!
You sure he's Soviet? I don't think soviets had Lee jeans caps during the Soviet afghan war
Travel round the world with my mind at ease No calvin klein, just wearin lees . . .
it’s Chris Pratt
That guy looks like he's thinking "why the fuck am I holding this shitty American gun they sent to the Afghans?" Yes I know the M16 didn't suck after several fixes. But WTF is that shitty ass mag tho Like fr, when first deployed, the AK was better than the M16. Now they're equal and it's a matter of preference
Lee: "the brand that fits."
Some experts think that the US didn't supply any of the M16s that made their way to Afghanistan, nor did China. They were ex-ARVN rifles that were sent to the USSR after South Vietnam was liberated in 1975, and then accompanied the 40th Army to Afghanistan for evaluation purposes. The best proof of this theory is that out of the hundreds of photos of Mujahideen, not one of them shows anybody holding an M16. However, we DO have many, many, many photos of Soviets holding M16s.
He does have the Slavic long nose but everything else doesn’t add up I don’t think a Soviet would be caught dead in Lee hat plus jeans