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Marxist Rifle Association @lemmygrad.ml
sushimvt @lemmygrad.ml

Material conditions and choosing a firearm

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. Not necessarily an AK or SKS, but the gun that suits your material conditions. As materialists, we know that social and material conditions determine our options for strategy and praxis. For example, for a proletarian in the US to purchase an $800 AK pattern rifle or SKS (especially if it's in 5.45x39 or 7.62x39) for their first or primary rifle simply because they like the aesthetics and origin of the gun is often times anti-materialist and pointless. An analysis of the of the US will reveal that one can acquire an AR-15 pattern rifle for under $500 and an optic for ~$100, as well as that 5.56/.223 is by far the most prevalent and cheapest intermediate cartridge in the country, both in stores and in usage by other people. That paired with the ubiquity of AR parts and mags makes the AR-15 quite literally "the people's rifle" of the Unites States.

AKs, AK parts, and AK ammunition are more archaic and expensive, not only requiring more money to acquire them but also making finding ammunition and spare parts for your rifle in a potential domestic conflict far more difficult.

Now, I will admit that in AR-ban states, an SKS with AK mags may be the best option for a semi-automatic rifle in an intermediate cartridge.

A material analysis will determine what the best guns to equip progressive and proletarian forces of a country are. I'm not policing or telling you what gun to buy, but I am recommending people to approach the situation materially and not ideally. If you happen to want to buy a Makarov, Tokarev, Mosin, or whatever as collectors pieces and have a surplus of money, then whatever. But relying on these weapons, particularly in the US, should be resisted.

13 comments

  • Honestly just let people buy what they want to buy.

    There is no organized left group in the US where ammunition or parts commonality actually matters.

    If there were, it certainly wouldn't be discussed on the Internet.

    Let people have their fun.

    • Honestly just let people buy what they want to buy.

      Comrades should not be letting other comrades waste their money and time if they genuinely want to be prepared and organized in their communities. It is our duty to educate one another to be responsible. This is a serious topic, not one to be flippant or liberal about.

      There is no organized left group in the US where ammunition or parts commonality actually matters.

      Maybe you aren't, but there are plenty of others organizing on the community level where ammo and parts commonality matter. Especially with the rising price of ammunition, being able to provide for each other is becoming more important than ever.

      Let people have their fun.

      This post is not dedicated to people who buy firearms just to have fun plinking on the range. They can certainly have their fun.

      • This is a serious topic, not one to be flippant or liberal about.

        I'm being serious.

        If someone already bought 4 spam cans of 7.62 and have an AK are you going to turn them away from your group, because they didn't properly consider their "material conditions" and failed to buy the AR and Glock starter pack?

        By all means if you want to post an overwrought justification for "buy an AR and Glock because they're common" you are absolutely not bringing anything novel to the table here.

        What matters is training with your firearm on a consistent basis. Not posting "who's supposed to buy what to be in my imaginary militia"

        I can count with one hand the number of people that I know are involved in left wing groups, who shoot some sort of competitive shooting activity consistently, in my region of the country. I can count on five hands the number of discords, forums, and other wastes of time where people post about gear they want to buy, or have bought, or argue with one another about. Now I guess we get to add this one to that list.

        I will take any left wing shooter regardless of their equipment, who consistently shoots a competitive activity, over the Perfect Material Analysis Loadout that sits in a safe or just gets shot on a flat stationary range once a year.

13 comments