[Homer]

The AKM is heavy, harder to shoot accurately at range than some western designs, has a weird (to western usage) magazine well, mounts optics poorly, and the safety/selector lever is counterintuitive to anyone trained on western designs, but…

7.62x39 is a pretty good cartridge- pretty similar to the middle of the road .30-30 load- for anything inside 200 yards, which is a pretty good combat distance in all but open or mountain terrain. The rifle runs with very little TLC, even if you’re lubing it with motor oil and using wire and a hammer to repair it; and ammo is very easy to come by anywhere east of the IGB. Not to mention the mags are commonplace and pretty durable in their own.

For a small group trying to evade major engagements it’s probably just the level of self defense required, while providing enough power to kill a deer or hog for dinner with decent shot placement.

Throw in an RPK and maybe an RPG you’ve got enough firepower for your group to resolve most small encounters or at least break contact. Plus you keep a common round and mags, don’t need to worry about links for belts, and there is even limited commonality in parts.