Target Shooting for Stag Parties in Krakow

Fun activities like ASG and paintball are extremely popular with the boys on a stag do looking for a contrast to the lavish evening and night pastimes that they experience in Krakow. But one thing that these worthy and well – organized sports can never have, is the crack and feedback of the real thing. For the lover of real big boys’ toys, here are some facts about the real guns that our Krakow lads can fire in safe and legal conditions.
Everybody has heard of the AK47 and most people associate it with all the wrong things. Here are some statistics:

Type: Assault rifle
Date of first manufacture: 1949 onwards
Designer: Mikhail Kalashnikov
Country: Soviet Union
Length: 654-870 mm depending on stock configuration
Barrel: 415 mm
Weight: 4.3 kg unloaded
Ammunition: 7.62 x 39mm cartridge
Firing rate: 600 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity: 715 m/s (2,345 ft/s)

The AK47 (Automat Kalahnikova 1947) is a selective fire, gas operated assault rifle of Soviet origin in the 1940s. The designer, wearied by the efficiency and destructive power of Nazi weaponry used against his troops, came up with the idea and it’s been in use ever since. Used by regular armies, its durability and simplicity have also made it a favourite of terrorist organizations. More AK – type rifles have been produced than all the other assault rifles put together!
The requirement was simple. Most fire fights take place within 300 metres which is too short for a regular machine gun. It also made the range and power of exiting rifles surplus to requirement. So a compromise was required that was effective up to 300 metres and which combined the large capacity magazines and selective fire capabilities of machine guns. The first was the German Mauser that was used with horrendous effect against Kalashnikov and his contemporaries and which resulted in the birth of the AK47. Kalashnikov was committed to producing not just a competent rival, but something that was superior in almost every way. This was achieved by “borrowing” from a number of different weapons, each with different design advantages.
Perhaps its most famous feature, and one which has contributed to its longevity, is the ease with which it can be disassembled. This is also a relatively safe process if the rules are followed, so the guns, in competent hands, are always cleaned, oiled and ready to go. But, unlike many other weapons, the AK can function devastatingly when caked in mud, clogged with desert sand and dust, or when used in Siberian winter temperatures. It is truly a weapon for all terrains. Luckily, the Krakow stag party AK47 marksman will not be required to strip, clean and reassemble his rifle, nor will he have to perform feats of marksmanship in unfavourable conditions!
This gun is so reliable, that its useful lifespan is between 20 and 40 years and costs only about 50 GBP in many markets. But the price does not affect the delivery of its 8 gram load – the stag party markman will hit his targets (or maybe not!) with something that leaves the muzzle with an energy of 1,480 foot/lbs. For those who have forgotten the formula, it’s half mass x velocity squared.

So what about some other guns that the Krakow Stag target shooter can use?

The Uzi (or its Polish equivallent “Glauberyt”) is a famous weapon of Israeli design and production that has earned its place in the history of submachine guns. Is has similar effectiveness to the AK47 but is a bit smaller due to its shorter barrel length. The Uzi is as deadly as its Russian cousin and, yes, the Krakow stag can get to fire both at the same venue!
Here are some facts:

Length: 470 – 650 mm, depending on stock configuration
Barrel: 260 mm
Weight: 3.5 kg
Ammunition: 9 x 19mm Parabellum cartridge
Firing rate: 600 rounds per second
Muzzle velocity: 400 m/s
Range (effective): 120m
Maximum range: 200m

For the technically minded stag, the gun is of an open bolt, blow back design, a bit like James Bond’s Walther PPK. So when the gun is fired, the breech opens and out pops the empty cartridge. This has the great benefit of assisting cooling during extended firing, but also allows the entry of sand, dust and other unwanted materials. Hence the gun needs regular cleaning to avoid potentially embarrassing jamming.
The Uzi was one of the first guns to use a telescoping bolt. In this design, the barrel is housed a long way back into the main body of the gun, allowing the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip and keeps the barrel length down.

The Krakow stag party Rambo also gets to fire such interesting items as the Austrian Glock pistol.

Despite having a largely polymer construction, they have proved so reliable that 65% of all US police guns are Glocks.
The Austrian authorities decided upon replacing their existing Walther police and military hand guns and issued a set of criteria for would be designers. These included:

• The gun should be automatically loading
• The gun should fire the Parabellum 9x19mm cartridge
• The magazine capacity should be at least 8 rounds
• All operations needed had to be easily done using just one hand
• It should be safe from accidental discharge when dropped from a height of 2m
• The whole thing had to be capable of disassembly without tools
• Likewise maintenance and cleaning
• There should be a maximum of 58 components
• It had to be capable of firing 15,000 rounds without wear and tear
• There should be no risk of injury through spent cartridge ejection

So the pistol had to be not just good, but extremely good. And it is!
It is a 9mm short recoil semi-automatic and one of those where the barrel moves back a little when fired. But the really interesting stuff is that the frame, magazine body and several other critical elements are composed of a high impact nylon – based polymer. Or plastic! This is to resist chemical corrosion and the kind of trouble caused by extreme temperatures. It also has a hexagonal bore to the barrel. But whatever the technical attributes, this is one of the best pistols around and great gun for the Krakow stag party lad.

So what about our Krakow stag and the pump action shotgun (or Mossberg as it’s actually called) ?

When you fire a traditional shotgun, whether double or single barreled, you need to ready for the BANG of the discharge, the WHOOSH of the lead balls leaving the barrel under considerable pressure and the almighty great thump in the shoulder the recoil delivers. It’s great fun and has a kind of masculinity to it. But the downside is that every time you have fired off the cartridges, you need to break the barrel and shove two fresh cartridges into the breech.
The pump action variant dispenses with this particular hassle by having a tube magazine below the single barrel. You discharge a round then chamber the next by pulling the pump handle towards you and then pushing it back. As you do this, the gun automatically ejects the spent cartridge.
So there you have 4 of the most popular guns that you can fire at your stag party in Krakow. And very nice they are too.

Regarding safety tips, there are just a few when firing at a supervised range:

• Arrive clear headed
• Listen to the advice offered by the instructor
• Ask questions about anything you are unsure of
• Never play with a gun whether loaded, unloaded or non-functioning replica
• Never point the gun at anything other than the proper shooting range target
• Avoid alcohol and drugs before shooting. Accidents are avoidable but consequences often regrettable

So please feel confident about the great caliber of weaponry you will be offered as a stag party member in Krakow shooting ranges. Have fun and stay safe.