The most famous ghosts. The most famous and scary ghosts in the world

Anyone who has ever held the famous Kalash in their hands remembers that “handling”, pleasant heaviness that fills your hands with power. We can say that the Kalashnikov assault rifle is the embodiment of the Russian military spirit of the late 40s of the 20th century.

IN Lately It is customary to criticize this product in our press for its former ideological “clothes,” especially in comparison with the weapons of the “professionals” of the American army.

Let's try to figure it out.

The need to create weapons chambered for a cartridge intermediate between pistol and rifle became very acute during World War II. The insufficient destructive power of submachine guns of that time beyond 200 m and the need for guaranteed destruction of targets at a distance of 200 to 600 forced the creation of automatic weapons chambered for a lighter cartridge than the classic rifle cartridge. This reduced the weight and dimensions of the weapon and increased the amount of portable ammunition.

German gunsmiths were the first to create such an assault rifle. In 1943 they began to produce it in series, in 1944 they modernized it and put it into service under the designation Mpi 43.

When comparing AK and Mpi 43, one cannot be guided by the principle of “who stole from whom.”

Principles of automation operation small arms There are only 3, their schematic implementations are 6, and there are also 6 locking schemes. 6 x 6 = 36? Or will we consider other design features? The trigger mechanism of the Mpi 43 is absolutely identical to the Czech rifle ZHvz 29. The AK-47 also has a lot in common here.

Let's compare at least the weight of Mpi 43 - 6 kg. (with cartridges), and the weight of the AK-47 is 4.82 kg. (with cartridges in a steel magazine).

And the K-47 is simpler, unpretentious, and effective. Therefore, Mpi 43 can be called a forerunner, but not a predecessor, of the AK-47.

A K - 47 - AKM - AK - 74... This is a monopoly, this is a dogma. But dogma once met the requirements of topicality. But life moves forward. We must answer this challenge.

In the 1960s, the AR-15 Armalite rifle chambered for 5.56 x 45 mm came into service in the United States. by Remington. After testing in Vietnam, Eugene Sooner refined it and in 1967 it was put into service under the designation M 16 A1.

By using a small-caliber cartridge, we reduce the recoil, weight, and dimensions of the weapon. The accuracy and accuracy of combat increases. The wearable ammunition load is increasing.

The USSR responded to the M16 10 years later with the creation of the AK-74 chambered for 5.45 x 39 mm.

Let's compare these models more closely.

New AK series 100 have been developed. They can also “work” with NATO 5.56 mm cartridges. The reliability of firing has been increased, 15 thousand shots - the barrel is completely worn out and the mechanism is fully operational. Structurally, no changes have been made to the mechanism.

What are the results of this competition?

What determines the outcome in battle is not the type of weapon, but the soldier’s training and the coherence of actions in the unit.

The significant advantages of the M16 when firing at a distance of 300 m can be negated by climate, time of day, and dirt on the battlefield. And vice versa: the unpretentiousness and reliability of the AK in battle do not provide real advantages to an incompetent soldier.

The cost/efficiency ratio of both models is approximately the same. That is why these models are so popular (and this state of affairs will remain for a long time).

Once upon a time, the weapons of a potential enemy were not available to the vast majority of our compatriots even in the form of high-quality images. Now it is quite possible to purchase “civilian” versions of assault rifles from countries in Europe and the United States, although this is associated with various kinds of difficulties, ranging from the high cost of weapons to purely bureaucratic obstacles during import. And after all, there is little of this shooting exoticism in Russia. But, as usual, there are more than enough of all kinds of fables and myths.

Therefore, it was impossible to ignore the opportunity to compare in practice the legendary “Black Rifle” with our AK-74. And at the same time, optionally, with the lesser-known, but no less interesting German G-3.

There is no point in describing the design of all three shooting participants - it is known to almost all readers and is available in numerous sources. It was much more interesting to compare weapons according to the main operational criteria - ease of use and efficiency in shooting, and at the same time to analyze the reviews of professionals: army special forces officers and GRU special forces. An important point It turned out that it was possible to “torture” in practice the peculiarities of caring for the weapon described in the article.

Request to readers: do not consider the conclusions in this article to be the ultimate truth. We all have our own understanding of the design and operational priorities that determine the subjective assessment of any weapon, so let this article remain only a personal opinion.

AK-74, M-16 and G-3

On “our” side, a modified AK-74M, chambered for the standard 5.45x39 mm cartridge, took part in the test. It was the cartridge, as a direct competitor to the 5.56 mm NATO one, that determined the choice of this particular AK model for testing.

“Civilian” version of the M-16A3 (we had in our hands the “omnivorous” XR-15, which is superior in barrel quality to the original “Kolt” M-16, designed for firing both “civilian” cartridges. 223 Rem and military 5.56 NATO) does not have the ability to fire in bursts, but this was not critical (given some experience with automatic shooting from the army M-4).

All three copies were modified to one degree or another. The AK-74M was equipped with: an Israeli stock “a la M-4”, a forend with a folding front handle, an ergonomic fire control handle and an American-made “EOTech” holographic sight. Previously, only the domestic “Cobra” collimator was installed on the machine, but now there are many opportunities for “tuning” AK-shaped ones, so we attached everything possible to our copy. However, as the shooting showed, it was not entirely in vain.

The XR-15, also produced by the American-British company SDI, had only a more comfortable fire control handle and a LEAPERS SCP-420M-B optical sight, which was developed specifically for weapons of caliber .223Rem (5.56 NATO). The sight is equipped with a bracket for a Weaver rail and can be easily mounted on any weapon equipped with this rail.

In addition, the sight is equipped with a quick-release Quick Lock Handle mount (on the rail) for installation on self-loading rifles such as M16 (AR-15) and analogues.

The XR-41 was also equipped with standard optical sight, attached to the weapon using the original bracket.

On the firing line

XR-15 (M-16)

Many of those who pick up the M-16 or its analogues for the first time note that the “black rifle,” contrary to all expectations, is not so light and comfortable. It’s certainly not lighter than the AK-74M. Regarding convenience, everything is also relative: the most important positive point (especially for tall people) is usually the long forend of the rifle, convenient for any grip and any palm. Everything is done very high quality and carefully (although the seams from casting on some parts are very visible). The rifle is good, beautiful and aggressive, you can’t take that away from it.

Our XR-15 had an improved fire control stick, but it didn't feel particularly comfortable. The connection of the standard 20-seater magazine did not cause any difficulties, but it had to be pushed into the shaft with the palm of your hand, otherwise it would simply fall out. The 30-round magazine had to be put aside altogether - it refused to be fixed in the rifle. Then I had to saw it with a file, but, oddly enough, this didn’t help either. But here the fault most likely lies with the store manufacturer.

Gate. Probably, almost every Russian teenager will be able to twist the bolt frame of the M-16 - now everyone plays American computer “shooters”, and there the loading algorithm for any known “shooter” is displayed very well. But the game is a game, and pulling the frame with a two-finger grip from behind and strictly along the axis of the barrel is not as convenient, unlike a weapon with a reloading handle, usually located on the right side - no one has yet canceled biomechanics.

I didn’t like the descent of the XR-15 – it was hard and not as clear as I would like. Of course, the trigger on military weapons cannot be “sporty”, but in order to at least partially realize the potential of the “rifle-cartridge” complex, in this case At least minimal skill is required.

After shooting several magazines, we get a lack of firing (the forced shutter locking button justified its presence), and then a sticking. All this can be attributed to domestically produced cartridges (during famous war 08.08.08, M-4 failures were also attributed to the “wrong” manufacturer and either Turkish or Greek cartridges). A similar situation was observed on M-1, which we talked about a year ago. But somehow it has long been ingrained in the subconscious that a weapon should fire any more or less high-quality cartridges, of which Russian .223 Rem ammunition is completely included.

When you first pick up a sample of a weapon about which you have read so many enthusiastic and negative reviews, you expect something special. Interestingly, the author knows of only one positive opinion about the M-16, privately expressed by one domestic designer. Moreover, the positive concerns only the operational properties of the rifle, when firing in bursts, and in shooting range conditions. Of the military acquaintances who are well acquainted with the M-16 and its clones, for some reason no one has the desire to take it “to war.” Of course, the habit of using AKs also plays a role here, and psychological aspect not on either last place. But... these people cannot be called pragmatic enough, so it’s not that simple.

The disadvantages of the M-16 are known to everyone and there is no point in repeating this for the hundredth time. There are also plenty of advantages, but there is no 100% confidence in this weapon. And this factor is one of the most important.

XR-41 (Heckler-Koch G-3)

This rifle, with its “oakiness,” is reminiscent of German weapons from the period of the end of World War II: just as heavy, clumsy, with the widespread use of non-standard technical solutions. Our sample differed from the combat G-3 only in the trigger and minor changes in the bolt frame. There are currently two model ranges of these weapons in Germany: the Saber Defense XR-15 from Waffen Schumacher and the OA-15 ​​family from Oberland Arms from Upper Bavaria. Schumacher imports its XR-15 from England, from Saber Defense.

The magazine lock is akin to Kalashnikov's. The reloading handle is foldable, motionless when firing, located on the left and moved forward. One can argue a lot about the advantages of this technical solution, but such a scheme is justified only when shooting from any position, but not lying down or in cramped conditions. And all the now fashionable “gadgets” in shooting techniques that came from practical shooting, to put it mildly, are not always adequate for combat use. Sport is a sport, it should not be confused with war or even hunting. So we will consider the “left-handed” weapon reloading scheme only a feature of the G-3, nothing more.

The G-3 diopter sight requires a specific attachment, and the ease of its use, especially for close and moving targets, is also a very controversial point. But the standard optical Hensoldt FERO-Z-24 turned out to be quite good. We must admit that the accuracy of our sample was excellent, and there were no problems with operational reliability (given the shooting conditions, this was not surprising, although the XR-15 “pleased” us here too). Cartridge.308 Win. has noticeable recoil, which is partly mitigated by the 4.5 kg weight of the rifle.

The descent is disgusting. Here we can draw a direct parallel with the myths about the “bad” trigger of our three-ruler and the “good” trigger of the Mauser rifle mod. 1898. In practice, the Mauser trigger usually works at least no better than the release of our three-ruble gun. So here too - the “oaky” and unpredictable descent of the G-3 forced us to focus more on fighting it than on aiming. But here “the West will help us” - “sports” triggers have already been ordered for both “foreigners”, which, if it does not improve shooting performance, will at least save the shooters’ nerve cells in the future.

Just in case, I’ll mention the “Revelli grooves” in the XR-41 chamber, for which our SVT-40 is so vehemently criticized, considering their presence as a sign of design imperfection. Apparently, the presence of Revelli grooves in German weapons is not so critical...

AK-74M

The AK is familiar to many readers thoroughly, so I’ll immediately give a few facts and figures: from a machine gun with an installed holographic sight, from a “standing” position (using a belt), standard army chest and height targets were confidently hit at distances up to 600 m inclusive. To hit small targets it was enough to take a more stable position. With open sights, of course, more effort and ammunition were required to hit distant targets, but this was true for all rifles tested.

Optionally, the AK-74M was fired in automatic mode, as well as with rapid fire, transferring fire along the front and in depth. As expected, when shooting at single targets at distances greater than 100 m, burst fire loses its meaning, but you also shouldn’t expect miracles from the M-16 and its clones when conducting automatic fire.

Thanks to its traditional layout, the AK-74M is easy to control and reload. Compact, well weighted, with good ergonomics (this also applies to standard equipment) and absolutely normal weight. Nothing superfluous, no small buttons or knobs, everything is logical and intuitive. Minimal recoil and minimal barrel bounce. At distances up to 500-600 m, it is not inferior to the M-16 in practical accuracy. What else is needed?

Summary

It was difficult to draw conclusions here. If only because it was clear that they would not be objective, although they were a kind of generalization of many opinions about the tested weapons. But there was also no reason to repeat the hackneyed “perestroika” cliches about the “American miracle rifle”.

Everything is clear about the AK-74M - simple, reliable, familiar and accurate. No less accurate than an American rifle. Once again there is no point in talking about ease of maintenance. The AK-74 is much more convenient and lighter than the G-3, although the latter has some advantages, but this is only due to the .308 Win cartridge. It is the German rifle, equipped with optics, that can be seriously considered as a kind of analogue of our SVD: in this incarnation, the G-3 is, first of all, interesting due to its compactness and cartridge. Firing in bursts from the G-3 can only be interesting from an educational perspective.

It is unlikely that anyone will deny that victory is often achieved not by the design of the weapon, but by the level of training of the fighter and his competent control on the battlefield (it is also obvious that the level of training of the shooter is one of the most important in hunting).

At distances further than 100 m, usually few people shoot in bursts even from the M-16, so it is worth objectively evaluating the tested rifles based on the results of firing with single fire. And here, even when shooting in “greenhouse” conditions, some of the advantages of the M-16 design are reduced, if not to zero, then greatly minimized.

In practice, the “obsolescence” of the AK scheme acquires advantages that cannot be overestimated. Here, the words of one of my acquaintances are very appropriate, who briefly and succinctly described the emotions of a fighter who, located in an open area, is being “pounded by an inaccurate Kalash.” Let me mention once again that those of our specialists who have the opportunity to choose weapons when going to “combat” stubbornly prefer AKs.

Of the three rifles we talked about today, the M-16 inspires the least confidence among those who constantly use weapons to carry out their tasks: reliability in weapons and in people has been and remains the most important criterion.

Yuri Maksimov
Master gun 03 - 2012

• Articles» Assault rifles / Assault rifles
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Everyone knows the phrase “home sweet home,” but for some families, going home isn't the most enjoyable way to end the day—there's nothing sweet about a haunted house. Home should be a place where you can relax, get a good night's sleep, and enjoy being with the whole family, but all these pleasures are not possible if several ghosts live with you under the same roof and cannot calm down.

Manifestations of ghosts can include strange voices, mysterious shadows, knocking on walls and loud footsteps. However, in some cases, ghosts behave much more clearly and hostilely - they not only touch living people, but also lower the owners of the house down the stairs!

Sometimes no one knows why a ghost becomes attached to a particular place, but most often it is due to some terrible tragedy, which becomes the cause of the appearance of an inconsolable or even furious spirit. There are countless complaints of ghosts taking over people's homes around the world, and in this list you will learn about 10 such cases.

10. Beau-Sejour Palace

Beau Sejour Palace is a 19th century Lisbon mansion and is renowned as one of the most... mystical places throughout Portugal. Probably, the ghost of its old owner, Baron of Gloria, who lived here two centuries ago, settled in this house. The ghost has been seen more than once both in the gardens around the house and wandering along the corridors of the residence.

Workers and visitors to the mansion have repeatedly reported that many strange things happen in this place, including inexplicable disappearances or movements of objects, slamming windows in calm weather and the sound of non-existent bells. Nowadays, the mansion is managed by a municipal organization engaged in the study historical heritage Lisbon and its employees still complain that their books and boxes inexplicably keep moving around.

9. Raynham Hall

Located in the English county of Norfolk, Rainham Hall occupies about 7 thousand acres of land and is famous throughout the area for the haunting ghost of a certain Brown Lady. Locals believe that the spirit belonged to Lady Dorothy, who lived here in the 18th century. This ghost was named the Brown Lady because, according to eyewitness accounts, the spirit always appears in a brown dress.

One of the most convincing and famous photographs of this ghost was taken back in the 1930s, and it shows a mysterious female figure standing on the stairs inside the house. Rumor has it that Dorothy's husband treated her very poorly and kept her locked up all the time. This is probably why her spirit still cannot leave this place... The photographers who captured the famous shot worked for Country Life magazine, and during this filming they were on assignment from the editors.

8. Vicarage in Borgvattnet

The modest Swedish village of Borgvattnet would be an unremarkable place if one of the local houses had not had its own ghost. The building was built in 1876, but the local chaplain first began complaining about a ghost in 1927. According to the priest, one day he went up to the attic to get clean linen when he discovered that his things had been scattered by someone.

Since then, there have been more than once reports of ghosts settling in the parish house. For example, here people saw a lady in a gray robe, heard strange sounds and observed moving objects. One day a guest at home saw with her own eyes three unknown women, staring at her in the middle. One of the chaplains who lived in this house claimed that some ghost constantly shook him out of his chair.

7. Whaley House

The Whaley House is located in the city of San Diego, California (San Diego, California, USA), and annually this place is visited by over 125 thousand tourists admiring the historical area. Thomas Whaley bought the property in 1855. According to rumors, it was here that a certain Yankee Jim Robinson was hanged in 1852. After this incident, many strange events began to occur in the house. People heard the sound of a gavel, which judges usually used during meetings, music and laughter somewhere within the walls of the house, someone saw a silhouette as if looking from an upper window, tiny footprints, and they also talked about a mysterious child’s cry. One day, the ghost of a little girl was even seen in the dining room. Thomas Whaley's daughter, Violet, committed suicide, and many people admit that her presence is still felt on the second floor of the mansion. Even the ghosts of Thomas and his wife Anne appeared in the house, as if watching over their beloved estate from the top steps of the main staircase.

6. Winchester Mystery House

Sarah Winchester was the heir to a considerable family fortune, earned by producing famous rifles and shotguns. Having received family capital at her disposal, she bought a simple 8-room cottage in San Jose, California, USA, occupying only a few acres of land. Soon the house became almost unrecognizable as the widow hired new carpenters over and over again to build additional additions to the house. Continuous construction was carried out for almost 36 years - until the death of the owner in 1922. They say that Sarah renovated her cottage so often because it seemed to her that she was haunted by the souls of all the people killed with the legendary Winchester brand guns.

The huge house now has flights of stairs leading literally to nowhere, intricate corridors that resemble real labyrinths, and some doors hide behind solid walls instead of rooms. People often hear mystical voices and footsteps here, especially on the third floor of the house. In the basement, many saw a man in white overalls pushing a wheelbarrow towards a coal chute. Strange images and spheres were even noticed in photographs and videos taken in this house.

5. Monte Cristo

Known to most as the most mystical house throughout Australia, Monte Cristo is a mansion victorian era, built back in 1876 by order of Christopher William Crawley. A lot of troubles happened in this house... More than a hundred years ago, I completely fell down the stairs here. Small child, then a young groom was burned alive, and one of the maids fell from the balcony, and the watchman’s son was kept in chains for 40 years until his body was found next to the remains of his mother. In addition, one of the caretakers was killed on the estate grounds. People who later lived in this house admitted that the presence of the previous owners, Christopher and Elizabeth Crowley, was very noticeable even after many years. Someone even once felt someone’s hand on their shoulder... The ghosts addressed the residents by name, and the new owners constantly felt like someone was looking at them, and someone’s footsteps were periodically heard on the empty balcony. Several photographs even managed to capture mysterious silhouettes.

4. Borley Rectory

In the English county of Essex in the village of Borley is an old house, considered by many to be the most mystical haunted building in the entire country. The cottage was built in 1862 on land where an ancient monastery once stood. After news of a ghostly nun appeared in a local newspaper in 1929, parapsychologist Harry Price was invited here to conduct his investigation and check whether anything supernatural was actually happening there. According to rumors, the ghost of a nun wandered around the garden, and she always walked with her head bowed sadly. Other accounts included the appearance of a strange light, the sounds of footsteps, whispers, the noise of a ghostly carriage, the silhouette of a headless man, a girl in white clothes and the chief architect of the house, Henry Bull. In 1939, the house was almost completely destroyed by a strong fire, and in 1944 it was completely demolished. However, even despite the fact that the creepy building is no longer in its place, visitors to this place still complain about paranormal activity. Most often, people talk about someone throwing stones at them.

3. Amityville Horror House

The script for the film "The Amityville Horror" (2005) was written based on real events, which took place in a real house in the town of Amityville, New York. It was in this house that a mass murder took place in 1974 - a 23-year-old guy killed his entire family (father, mother and 4 brothers and sisters) right in their sleep. A few months later, the Lutz family moved into this house and, involuntarily, encountered many creepy phenomena.

According to family members, they more than once smelled the smell of other people’s perfumes and felt different places unusually cold at home. Every night, without saying a word, they woke up at 3:15, and it was at this time that the family of the previous owners was killed. To make matters worse, objects began to fly, a crucifix on the wall turned upside down, green slime seeped through the walls, and the inhabitants more than once saw shining demonic eyes in the darkness. It's no surprise that this house was listed as one of the creepiest haunted houses in all of America.

2. Myrtles Plantation

The Myrtle Plantation House is considered one of the most mystical otherworldly abodes in all of America. The plantation is located in the town of St. Francisville, Louisiana, and the house itself was built in 1796 by General Dave Bradford, also known by his nickname Whiskey Dave, because at one time he was an active participant in the Whiskey Rebellion (1791-1794).

The plantation is said to be home to at least 12 different ghosts, and many visitors have seen ghosts resembling slaves from before. Civil War. Often among them there was one girl who looked especially like a slave, and she was even given a name - Chloe. Visitors to the house even managed to take a photograph in which it is believed that Chloe is standing between two buildings belonging to this plantation. Other famous photograph was taken right in the fields, and in it you can see a girl in an apron looking out of the window of the house directly into the camera. No one ever identified her, and she eventually received the nickname Ghost Girl.

1. Old Gostiny Dvor Ram Inn

The Rum Inn is famous throughout England as the most mysterious hotel, which is home to about 20 ghosts! The building was built back in 1145, and it is located in the town of Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. As legend has it, the house was built on the land of a pagan cemetery, where once upon a time small children were sacrificed. In addition, a witch was allegedly burned here, and the daughter of an old inn owner once hanged herself in the attic.

Today, this house still operates as a guest house, but guests of Ram Inn often pack their bags in the middle of the night and leave, complaining of terrible visions. Some former guests claim that furniture even flew around their room, objects moved on their own and spun around their own axis, people were pinned to their beds, and someone saw the ghost of a little girl walking along the corridors of the hotel. Other guests heard children crying and screaming and saw a tall woman in the bedroom who looked like a pagan priestess.