First, it was one of the milled-model AKs (one of the VERY nice ones built for the Spetznaz) that endured ever so much abuse. The only way you could ever stop an AK from working is to somehow dislodge the piston. A sturdy rifle like that can withstand a fall from most state office buildings and have it still in place.
The Serb parts may have also had stuff made in China. If say, the locking lugs were Chinese, mounted on a Siberian bolt, you'd have problems right there. The Chinese make their guns like crap. I was misleading in my original statement. Kalashnikov called for his weapon to be well-made and all, but it was designed primarily as a weapon for someone who didn't know a damn thing about proper care and handling of one.
I wasn't detracting. But that's the gist of how it works. Rather than blow over piston, which would add weight (Stoner had to get the thing around 6 goddamn pounds) he simply had the gas itself hit the moving parts, to that end, he had the gas just vent right into the receiver. The only problems with this action are induced by improper construction or cheap ammo.
The reports have been noted around the web, and also, if you check the related articles on
http://www.world.guns.ru state that experience has shown that the rifle jammed alot. It's a side effect of the higher-pressure induced from the shorter barrel.
Also, I doubt the M-4 to be more accurate than the AK-108, considering the AK-108 operates under moderated pressure, the AK-108 also uses a longer barrel. It passes that point, around 16 inches, where a barrel must at least be, to reliably fragment out to 300 meters. At 14 inches, the M-4 does not, hence stopping power problems. Finally, the AK-108 rifles are made under limited contract, to higher-than-SOVIET standard. If the US experimented with them, I don't know what they'd find, but I'd be sure as hell interested to find out.
On another note, have you heard up on anything regarding Black Hills ammunition? As I understand it, the SOCOM loves the stuff for what it does to human beings. Second only, in my opinion, to German 7.62NATO in terms of pure brutality.