re: Could the South have won the Civil War with 100 AK-47s?

A lead miniball from a musket isn't doing anything to an apache. There would never be any reason for it to be in range, and never any reason for it to fly in the daylight except to show the enemy what was raping them every night.

Basically any kind of night vision on one side makes this grossly unfair for the enemy. An apache would have the whole enemy of that time, regardless of who or where, on skids after 2 or 3 nights. It would be insurmountable and would win the war before any kind of effective defense could be cooked up.

You'd have to field a giant shotgun, and it'd never get to see the field.

With a means to make ammunition for them, absolutely

I don't think that's how I'd do it. I think I'd have one rifle with 5 to 10 men assigned to it, mainly to protect it and keep it in the fight. Use it to overwhelm the softest targets I could find. Let word get out that we've fielded a super weapon. The go gurilla with them as you stated.

I can't think of a way you insert them into any late war battle and appreciably change the outcome. Artillery is too much of a problem.

Feel like the Apache could fly night missions and repeatedly eliminate leadership or supply caches

It would skullfrick everything. There's no maintaining discipline or order once word gets out that there's some kind of mechanical dragon monster thing flying around every night and anihillating everything and yelling "LINCON SURRENDER NOW OR I WILL LEVEL YOUR CITIES AND EVERYONE DIES"

Its not a fun hypothetical. Modern warship is a little more fun, since it's confined to deep navigable channels and troops could hide from it. It just neutralizes any Naval blockade OR covers a coastal advance, but it can't do both.

How many clips?

How much ammo?

If you had soldiers with wheelbarrows of already loaded magazines and your 10 best gunners manning the AK man it would be bad.

The best and longest known military strategy is that the side who is willing to have the most attrition will be the one who will most likely win. The Ukraine war is a prime example.

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The psychological damage to the union going up against at the time undiscovered technology is hard to calculate.

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I think it would have to be dramatic. They did have repeating rifles and word was out about gattling guns. I just dont see 100 AKs being that dramatic of a scare.

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It would skullfrick everything. There's no maintaining discipline or order once word gets out that there's some kind of mechanical dragon monster thing flying around every night and anihillating everything and yelling "LINCON SURRENDER NOW OR I WILL LEVEL YOUR CITIES AND EVERYONE DIES"

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Yeah, once it is in the air there is no weapon that could take it out. It would pretty much only be venerable on the ground when resupplying.

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Modern warship is a little more fun, since it's confined to deep navigable channels and troops could hide from it. It just neutralizes any Naval blockade OR covers a coastal advance, but it can't do both.

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I think even a modern warship is a little unfair with regards to open water. The union's navy would likely have an advantage inland like on the Mississippi as the river wasn't deep like it is now so it might not be as navigable by a large ship (The Cairo's draft was only about 6').

What might be more interesting is if 100 bay boats/center consoles with confederate troops could capture/sabotage the Union ships and effectively take out the Union Navy.

100 semi tractor trailers with unlimited diesel would have made a bigger difference.