I actually buried it all the way and it ran, think I had to rack it once to get the sand loose but put a couple mags through it. Thats the beauty of the AK they can handle the dirt and mud and keep on running. But as long as you keep your mag in and the dust cover shut an AR will do the same thing, ive tested both. The AR wont work if it gets a lot inside it but with the cover shut and a mag in it the internals stay cleaner than you would think.