AR15 VS AK47

[mausermadness]

This all comes down to personal preference. With the price raising on what I would consider a good AK I would venture into a good AR first (they can be had for more reasonable amounts). What ever you do, research the rifle you are looking at thoroughly. Not all AK's and not all AR's are equals. I'm personally an AK fan and would agree with the previous post that a PSA GF3 is the bare minimum to get into the AK game. I would suggest a WASR personally, but that might just be my personal bias speaking. There will be more advisable people on AR's if you decide that route. Either way, research well, don't be quick to buy the cheapest version of either, get familiar with it and enjoy it

 

[two70]

Many others have suggested deciding on the primary purpose of the rifle before deciding on which rifle you want. It is good advice but all too often, if the purpose doesn't change then the way you prefer to meet that purpose likely will over time as you gain experience.

With that in mind, an AR is built from the ground up to be whatever you want/need it to be. Want a different caliber? Optics? Accessories? Your only real limit is your budget. An AK is pretty much what it is. It can be adapted to meet some of those possible needs but not without more effort and more limitations. So I would ask, Do you want a rifle that adapts to you or do you want to adapt to a rifle?

That said, any serious shooter should not only own both but examples of other semi auto rifles as well, IMO.

 

[Robert Richardson]

AR15, made in the U.S.A.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

AR15, made in the U.S.A.

Was hast du gesaght?

 

[VERT]

Every good American should own an AR-15 and a double stack Glock in 9mm. Why??? Because these guns are the most common and have the most ammo and magazines laying around. Neither are my first choice in guns, you do you. But I would recommend owning both.

 

[Leo]

Ammo is a big factor.

Exactly one time in 50 years, did I fire a 7.62 X 39 caliber rifle with real, 1st world quality ammo. The guy actually found some real brass cases and loaded with brand name bullets. They worked, and should have worked great, but at 200 yards it was a rifle for man sized targets. A standard 200 yard National Match target was barely hit. All the rest of my 7.62 experience has been 3rd world, combat surplus ammo. Again, not target worthy even if it reliably goes bang. Inside at 40 to 80 yards it is probably a great combat weapon.

Multiple times I have been around 5.56 X 45mm AR style rifles shooting the 3rd world surplus ammo. Poor target performance and lots of jamming. After running a chamber brush and trying my ammo, (prepped brass cases, Varget powder and quality target bullets) even the lower end AR's will fire reliably and the target groups get much better. They may be out there, but I have never seen an AR that would not mostly hold black scoring rings on a 200 yard National Match target with decent ammo.

Having fun pulling the trigger, or having fun with accuracy can be two different things. It takes rifle AND ammo for the later.

My fun factor goes up with a M1a SuperMatch shooting match ammo.

 

[Expat]

If you watch some of Rob Ski's videos, you will see that the AK is more accurate than most people want to admit.

 

[bwframe]

Every good American should own an AR-15 and a double stack Glock in 9mm. Why??? Because these guns are the most common and have the most ammo and magazines laying around. Neither are my first choice in guns, you do you. But I would recommend owning both.

Exactly this.

They are my first choice in guns. Why specialize and work against yourself?

Along with the most common guns, ammo, magazines, the platform has the most milspec and aftermarket parts. These parts are everywhere, along with tons of information on anything and everything you need to know to do whatever you want with the platform.

 

[Leo]

ExPat, Thanks for posting that video. He does bring up some points. Many people are mentally focused on gear and discount the need to develop good marksmanship skills. Follow through is everything as he was talking about bullet velocity. Higher velocity can hide some of the lack of follow through. Offhand shooting really shows weakness in follow through. I always though I was pretty good until I shot a flintlock muzzle loader offhand against a muzzleloader competitor. a 3 or 4 second delay after trigger pull is really tough to hold on target. But men do it

My Feinwerkenbau 10 meter air rifle is competition regulated to only 500 fps. Properly held it is still capable of .039" ctc for 10 shots. At 500 fps, any muscle move can take it clear off the quarter sized target. I think that helped me with my 200 yard offhand event.

The AK is still a light, 3rd world combat grade barrel, with a bunch of weight hanging off of it, that is tacked to a stamped sheet metal receiver. Clamped in the vice at the ballistics tunnel at Sierra Bullet Company, accuracy will still be limited by the design.

Still pretty fun to shoot sometimes.

 

[Paul 7.62]

I remember going to Sierra for a tour back in 2004 and all the machines were running three bullets, 55 grain FMJ's, 150 grain .308 FMJ's and 175 grain .308 Matchking. They told me most of the plant was running for GWOT.

 

[Creedmoor]

Americans have had accurate service rifles well past the last 100 years, the rest of the world not so much.
One of those rifles will reliably kill a man past 600 Meters,
The other cant do that, at half that distance.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

AR15, made in the U.S.A.

Or Finland as the people's training rifle:

National Defence Training Association of Finland (MPK) Procures Sako's New Semi-Auto Rifle -

Sako Ltd has signed a collaboration agreement with The National Defence Training Association of Finland (MPK). Sako is to deliver semi-automatic firearms.

www.thefirearmblog.com

 

[Robert Richardson]

Or Finland as the people's training rifle:

National Defence Training Association of Finland (MPK) Procures Sako's New Semi-Auto Rifle -

Sako Ltd has signed a collaboration agreement with The National Defence Training Association of Finland (MPK). Sako is to deliver semi-automatic firearms.

www.thefirearmblog.com

Another foriegn made clone, what's your point?

 

[breakingcontact]

Been a while since we had an AR vs AK thread.

Get both. Problem solved

It's like an old school forum post!

Haven't seen one for years, feels like I'm on The Firing Line in 2005 or something!

 

[DadSmith]

Another foriegn made clone, what's your point?

Wouldn't HK 416 be a foreign clone as well?
Or was it made here?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Wouldn't HK 416 be a foreign clone as well?
Or was it made here?

A clone of the Colt 703 perhaps.

LAV brought sexy back, then he brought pistons back.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Another foriegn made clone, what's your point?

Point? I have points?

Nah, just having fun pointing out that the AR is now made all over the world, not just Murica.

 

[Robert Richardson]

Point? I have points?

Nah, just having fun pointing out that the AR is now made all over the world, not just Murica.

Gotcha, must be a pretty good piece if big name foriegn gunmakers start making them.
Wonder why they don't make a fancy upgrade AK .

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Gotcha, must be a pretty good piece if big name foriegn gunmakers start making them.
Wonder why they don't make a fancy upgrade AK .

The Finns do, but I don't think anything from Russia will be popular in Finland for a while.

 

[NyleRN]

Gotcha, must be a pretty good piece if big name foriegn gunmakers start making them.
Wonder why they don't make a fancy upgrade AK .

Hello AK 12/15