AR-15 vs AK-47

My cousin was going to either purchase an AR-15 assault rifle or an AK-47 from a local hunting store. just wondering which one would be better in terms of accuracy,range, and money worth?

NO NO NO NO NO.
FLAME WAR IMMINENT.
Examples:
http://www.defencetalk.com/forums/army-security-forces/m16-vs-ak-47-a-4686/
http://www.allmilitary.com/board/viewtopic.php?id=1035
http://acecombatskies.com/index.php?s=9b5c84cfbd6b75a241c6a9128086b09d&showtopic=18641&pid=501043&st=80&#entry501043
http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?t=552894&page=37
http://www.airsoftforum.com/board/Ak-s-M16-t153051.html&pid=18059178

Has history taught you nothing?
Closed.

Osu: I'm going to open this up again. I'll monitor it closely, any flame war breaks out, I'll close it and take responsibility.

Keep your cool people.

Im gona unlock this and lets have an educated discussion. Flame wars=locked and punishment make that clear.


In this situation I would pick an AR15. I have chosen this for several reasons. First off ar's are great. They are a great platform for shooting. There is a wide range of accesories avaliable for them like scopes rails stocks ect. Also the ar15 platform is alot more accurate then the ak47 that goes without saying. It is also lesss recoil and more awesomer lol.



anyone want to say somethiing for the ak?

Fine...
Both of these guns are legendary. The M16 is an icon of freedom and democracy, while the AK47 is one of chaos and terror. Both are also, at their core, hugely effective weapon systems. However, while the M16 excels in accurate shooting, and has a much more modern design. The Kalashnikov series has one thing that the M16 doesn't have; reliability. As demonstrated over and over in youtube videos, TV shows, and manufacturer's promotional videos, the M16 has a nasty temperment, and is easily slowed down (or combusted) by a bit of water and mud. The AK47 and its successors, however, are legendary for their reliability. It is often said that while an M16 requires meticulously precision-crafted rounds, the AK47 can easily use ammunition dug up from underneath a Ukranian farmer's shed.

People argue that the M16's superior rate of fire and accuracy give it far greater combat effectiveness than the Kalashnikov series. However, combat effectiveness really comes down to these two questions;
When I squeeze the trigger, will my gun fire? If my gun does fire, will what I'm shooting at go down and STAY down?

With an Armalite, a few minutes crawling in mud might cause the rifle to jam in the middle of a firefight. Disassembling the gun to unjam it in the heat of battle risks the safety and life of an operative. The Kalashnikov, of course, needs a bit more punishment to be put out of action. And moving to the second question, the 5.56 is a fine round, very versatile and managable, and with low recoil. That makes the M16 very effective. However, if you shoot a determined, and angry insurgent, who is absolutely convinced that god is on his side, chances are he'll be able to summon the willpower to squeeze off a few rounds before kicking the bucket. However, with the 7.62 fired by the AK47, you are going to blow a considerable hole in anything and everything you're shooting at. An extremist can't shoot back when he's in in several pieces.

Sure, the M16/M4 may have much greater range than the AK47, I'll give it that. The 7.62 drops like a rock. But with the newer models being chambered in 5.45 and even the self-same 5.56 NATO, the gap is rapidly closing. Sure, the AK104 and AK74M's accurate range might be significantly lower than that of the M4 or M16, most engagements occur at less than 100 yards, well within the AK's effective range.

For future reference, don't go around comparing the M16A4 to the original AK47. That's ridiculous. Go by this guide;

Kalashnikov	Armalite
AK47/AKM	M16A1
AK74	M16A2
AK103	M16A3
AK103	M16A4
AK103	M4A1

All very valid points which is why we should switch our service rifle to the SCAR-H. lol ok no back on topic.

im comparing them because someone i know will purchase one of the two. Also its not a M16 he is purchasing its an AR-15.

Kav I am sorry but you must not have any respectable trigger time with an m16, you said it yourself that you have seen youtube videos, TV shows, and manufacturers promotional videos that the m16 has a bad problem with jamming. I am here to tell you having spent most of my years (over a decade) with the AR15, m16a1,m16a2,m4a1 and I cannot tell you how much bull the media is putting into peoples heads about how 'unreliable' or as you put it 'tempermental' from a little bit of water or mud in the bolt or bolt catch. Well I'm here to tell you that all of the above listed rifles that I have used are among the finest, most reliable, most dependable and trustworthy guns on the Earth. I can understand that the media doing what seems to be bashing the m16 and nearly supporting the AK47, I have witnessed news crews saying that the AK47 will fire underwater (not true) that they will go through tanks and sniper people at retarded distances. I'm truely not surprised that people still think the M16 and its varients including the AR15 which I have the most experince with of all the rifles above, are just unreliable as hell. I cannot tell you how reliable these weapon systems are, back when they were first issued im sure they were unreliable because they did'nt come with a cleaning kit (thanks to remmington for that idea) but even at the end of the conflict in vietnam M16's were fantastically reliable. It is true that the AK47 fires a more effective rounds but so what? its also heavier, longer in most cases, stamped (most of the time with respect to hungarian made) they are also much louder and as we've stated before very very innacurate when being compared to an AR15 or an M16 platform. The safty on it is very aqward to use for most people and i've owned a true AK47 i've actually owned several true ak47's and the only thing unreliable on them is indeed the safty mech, plus anything such as optics must require special mounting, the top of most reveivers (dust cover) of most ak47's ive handled was poorly made.

While we look and the positives of the AR15 in this case, we can say that for a fact its lighter, tons more accurate as i've stated above, its incredibly more versitiles, allowing numorous modifications to be made such as scopes, lasers, all the cool stuff beyond that there are also several more advantages over the AK47 that i'd like to state

1. The 223 ammunition it uses. The rifle has enough power to kill humans or deer if not bears and cape buffalo, is accurate out to several hundred yards and, with heavy (75 - 95 grain) bullets and quick-twist barrels, can shoot to 800 - 1000 yards. It is accurate and allows rapid, well-aimed fire.

2.The M16 does not use a piston; gas blows back through a very small tube straight onto the bolt carrier. This eliminates the movement of the piston inside the rifle increases accuracy.

3.The bolt locks into the barrel rather than the receiver, simplifying several kinds of things, such as cleaning.

4. The lower receiver with the serial number totally detaches from the upper receiver and barrel, meaning that somebody who owns one lower piece of an AR16 / M16 can buy several differrent uppers, cheaply and with no further legal requirements.

5. The barrel-upper receiver connection does not involve high torque as with some other military rifles. This makes M16s basically easy to work on.

this is how I see the comparison between the ak47 and the m16 or AR15 and its many varients. Maybe its just because i've worked with the latter all my life and i just wont choose anything else but that is the way I see it with all of the advantages over the ak47 it would make a much much more efficent rifle to use, however I did not have the priviledge of owning an ak47 as long as i would have liked too, if someone believes they have much more experince than me with said rifle then I would like to hear their evaluation of it. Until then I stand firm with my belief that all around the AR15 is going to make a better rifle.

Kavurcen wrote:

Fine...
Both of these guns are legendary. The M16 is an icon of freedom and democracy, while the AK47 is one of chaos and terror. Both are also, at their core, hugely effective weapon systems. However, while the M16 excels in accurate shooting, and has a much more modern design. The Kalashnikov series has one thing that the M16 doesn't have; reliability. As demonstrated over and over in youtube videos, TV shows, and manufacturer's promotional videos, the M16 has a nasty temperment, and is easily slowed down (or combusted) by a bit of water and mud. The AK47 and its successors, however, are legendary for their reliability. It is often said that while an M16 requires meticulously precision-crafted rounds, the AK47 can easily use ammunition dug up from underneath a Ukranian farmer's shed.

People argue that the M16's superior rate of fire and accuracy give it far greater combat effectiveness than the Kalashnikov series. However, combat effectiveness really comes down to these two questions;
When I squeeze the trigger, will my gun fire? If my gun does fire, will what I'm shooting at go down and STAY down?

With an Armalite, a few minutes crawling in mud might cause the rifle to jam in the middle of a firefight. Disassembling the gun to unjam it in the heat of battle risks the safety and life of an operative. The Kalashnikov, of course, needs a bit more punishment to be put out of action. And moving to the second question, the 5.56 is a fine round, very versatile and managable, and with low recoil. That makes the M16 very effective. However, if you shoot a determined, and angry insurgent, who is absolutely convinced that god is on his side, chances are he'll be able to summon the willpower to squeeze off a few rounds before kicking the bucket. However, with the 7.62 fired by the AK47, you are going to blow a considerable hole in anything and everything you're shooting at. An extremist can't shoot back when he's in in several pieces.

Sure, the M16/M4 may have much greater range than the AK47, I'll give it that. The 7.62 drops like a rock. But with the newer models being chambered in 5.45 and even the self-same 5.56 NATO, the gap is rapidly closing. Sure, the AK104 and AK74M's accurate range might be significantly lower than that of the M4 or M16, most engagements occur at less than 100 yards, well within the AK's effective range.

For future reference, don't go around comparing the M16A4 to the original AK47. That's ridiculous. Go by this guide;

Kalashnikov	Armalite
AK47/AKM	M16A1
AK74	M16A2
AK103	M16A3
AK103	M16A4
AK103	M4A1

Not to try to put down any other points but when it comes to rs..Musa is the man end of story. WHENEVER I have a question about RS in ASF chat I ask him.