Are you an AK guy or an AR guy? How many times have you heard that question? My answer is always, “Depends”. Am I going house-to-house in Kabul? Or am I outfitting an Army to overthrow a Marxist regime? Each gun has their good points. Most people have a favorite. Sometimes it depends on your experience. In the military we learned a lot about the AKM, (M for “modernized or upgraded”) which is the real name of the variant most people call “AK-47”. An AK-47 is really an old gun. One that I would love to get a hold of. They are getting increasingly rare. Russia manufactured the original Kalashnikov, a Type 1 AK-47, in 1948. There is a Type 2 AK-47 which is actually an AK-49. By 1956 the AK-49 (named for the year it started development) was being manufactured but not widely. The SKS designed by Simonov, was being used by the military more than the AK’s. In 1959 the SKM was widely distributed. The AK variant is the most-used and copied design in the world. The AKM is the design that most call the “AK-47”. It is encountered more than any other design. All variants were based on the original AK-47 design but the only correct AK-47 is based on one of the three original receiver types.
In 1974 the Soviets were replacing the AK-47’s and AKM’s with their new AK-74 rifle which does not shoot the traditional 7.62 x 39 round, but the newer 5.45 x 39mm round.
So when you hear anti-gunners talk about the dreaded AK-47, you might teach them that those guns are hard to find. An AK variant is what they are talking about. But like clips and magazines, most people don’t know and many don’t care.
The AR-15 is a lightweight, magazine-fed, air cooled rifle with a rotating-lock bolt. It works on what is called direct impingement gas operation or long/short stroke piston operation that fires 5.56 mm/.223-caliber ammunition.
It was first built by ArmaLite as a small arms rifle for the United States armed forces. Because of financial problems, ArmaLite sold the AR-15 design to Colt who made some modifications and the redesigned rifle was adopted as the M16 rifle. This was the main rifle used by US Armed Forces. Colt then started selling the semi-automatic version of the M16 rifle as the Colt AR-15 for civilian sales in 1963 and the term AR-15 has been used to refer to semiautomatic-only versions of the rifle ever since.
I love the AK platform. To me it is an exotic firearm even though it’s one of the most common in the world. They are not favorite, it’s hard for me to give up the good ol’ USA made AR. I’d love to have an AK. I’ve been shot at enough with AK’s it would be nice to point it the other way! I am also not a fan of the 7.62 x 39 round. I don’t mind it to hunt with but for defense I just prefer the 5.56. The .308 is too heavy of a bullet for my taste.
Here are my comparison points. There are many opinions on this particular subject, but this is mine.
Cost
Once upon a time, there was no debate. The AK could be had for far less than an AR, which made it very attractive to new shooters wanting a so-called “assault rifle” on a budget. In fact, many people wanting to get into tactical-style rifles gravitated toward the AK to start with.
But baby, things change.
My first gun show in the 80’s had AKs or SKSs for $299 each, today finding one for that price should be wonderful. A quick look over on Gunbroker shows that many AKs have a price tag of over $1,000. There are a number of reasons for that, and we don’t have the space to go into all of them, but the days of inexpensive AKs are over. While there are a handful that are priced a bit better, the lowest price for an actual 7.62×39 AK was around $800–they’re still pretty pricey.
ARs, however, seem to have a bit of a range in price. Budget AR-15s can be had for around $600+, and the choices are plentiful and from brands ranging from DPMS to Smith & Wesson. The top end for ARs seems to be “how much money you want to put in?” Realistically, you can spend several thousand dollars on an AR if you want to, but that’s up to you.
Ammo: Availability and cost
Once upon a time, this was a big factor that drove a lot of people to the AK over the AR. Back then, there was a whole lot of surplus ammo to be found, and that drove the costs of ammunition for the rifle down. Also, the AR did not have the popularity it enjoys now.
Those days are over. The surplus ammo has pretty much gone away. This means you’re either shooting old stuff you have stocked or you’re spending a lot of money.
Basically, the higher end ammo is really close in price for the two weapons while the lower you go, the bigger the discrepancy. However, at no point is the difference that much for a box of 20. If you buy in bulk, though, you may see more variance.
But if bulk of ammo is a factor for you (like humping 400 rounds several miles) then obviously, the smaller bullet would be lighter. You can carry more.
Weight
The original AK-47 weighs a little over 8.5 lbs, with an empty magazine in the weapon.
By contrast, the stock AR-15 weighs around 6.5 lbs in a similar state.
In other words, you have a two-pound difference. Additionally, the 7.62×39 round of the AK-47 is a heavier round than the 5.56×54 the AR-15 is chambered in. In a fully loaded rifle of each, the difference in weight is even more noticeable. That makes the AR the clear winner on this one.
Now, that said, weight changes as people add stuff to a weapon, and the AR platform is notorious for having a plethora of accessories. So, if you add too much stuff to your rifle, you negate weight savings.
Power
When it comes to discussion on power, there’s a lot to discuss. Frankly, an entire post could be written on this topic.
The general consensus is pretty clear; the 7.62×39 round is a more powerful round than the 5.56 round. That’s not really up for debate. It’s a bigger, beefier round that hits with more punch. Now, that size comes with costs. For example, weight.
The key point to remember here is that 7.62×39 is legal to hunt deer in a lot of places where 5.56/.223 is not.
Accuracy
All the ammo in the world won’t make a hill of beans if you can’t hit what you’re aiming at. All the practice in the world won’t help if your weapon is destined to miss everything anyway.
The AK is notorious for being an inaccurate rifle. Some chalk this up to the ammunition most people get. Others chalk it up to the looser tolerances of the AK platform. It doesn’t matter. The reputation is still there.
Based on my own experiences, it’s there for a reason. The AK will probably hit the guy you’re aiming at if you’re not at extended ranges and do your part correctly. This means you’ll probably hit any game you’re hunting under the same circumstances.
However, hitting your target and putting a living target on the ground are very different things.
The AR, on the other hand, tends to be far more accurate. The 5.56 round and tighter tolerances provide for a platform that has more inherent accuracy than its competitor. Further, the platform can be made even more accurate with aftermarket additions, something that just isn’t available with an AK style rifle.
Reliability
It doesn’t matter what the weapon can do if you can’t trust it to go bang when you pull the trigger, and one of these weapons has a nasty reputation on this front as well.
This time, it’s the AR…sort of.
You see, the similar M-16 rifles were notorious for jamming in Vietnam, and it wasn’t because of the full-auto parts either. Instead, it was a combination of factors that are still the source of some debate, even today.
By contrast, the AK is a notoriously tough rifle that will run no matter what you do to it. You can supposedly bury it in the mud and gunk for a year, pull it out, run a cleaning rod through the barrel to make sure it’s clear, then go to work.
Of course, neither of these reputations are quite accurate. They have their basis in reality. But they’re not quite true.
I’ve had an AK jam, and I’ve never had a jam with an AR. So maybe my experience is a little off. But I’ll also be the first to tell you not to trust the experiences I’ve had. Find out for yourself.
Through the years, I’ve seen very few AKs jam, and most of those were either magazine or ammo issues. Meanwhile, I’ve seen more ARs jam. These are often maintenance issues as well as the obligatory magazine and ammo problems.
Neither are common, however. So, while you can trust your life to an AR, I’m still giving the edge to the AK. Maybe that is just reputation and history.
There you have it. My own lame opinion of the differences between an AK and an AR. Your experience may vary.
In the end, most of what we do is from our experience rather than someone’s blog post, or review, or their own tests. Most of us have an opinion because of our own experiences. I am an AR person. But you may be different.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
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