Who owns what? AK vs AR

[NcongruNt]

Right now, I'm in the middle of my first AR build. It's only a complete lower at this point, but as far as the federal government is concerned, it counts as a rifle. I should have it completed relatively soon.

I don't yet own any AK variants, so my vote is for AR only.

I'm of two minds here, as both the AR and AK platforms have their own positives:

They AK definitely wins on ballistic power. 7.62x39 is simply a much heavier-hitting round.

7.62x39 ammo is cheap. The AK wins for the availability of cheap ammo.

The AKs are known for being reliable, even when abused.

The AR platform is an inherently accurate platform. It is a more precisely-engineered platform, and its accuracy reflects this.

For reloaders, .223 is a much easier round to find and recycle components for. When making the decision between AK and AR, I found it very difficult to find boxer-primed and brass-cased ammo in 7.62x39. Brass/boxer 7.62x39 is the exception to the norm, somewhat difficult to find, and relatively expensive. For .223, boxer/brass is the norm, can be found relatively inexpensively pretty much anywhere you can find ammo, and military once-fired brass is very easy and inexpensive to come by. Bullets are cheaper. There is a large variety of weights and types, and there is a larger pool of reloading data to work with.

The AR platform makes customization simpler with a larger variety of options. There are several reasons for this: The design of the AR lends itself to easy modification and parts swap. Federal regulations severely restrict the availability of aftermarket parts and the ability to customize or mix & match parts on the AK platform to due to import restrictions and modification rules; the AR is US-made and therefore not subject to these restrictions.


All of that said, here are my specific reasons why I chose the AR:

Precision
The AR is undoubtedly the winner when it comes to accuracy. The AR platform is used in 600yd service rifle competitions. I've never heard of anyone shooting an AK variant at that range, and it certainly isn't commonplace in the event that it does occur.

Reloading Component Availability
I'm a reloader, so my ability to reload for my guns is important to me. .223 is simply very easy to find components for, and they're cheap. There is a huge selection of bullets, powder, and load data for this round, and this lets me tune my loads to my needs and preferences.

The Ability To Build & Customize
One of the things that has bothered me in the past about the AR is the "flimsiness", from my perception. I started shooting on Mosin-Nagants, and the durability of such a gun plays to my sensibilities. A stock AR with its plastic parts and light construction are the opposite of what I tend to look for in a firearm. I'm not one for tacticooling out my guns. Most of that stuff is a big waste of money to me. However, building an AR myself allows me to "stout up" my rifle to my desired specifications, even though it is a carbine. Once my rifle is built, it will have a heavy 16" barrel and a machined aluminum free-floating handguard (instead of the stock plastic one clamped onto the barrel). Varying lengths, weight, twist rate, and material construction of barrels are widely available for the AR platform, while the choice in AK barrels is pretty static.

Ergonomics
The AR platform manual of arms makes more sense to me, and operating the weapon is made to be done without changing right-hand grip or moving the gun around. Magazines drop freely with the push of the index finger, and a new magazine is simply pushed upwards until it clicks. Dropping the mag in an AK involves pushing a lever with your off hand, then pulling the mag at the same time with the same hand. Putting it back in means putting it in at an angle on a catch, then tilting it rearward. The AR has a bolt catch to hold the bolt open automatically when the magazine is empty after the last round has fired, or can be engaged manually. The AK has no such feature, at least not without an add-on. The safety on an AR is thumb-operated and can be manipulated without a change in grip or movement of the trigger finger, while the AK safety requires the use of the index finger and a slight change in grip. An adjustable telescoping stock is a normal feature for A4 variants, and any AR can be built up with one (as is the case with mine). This is an aftermarket add-on for the AK, and changing this on an AK import means that you legally have to change out several other parts in the process. You can get as many handguards/forestocks for the AR as the day is long, but choice is relatively limited on the AK, due to both construction and general availability of aftermarket parts.

Economics
Had I gone with the AK, I would have purchased the gun outright. AK variants run around $450 and up, from what I've found. A milled-receiver AK (if you can still find one) is considerably more expensive. Building my AR from parts means that I can go in increments of around $100-$250 every couple of weeks and end up with a complete gun after a few months, spreading the cost over time. Yes, it is more money in the long run (for the basics, anyway), but money is saved while retaining quality of equipment, and that sort of option isn't really viable when considering the AK.


This is not to disparage the AK, as it certainly has its advantages. They are cheaper to get into, and are certainly common the world over. I wouldn't mind having one, but I had to decide between the two, and the AR was better for my purposes considering the factors unique to me.

[G26ster]

I own neither.

AR - I was a better shot with the M1 Garand and the M14 than I was with the M16 (AR)
AK - I have an aversion to weapons folks tried to kill me with

[Terlingueno]

AK only. Because it's a rifle, not a "platform"...

[cajunautoxer]

I own several of each and enjoy them all. But my S12 is my weapon of choice.

[stroo]

I have built 3 ARs from Delton kits. They all work great. I also have a Saiga 12 gage and a 7.62 Saiga.

Right now one of my ARs and my Saiga 12 gage are available for home defense work and I keep the 7.62 Saiga as my car gun.

I have been surprised to find that I like shooting the Saiga 7.62 better than my ARs. Don't know why, just do.

[Warhammer]

I have found that most (not all, but most) people who naysay the AK have either never fired it or have only fired it once or twice at a range. Virtually all of the complaints about the AK (charging handle, mag release, etc...) disappear when the shooter is shown how to use the AK and they get a little bit of practice.

[74novaman]

So far the AK only guys lag only slightly behind the AR only or Both groups. This has been informative. Good to know there are other Texans who've adopted the "commie gun".

[Beiruty]

I have built 3 ARs from Delton kits. They all work great. I also have a Saiga 12 gage and a 7.62 Saiga.

Right now one of my ARs and my Saiga 12 gage are available for home defense work and I keep the 7.62 Saiga as my car gun.

I have been surprised to find that I like shooting the Saiga 7.62 better than my ARs. Don't know why, just do.

What is the correct way to operate and AK?

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Or like this (funny):

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[74novaman]

I think you meant to quote the guy next down from who you quoted.

One of the big complaints about AKs compared to ARs is the large, clumsy to operate safety.

Thing is, AKs are not meant to be run safety on. To quote Gabe Suarez on the subject,

Use Of Safety/Selector Lever. With the AR the safety/selector is right there, thus an operator can flip it on or off as he pleases. The AK's lever is not so handy. But it was not designed to be used that way. The AK can be carried On Safe, and the disengagement of it must be a part of its reactive deployment. That is NOT a big deal. However, the weapon need not be "safed" until the fight or engagement is over. US mitary doctrine doesn't go along with this, but who is to say that US Military doctrine is the only way?

Off the top of my head, thats one of the ways people try to run an AK like an AR and think it deficient. If you can learn to keep the safety off once you're ready to use it and keep the finger off the trigger, no problems. If you think you're going to move around with it on safe and easily put the weapon on fire, good luck.

[Texas Dan Mosby]

AR only.

Used it on the job for 20 years, so I know and trust its reliability and effectiveness.

[The Annoyed Man]

ARs only, 4 of them so far. I expect reliability AND accuracy out of my rifles, no matter what they are. Our ARs provide both. If I need reliability and a heavier caliber, well then, that's when I go to the M1A. I'm sure the commit gun is fine as far as reliability is concerned, but I'm not convinced that the accuracy is there. And before anyone suggests the Dragunov as an alternative, official ComBloc specs only required 4 MOA for that rifle.

[OldCannon]

Jeez....I must be awful....2 AK platforms (Polish Underfolder and a Saiga 12), 3 AR platforms, 1 M1 platform, and a Steyr AUG just to be weird.

[RECIT]

I have both and shoot both. I like the modularity or the AR platform, but appreciate the reliability of the AK. I would say the AK is my go to bad scenario rifle. It will run with the dirtiest of ammo, in the most adverse conditions I can imagine, and I think in a worst case scenario I could keep it functional longer with much less maintenance and fewer cleaning materials. The ammo may not be plentiful here, but its cheap enough to stock up on.