The following is my opinion. Based on my 27 years of using the AR platform in the form of the M16A1, M16A2 , M4, AR 15 and limited use of the AK47. I have been a certified instructor of the M4/AR series for more than 15 years. I have carried the AR platform on numerous deployments including 4 years worth of tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am a gun guy and have always looked, listened and learned during these tours, asking users, operators and shooters about their weapons performance and gear.
The short answer is that its not so much the weapons system but the training you have or get and the proper maintenance of the weapon and magazines. That being said, I am not a fan of the AK. Its okay, I just like the AR platform better. I know that the tactical gun cognoscenti regale the reading public with tales of the rusty old AK that keeps on ticking. Hell, the joke goes that when the inventor of the AK 47, Mikhail Kalashnikov died, he was buried and a week later he was dug up and put back to work designing guns. Get it? I guess you had to be there.
Anyway, the AK was designed for production in factories that made farm implements and designed to be used by soldiers with 3rd grade educations. While some of the American made Aks are fairly accurate, they dont compare to an AR platform.
The caliber controversy will always be with us. The 7.62x39 has a nominal 123 gr bullet and is a 30 cal (.310) bigger hole means more leaking. Or use the 5.56 and choose a quality round designed for self-defense. The Hornandy TAP or Black Hills MK262 77 gr or similar rounds are good.
But the basic rifle platform is the question. Ergonomically, there is nothing out there that comes close to the AR platform. The controls are intuitive and easy to reach and manipulate. The AR system allows for much easier, faster and more positive magazine changes than the AK. Now granted, training is the key but in and out is easier than hook and pull back. You also use the firing hand to release the magazine when using the AR instead of having to use the weak hand that has the spare mag to dump the empty mag out of an AK while manipulating the other mag at the same time.
Safety manipulation is much easier with the AR. Sights are better on the AR. Weight goes to the AR (provided that you dont hang a ton of useless crap on the rails) The trigger is better on the AR, accuracy is btter with the AR.
Reliability is considered the one thing that separates the AK form the AR. In the world that all of you live in, you are not going to be conducting mounted and dismounted patrols in dust storms, rain storms, snow storms, etc. You will not be getting into protracted fire fights. You are going to want a weapon that allows you to engage multiple targets with multiple shots to stop a threat. You need to be able to have a couple of extra magazines and be able to hit with some certainty.
Try both of them. Stay away from the under folder AKs. They look cool but that stock sucks. Its the worst of all of the folding AK stocks. Not rigid at all.
My recommended set up would be an AR 15 SBR with 10.5 barrel, a good suppressor by Gemtech or AAC, or of similar quality, MagPul MOE buttstock, Aimpoint T1 in a Larue mount and a good set up back up iron sights (BUIS) and half a dozen MAG PUL magazines and some other magazines (all numbered) for training. If I lived where terrain is more open and shots may present themselves over 100 yards, I would put a Trijicon ACOG TA31 on it. (I can use the T1 for up to about 75 yards and then I want an ACOG. My eyes arent what they used to be and I get a comet tail on the unmagnified dot which makes precision hard. A good 2 point sling from Vickers Blue Force and a battle belt with mag pouches, dump pouch, a couple of CAT tourniquets and a blow out kit with basic first aid gear. A good folding knife and find a good place to train and get some training. And then get some more training. And then at least a yearly refresher; from a reputable trainer.
Bottom line: training is more important than the platform you choose. As long as it is reliable, either will do.
Just my 2 cents in an abbreviated response. It gets way deeper than this but I am trying to keep this brief.
Last edited by Brian; 04/01/14 01:33 AM.
