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Just me on my AK vs AR

1K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  jack7659 
#1 ·
First off I have been shooting one gun or another for 62 years. At one time I was a NRA rifle, pistol, shotgun instructor and a range safety officer. Had my first .22 at 10 years old. Served 3 tours in Viet Nam on minesweeping river boats.
Now my AR Colt A-2 had a jam back about 20 years ago . A primer pulled out of pocket and blocked the trigger from working. After using this AR for many years the old aluminum mags would not work any longer. Replaced springs and followers but still not working. So replaced all with P-mags . Ran great. Built a PSA M-4 and used P-mags. Ran great except after 500 rounds a primer from Lake City ammo pulled out a jam up the bolt.
Now I have an old WAS-10 AK for about 25-30 years never had a jam or a primer pull out of the steel case on this Eastern Block ammo .Sight on this rifle sucked. So added a rail to top of gun and put on a True Glow $100 red dot. At 50 yards free hand getting 4-5 inch groups rapped fire. Now I did replace recoil spring and a new muzzle brake it did help the gun run better. So far after 3000 rounds of no problems at all with this AK I will go to this gun first over the ARs. That is until my Kel-Tec 14 round pump shotgun comes in. Now this is just the way the cards where dealt for me.
 
#2 ·
True com block AK are built lose for a reason they may not be as tight and accurate as say a match AR/M16 set up but can be packed with dirt and crap and still work and most repiars well involved drinking and a hammer ... I have seen milled type 1 and 2 AK from the 50s in Africa just pure rust at this point held together by rust and bailing string that still worked somehow ..

In the USA I think some of the neg of AK esp in the non miltary community comes from people who use USA made AK or poor conversion ones ie sloppy mag well etc ... A good proper pre ban ak or a good converted AK will run very well and most parts again are easy to fix ..


That said the AR now in current state is a very good and good runing idea who does have the one + that the barrel etc are easy to swap out if needed ..

If things went bad I think I would go for a AK or a Galil or Valmet over a AR ... Just for long term working and the mags are well built like tanks ..The old russian slab steel mags you cant bend the feed lips as well they are stainless steel lol.

Def different storkes for different folks for sure ..Both a good ideas and have there place some just like one over the other ..I do think AK have a bad rap in this country do often to poor importer QC
 
#3 ·
The larger question is ammunition. Proper ammo for an AR can be found almost everywhere. Proper AK ammo (8M3 or US made) is like finding teeth in a chicken.

The 7.62X39 round has a track record of causing less than desirable wounds. In fact Kalashnikov redesigned the gun to handle a new 5.45 round, which is standard issue now. They don't go through expensive redesigns for nothing, the way we do at times.

For me, the answer is not one or the other, but BOTH. I have both - or did, until the boat sank.
 
#5 ·
Right now you cant find 556 at all if you can its at min .50 to 1$ a round ..AK47 ammo is still easy to find ...Yes it would be easier to ban and some has ie steel core and the black tip stuff but its easy to find ..Yes 8m3 is tricky only as they stop making it ages ago and SGA had to beg Tula to bring it back for the USA market ..US made is hard to to find only as its all brass case ( the "usa" made steel case is imported steel case I think or was ) and no one is paying brass case money for x39 ..So thats why no major market for it other then for range shooting but they make range safe Wolf and Tula ..

Yes x39 is not as effect as it could be but it works just fine ask half the world how it work for em ... 5.45 is def better I agree but has the down side of only the Russians, the Bulgrian and the E germans ever using it in any number so less parts kits , less mags , less ammo out then for x39 which ever one in that part of the world used and there is a massive ammo market and parts market ...

545 is a nastier round and easier to shoot but just wont ever catch on as much as x39 did just do to its more limited used .

And yeah both have thee role

It sucks that Molot and others were banned for import I think importing more of there hunting caliber guns would have helped the market for some ..Ie they brought in a 30-06 AK and other more hunting caliber stuff
 
#4 · (Edited)
I like both AR's and AK's. I have both in pistol form w/ braces. I actually prefer my Zastava AK M-85 in 5.56 that takes AR mags. It is much smoother shooting than my PSA Premium AR w/ 10.5" bbl. The only down side is the rudimentary sights which I plan to upgrade at some point.

edit*FWIW I was always an AR and Mini-14 guy but am becoming open to some AK models!
 
#7 ·
And to add looking at the AK Russian etc are using now are a far far cry from how many in the USA use them ..They have good rails better sights now and the mags are quite fancy viewing windows etc .. I think we could get a proper modern AK in this country that work and was not mag picky like so many of the hyrbid AR/AK clones even if just semi auto it would help a lot with people getting more into them ...

The newere 103, 104 mags are a far stepth up from the old school alum and steel mags we often thing of ..I prefer in fact the use of the 103 ribbed mags but sadly again they are 100$ each here which is why it is good PSA is trying to bring em back
 
#8 ·
I never had a burning desire to have an AR. Nothing against them, but wasn't interested in something that needed a spare parts kit for a trip to the range.
Then at 57 years old, I shot an AR for the first time. Mehta, nothing special or magical. Just AZ another gun.
Then, while living in CA, CA said they didn't want me to have an AR. So I built one.
It jammed on round #30. Confirmed my suspicions on how delicate they are. Turned out to be a popped primer (like OP mentioned). Factory ammo. But it still made the gun useless until I figured it out.
It's been running just fine ever since, but I don't shoot it very often.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
#9 ·
Guys...the issue of primer pocket failure has zero to do with the platform. That is an ammo manufacturer issue and always has been. Cheap ammo equals primer pocket fails.

On the other side of the coin, this "need a spare parts kit to go to the range" is completely missing the fact that the US military (and many others) has been sending people to the "live return fire at you range" without spare parts kits for nearly 5 decades now. You will not need any spare parts, unless you assemble a rifle with cheap Chinese-made junk parts. I am a certified Colt Armorer and I have seen guns people put together that I would not let any ammunition within 10 feet of them.

I'm told that if you assemble an AK with cheap Chinese-made junk parts, you will face almost the same issues.

And the ammo problem of late is all the more reason that, if you're going to own a platform for home defense, you should own good quality examples of BOTH.
 
#13 ·
I am a fan of AR-15s, AR-10s, M1 Garands, and M1As. I am not an AK fan.

I carried an M-16 with iron sights for a year in Viet Nam in 1970/1971 with zero issues.

I shot real AK-47s in Viet Nam and was not impressed. What makes them work after being covered in mud also makes them inaccurate due to very loose tolerances. They are good for pray and spray at close ranges especially if they are full auto.

If I feel the need for 7.62X39 ballistics, I have a Winchester '94 .30-30 rifle.
 
#16 ·
I hedged my bets. I own several AR's. I own a KS-47 Gen II (PSA product: AR/upper AK lower) that got "VERY good review to boot, by the man below*. I also own a Gilil and a Mini-14. Heck, I even finally got an SKS. Zero issues with my AR's, to date, but I do like to tear them down & inspect on a regular basis.

*(My "home town boy Chris". He's "dry & boring", BUT MAN he knows his stuff! The "comparison video he reference's" IS REALLY long, & some would say boring, BUT, once again, he "KNOWS GUNS"!) Both video's give "a top rating" to the KS. Tested with 40 different AK mag's, with ONLY 3 as failures! (would not insert into magwell)

 
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#17 ·
It is not the AR's that was the problem. The guns run fine it was the ammo (Lake City & some Belgian NATO)from the early 1990. The primers pulled out of the pockets and caused the malfunctions I only had two in 20 years and maybe 10,000 rounds. I just put this out and was interested in see what came of it. Back in the day I lost some friends to the AK round it did the job for the NVA and VC. I will use either AK or AR if needed. For now wife gets AR and I get the AK. We will stand our ground against all looters and arsonist.
 
#20 ·
My experience with both my AR (its a factory BCM rifle) and my AK (its a WASR), is both are 100% reliable in any condition. Ive never poured mud into the action or anything, but even shooting out on sandy ranges, mags loaded up with some sand, etc, they have both always functioned flawlessly. My AR did have a FTF once, but out of the probably 3k rounds it has seen, that was it. Had a solid primer strike, and the round just didnt ignite. Im guessing a dud primer on the steel case ammo.

Id trust either with my life.
 
#23 ·
At some point I'd like to get an AK, but I have no clue who makes good ones and what's a good price for the AK itself and its magazines. For the AR I was able to get my Smith & Wesson Sport 2 for $500 and PMAGs for $10 a piece. Should I be expecting to spend more for an AK, its magazines, and ammo?
 
#24 ·
The market is bad for AK right now due to the panic.. Feel free to PM I am happy to answer any question you might have

Pre panic you could get a WSAR10 ( which are good now lol) for 600-700 bucks + good surplus metal mags at around 10-15 each and ammo for like 4-5 bucks a box of 20 course now everything has gone up due to the panic + lot of the over sees plants have shut down or are only doing military orders .

For a started AK a new WSAR10 is a good start imop the new PSA Ak are now quite good also if you want USA made ( prob one of the few USA made ones that are worth anything ) ..Mags any military issued mags are good don't buy commercial grade or S Korean military mags ..Also skip the new Crotian made mags they have problem ..Circle 10s will cost you but are some of the best ..Be wary some sellers say they are selling new military mags but they are new commercial bulgraian mags or Korean made which are ok for range mags but thats about it ...

Most tapco, pro mag etc are just that as well range mag if that .. Magpul is ok but even with the gen 3 does not have enough metal support for my taste ..Ammo is still cheep less then 556 is now ..Still under 10 a box for 20 or less .

If you are looking on the secondary market for a rifle please read up and ask here first as well they are a lot of imports , bulders etc of AK over the last 30+ years some amazing some eh ..And some basic law stuff like 922R and import bans to be away off esp if you start adding or taking off parts ....

Really imop get a new WSAR10 with the threaed barrel and bayonet lug and some miltary surplus mags maybe some circle 10s and wolf or such ammo ( they make range safe copper ammo as well wolf does ) and some 8m3 tula if you can find it and you will be happy imop.

If you want to go cream of the crop Aresnal AK are very nicly made as are China com AK or other pre ban stuff like the FEG 85m etc ..Also stuff like the China MAK90 and the early romy AK like the SAR1 and the like are very good but for a first AK I would hold off unless the needed work was done ( new trigger in the SAR1 and thread the barrel at min ) the mak90 is fine as is but if you want to mod it parts will need to be swapped
 
#26 ·
I have an Arsenal AK which most say are top rated. With Golden Tiger ammo lucky to get 6 MOA. Same Golden Tiger ammo in Ruger Ranch bolt rifle gives consistent 2 MOA groups.

With Colt HBAR carbine with 1-9 twist get 2MOA with 55 grain Federal xm193 ammo. With other AR rifles not so good accuracy but far better than with AK. I think AR with 55 grain ammo needs slower twist then the popular 1-7.
 
#27 ·
Yes Jack 1-7 is to fast. That is why the older ARs where 1-9. But I am using my rifles for home defense . All I need is to being able to hit a 10inch plate or upper body if need be at no more than 50 yards. Inside the home 12 gage with 00 buck. Maybe I am anticipating something that will never happen. I hope so. But who would of believe Portland?
 
#28 ·
I certainly agree that the AK accuracy is very adequate for home defense and ranges out to 50 yards. But I wanted a rifle that had decent accuracy, for me around 2 MOA or so, using bulk type fairly cheap ammo like Federal 55 gr xm193. Well fairly cheap until about January of this year. I really don't think I can obtain that level of accuracy with an AK. Playing round with AR in 7.62x39 and it shows potential if like that round and want accuracy. But problem is often hard to set off primers of commie steel cased ammo, which is the cheap ammo. I started to experiment with longer firing pin and have some heavier hammer springs to try. But latter can increase trigger pull. And more bolt face is cut out in AR chambered in 7.62x39 and I don't know if that will be a problem.

The original M16 had I believe 1-12 and 1-14 twist at one time. But that would not stabilize the long tracer rounds. And it is length, as I understand, not weight that affects needed twist, but of course longer bullets generally heavier so that is how issue is addressed.

Other factor to consider is if other houses around how likely one round vs another is to exit building. And I think 5.56 less likely to exit.

Parts availability and quality of parts is another issues as well as how easy to replace parts. Bottom line for me is I am tending towards AR. AK may be more reliable under extreme conditions, but I will not be going into extreme conditions. But I sure wish more uppers available with at least 1-9 if not 1-10 to 1-12 twists. Only 1-8 twists are/were readily available.

Like a lot of stuff in shooting game, all what works for you. Best of luck on your search for what works for you.
 
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