Difference between AR 15 and AK 47

Well, this debate seems to go on forever, or at least since these rifles were born. And yet, let's try again to understand what is better than AK47 or AP15, although to be honest, despite the fact that these rifles are of the same class, they seem to have been created for different purposes, so comparing them is not entirely correct. It's like comparing a car made for drifting to a car made for speed racing. So AR and AK were created under different conditions with different goals. Yes, they have common characteristics, but still they are different things, so comparing them we will try to understand for what purposes this or that rifle is more suitable.

    To get started, let's look at the history of each of these rifles that have become icons in the gun community.

    The Kalashnikov assault rifle, or in short the AK-47, is a gas automatic rifle developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov after the Second World War in 1947. During the war, Kalashnikov was a tank mechanic in the Soviet army, and it was there that he developed his light automatic rifle, which, according to the plan, was supposed to give Soviet soldiers an advantage over the German troops invading the territory of the Soviet Union during the war. The finished version appeared after the surrender of Nazi Germany.

    The ArmaLite rifle, known as the AR-15, was also developed for the needs of the military. The army wanted a rifle with less recoil than the M14, this was one of the main criteria for creating this modification.

Eugene Stoner developed his creation in the form of the AP-10 back in 1950, and despite the fact that the rifle had a number of advantages, it failed to succeed in sales. In this connection, the design patent was sold to Colt in 1959, and after some modifications in 1963, the US military chose the M16 modification for their needs, which became the main firearm of the military in the Vietnam War. Later, a semi-automatic version of this rifle was provided to law enforcement and hit the civilian market. This modification became known as the AR-15yu.

    Now, remembering the history of these rifles, let's try to understand their features. It is difficult to compare these rifles, but we will still try some differences so that we can still understand which one is more suitable for you and you are satisfied with your money spent.

    The first difference is reliability. The Kalashnikov assault rifle was developed in the field and this was reflected in its design. Many people think that AK is in principle impossible to disable, you can bury it in the sand, throw it in the mud, dip it under water, use dozens of stores without thinking about cleaning it, and nothing will happen to it anyway. Perhaps this is a little exaggerated, all the same, particles of dirt get into the magazine and the gas exhaust system and the machine gun may jam or it may misfire, but still this rifle is considered more reliable than the AR. Due to the design, the gas piston does not become contaminated as quickly as in the AP system. But this advantage has a disadvantage, which is a stronger recoil compared to the American rifle, which directly affects such a parameter as accuracy.

   Accuracy. Here, the AR-15 has a significant advantage, it was originally developed in order to be more accurate than its predecessor, it is for this that a more complex gas exhaust system was developed in this rifle than in the AK, which allows you to reduce the recoil from the shot and thanks to which you you don’t have to change your position, you can fire bursts from this rifle without changing your position without any problems. In addition, the weight of the bullet matters when we start talking about effective range. An AK with its bullet parameters has an effective range of just over 300 yards, while an AR in the hands of a good shooter boasts 600 yards. This is due more to the difference in approach between the American and Soviet military leadership, the Russians classified their rifle more as a submachine gun, which was supposed to work as a mass fire in the hands of a large army, and not as a rifle for individual shooting, which was developed by the AR rifle. But still, if we are talking about a distance of 300 yards, then the AK-47 will not disappoint you, especially if you are not afraid of more recoil.

The next thing to look at is how you can customize these rifles. AR in this sense is a universal firearm in this matter. Thanks to the modular design, you can change almost everything in this rifle - the caliber, install a new barrel, install a modern sighting system. No wonder this rifle is called "Lego for adults". AK loses in this dispute. The market for its customization is small and accessories are quite expensive. But if you still know where you can buy high-quality accessories and are ready to spend money on it, then the AK47 is easier to set up. And yet, if you want to build a rifle yourself, then the AP15 will still be the best choice for you.

     Well, as we said, the ak47 has a simpler design, thanks to which ease of maintenance is of course on the side of the Russian rifle, but believe me, the ar-15, although it will be a little more difficult, is still an easy-to-maintain firearm, you don’t have to spend on caring for she has too much time. In addition, no matter which rifle you choose, it is advisable to keep it in good condition.

     Let's say a few words about the weight of these rifles. The original version of the AK47 was made in the late forties using wood and weighed approximately 7.7 pounds. Yes, weight can be reduced by different configurations, but the AK will still be heavier than the comparable AP configuration, which in its early versions weighed around 6.5 pounds.

    In a price comparison, an American rifle will also be preferable to its average price at the start of $500-600 versus $750 for the AK47.

    Well, what conclusions can be drawn? If you want to shoot at the bad guys that break into your house, then both of these rifles have more advantages than, for example, hunting rifles, they can do the job perfectly. Both the AR and AK are excellent choices for home defense as both rifles are handy at close range. The question shouldn't really be about the best rifle for home defense; it should be about choosing the right ammunition. Due to the difference in the caliber of bullets, Kalashnikov is a great option if you want to stop an intruder without body armor, if you need to shoot accurately at a long distance and possibly at a target with body armor, then AR will suit you better. This is also true thanks to the sights of these rifles. AP scopes are clearly designed to increase maximum effective range, and the smaller aperture of standard scopes gives excellent visibility out to about 300 yards. The AK 47 is the opposite - it has less accurate sights, but the open sight picture makes it much easier to use the iron sights on the AK 47 in close proximity.

   as for hunting, the picture is about the same - at a distance of 200-300 yards, both rifles behave excellently, but still the AK has some advantage, but if you want to shoot at longer distances, then the AR, due to its accuracy and effective range, will show itself much better .

    Why would we like to believe that our article will help you make your choice, but on our own we will add that both of these rifles are excellent types of firearms, take a look at both options and decide which one suits you best!