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Every forum has the classic AK vs. AR, and it usually starts a storm of people arguing about which is better.
To me, neither is BETTER, necessarily; they just fulfill different purposes.
The AK in military use has been called a machine gun that can fire like a rifle; the AR has been called a rifle that can fire like a machine gun.
The AK is:
More reliable under combat conditions
More forgiving of poor maintenance
More robust (i.e., less breakable)
The AR is:
More ergonomic
More accurate
More user-friendly
In my personal experience, I shoot a lot in competitive matches, and invariably the AR's are more prone to jamming than the AK. Indeed, the AR's often bring the match to a complete halt while a jam is cleared, etc.
It was said of World War I rifles that the Germans had the best hunting rifle; the Americans had the best target rifle; and the British had the best combat rifle.
I consider to AR-15 to be a fine target weapon, and as a law enforcement weapon (where the cop has an adequate chance to maintain it), the AR-15 literally has no competition unless you count the H & K MP5, which fires a pistol cartridge, and the Ruger Mini-14, which does not lend itself to accessorizing in the same way that the AR-15 does.
Having said that, in my opinion the AK is a better COMBAT weapon because of its greater reliability and its more forgiving need for only occasional maintenance.
Okay, let the storm begin... :headspin:
To me, neither is BETTER, necessarily; they just fulfill different purposes.
The AK in military use has been called a machine gun that can fire like a rifle; the AR has been called a rifle that can fire like a machine gun.
The AK is:
More reliable under combat conditions
More forgiving of poor maintenance
More robust (i.e., less breakable)
The AR is:
More ergonomic
More accurate
More user-friendly
In my personal experience, I shoot a lot in competitive matches, and invariably the AR's are more prone to jamming than the AK. Indeed, the AR's often bring the match to a complete halt while a jam is cleared, etc.
It was said of World War I rifles that the Germans had the best hunting rifle; the Americans had the best target rifle; and the British had the best combat rifle.
I consider to AR-15 to be a fine target weapon, and as a law enforcement weapon (where the cop has an adequate chance to maintain it), the AR-15 literally has no competition unless you count the H & K MP5, which fires a pistol cartridge, and the Ruger Mini-14, which does not lend itself to accessorizing in the same way that the AR-15 does.
Having said that, in my opinion the AK is a better COMBAT weapon because of its greater reliability and its more forgiving need for only occasional maintenance.
Okay, let the storm begin... :headspin: