Why I've Decided to Stick with the AR and Abandon the AK

[45dotACP]

Those reasons are pretty much why I decided to stay away from AKs in the first place...

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[Gray222]

You should totally keep that vastly more superior 7.62x39 Soviet made POS, because it's cooler and better in every way.

-Said no red blooded, freedom loving American, ever.

[MSparks909]

I own and shoot both AKs and ARs. I have a boatload of 5.45 and 7.62 AK ammo that I've stockpiled over the years. I need to build up a good supply of 5.56. I'm actually going to be shelving the ARs for a few months so I can start burning through the AK ammo I have. I prefer an AR but an AK, especially in 5.45, is just as effective as an AR and can be run nearly as well with a few additions such as a Krebs safety and a red-dot. Yes, reloads are slower but that's a small (ie non-existent) issue for me.

[beenalongtime]

And here I have been waiting to see someone mention something like the Dolos and a second barrel in 300 blackout.

[PNWTO]

AK vs AR, like a classic Buck lockback vs. SOG Flash II.

And that is just it, some people like A, B, C, or all. I just have pursuits, passions, and hobbies that I enjoy much more than either an AK or AR and I like to be a little different, so again a simple no-frills AK is probably in my future. I have no lifestyle or professional obligation for either.

I will have enough part-stock for the 6.5G, and it probably won't be getting shot that much.

I need to build up a good supply of 5.56. I'm actually going to be shelving the ARs for a few months so I can start burning through the AK ammo I have. I prefer an AR but an AK, especially in 5.45, is just as effective as an AR...

Again, not that I'm really attempting to choose a side, but a bigger factor in my decisions was the price of good Russkie stuff vs top-end 5.56 loads. Golden Tiger is still hovering around $200/Case and if memory serves that ammo has some good performance characteristics/history.

[pastaslinger]

I like the AK for the round used (terminal ballistics and price) but the gun isn't that great to me to be honest. They aren't ergonomic, they aren't cheap anymore, they're fairly heavy, they're less accurate than AR's, they can be less reliable than expected, and mounting optics and accessories is a game of work arounds.

I think the AK would be completely off my radar if a gas piston version of a gun like the CMMG mutant existed

[Oukaapie]

Pastaslinger, you should check out the PWS in X39. Another option if ballistics is what you want and are not afraid to pay for the privilege is 6.8. Plenty of piston guns in 6.8, just a few in X39.

[frozentundra]

I like them both, but to me the main benefits of the AR = Lighter weight(gun, mags, and ammo), lighter recoil(accuracy at speed), external ballistics, manipulation of the safety, easy to add lights and optics without getting fat.

I think AK is a gun designed and optimized specifically with arctic warfare in mind.

The AK really shines when you need a gun to use in sub zero temps while wearing thick, bulky gloves and clothing. All of a sudden that "unergonomic" safety lever is just about perfect. Lube tends to attract frozen moisture which melts and refreezes after strings of fire, especially when shooting prone out of a powdery snowbank. The generous tolerances and overall design of the AK seem to digest ice and snow pretty well. Optics are easily obscured even if you breath too heavy on them. If you have to go from a sub zero environment into a warm one, your optic is INSTANTLY useless from condensation, then if you have to go back into the cold it freezes instantly. The only good part is that it will often freeze-dry before too long.

When overnight lows start to go below zero on a regular basis in Northern WI, I switch to my AK with iron sights and a flashlight as my go-to rifle. I think it is a superior weapon for certain specific applications.

[MSparks909]

When overnight lows start to go below zero on a regular basis in Northern WI, I switch to my AK with iron sights and a flashlight as my go-to rifle. I think it is a superior weapon for certain specific applications.

Mission drives the gear...

[HCM]

Pastaslinger, you should check out the PWS in X39. Another option if ballistics is what you want and are not afraid to pay for the privilege is 6.8. Plenty of piston guns in 6.8, just a few in X39.

The gas system vs piston is not the issue in a 7.62x39 AR. like the 6.5 Grendel, the tapered case of the 7.62x39 irequires a constant curve magazine for reliable feeding and is not comparable with the straight top portion of an AR mag.

If you want .30-.30 / 7.62x39 ballistics out of an AR platform .300 BO super loads will do so with much greater reliability.