... would or could be a better choice for defense than an AR15 when considering enviroment, climate, distances of engagement and so on...

just curious

S214

Probably won't get an unbiased answer on the AR side

Might want to pose this on a non AK or AR forum, like the FalFiles in the General Weapons Discussion forum.  Got some pretty sharp guys over there.

Quoted: ... would or could be a better choice for defense than an AR15 when considering enviroment, climate, distances of engagement and so on... just curious S214

I would Whip out the Mk14 if I couldn't use my Xm15 "M4gery".

Nathan

(Edited, forgot to add something)

Within 75 yards during the worst possible climate you could imagine

The two situations that come up right off the top of my head are:
1) if for some reason 7.62x39 was available while .223/5.56 became extremely scarce
2) in an extremely harsh sandy climate where you had no access to cleaning equipment

Sure I love the AK 74/47 It one of the Best rifle/carbine made to this day!

and Im not Bashing the AK


I BEEN SEEING ALOT OF

guys at the local range who have the AK47 and just go crazy makeing noise and cant hit the 50 yard target? some put a 3x??x50 on there NICE AK47 and bitch because they cant hit the target the first time?

Just once I like to see a guy worth his salt shooting a AK47!

The guys  at the range were bitching that the AK47`S that they just bought were JUNK
When it was not the Fine AK47 it was Them!

I tried to tell them and help them without sounding like a know it all but didnt work

No.

My AK isn't running worth a sh*t right now.

WIZZO

i'd say defintely a G36 then.....

Along these same lines, is the 7.62x39 a better performer than the 5.56 at certain distances (whatever that distance might be)?

S214

From what I've heard the 5.56 outstrips the 7,62x39 by a bit at close ranges, and by a lot farther out.  I have no personal experience with the AK round, however.

Quoted: Within 75 yards during the worst possible climate you could imagine

+1

The AK is a phenomenally reliable and powerful weapon but it's accuracy and ergonomics are C#$@P.  Why abuse yourself when you don't have to?

when thats all you can afford ,then its better

Yes, it's still better for what it was originally designed for.

A conscripited army of peasants whose knowledge of machines consists of ox and plow and the most horrendous battlefield conditions known to man.  

The rifle must work, it must work in a gawdawful enviroment, it must work with no maintainence or repairs, it must be simple enough for a peasant farmer to understand and operate with minimal training and it must be cheap so when he throws it down and runs away, or gets killied by the hundreds of thousands by a smaller but vastly superior army, the government won't be out much money.  Besides being cheap, it must be easy and fast to manufacture.

Thus was born the AK-47, and it was carried one step further with the AKM.  Considering the design requirements, it's not surprising it's been around so long, there will never be a lack of the type of soldier needing a weapon like the AK.  Look around the world, most of the people you see holding an AK probably couldn't keep an AR running more than a month.  Some of them can barely keep an AK running.

An AK vs AR thread! Has it been two weeks already?


ETA: Okay I'll give a serious answer.  If the range is short and the gun will be subjected to harsh treatment, the AK has an edge.

As I understand it the AK was intended to be used like this…

Heavy artillery barrages pin down the enemy. Then a line of APCs moves up to the edge of the barrage. Tanks are just behind the APCs providing direct fire suppression of the enemy’s defenses. Then the artillery stops, and soldiers swarm from the APCs, AK-47s firing as they charge the defensive line.

The AK has a reputation for reliability and I’m betting that it’s fairly accurate in the right hands. (I’ve shot a couple but never really tried to keep a group.) The 7.62x39 supposedly is excellent at penetrating through brush and it makes a good hunting cartridge.

So I guess if I had to go and live back in the swamps or jungle for a few months I would prefer an AK. Even without cleaning it would still work. Water seems to drain out of a .30 bore better than a .22 also. It would be a better deer and gator rifle because of the cartridge. And in the swamps I would probably need the close range brush bucking ability more than I would the 300+ yard accuracy of the AR.

The AK is a phenomenally reliable and powerful weapon

Powerfull? Ballistics are quite similar to a 30-30 if I am not mistaken. A while back a PD on the left coast had a bolt sniper rifle built up for the 7.62x39 in the desire to have a .30cal sniper weapon with diminished ability to over penetrate. The accuracy of the rifle surprised everyone. I don't think the 7.62x39 has the velocity to fragment which is the most devestating feature of the 5.56 with FMJ ammo. Now get into soft nose or HP or other type bullets and things are different. Still the 7.62x39 is a pretty mild round.