[Guest]

I'm new to rifles, i normally find it hard to make up my mind. I will be buying an AR or AK by the end of the year, I'm asking now cause i figure i have a lot to learn. If i buy an AK, i'll just buy one and just shoot the hell out of it but if i get an AR, i want to build it myself, so i can know every thing about it.

So after you buy all the pieces needed to build an AR, when you look at the price is it really worth it?

AR's seem so much more complicated than an AK so is there any video info about all the different operations of the AR (like the new M4 gas piston stuff?)

I've heard that if your AR is in 5.56 you can shoot .223? I've heard 7.62x39 is the cheapest stuff around?

I dont plan to be shooting more than 200 yards anyway! even if SHTF if your 2 football fields away from me and i'm stressed i'd probably miss anyway so should I go crazy for the accuracy of AR over the AK?

Is there anyone that has been in a situation and finds that the AR is really fragile as some claim it is?

any response will be appreciated.

 

[Guest]

I like both but I have only owned ARs. I just love the platform. Do what I should do and buy both.

 

[Guest]

I faced the same decision and I chose to build an AR. Reason being is the options and add ons and goodies are endless for an AR. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Guest]

I chose the AK because I could walk out of the store with a gun and some ammo and start shooting it for $400.

 

[Guest]

I like both but I have only owned ARs. I just love the platform. Do what I should do and buy both.

+1 only I do own both. Plus he SKS to boot (sometimes the sks is the funner of the two)

What you want my friend, is entirely up to you. You will have 50/50 saying they like one over the other. But I like them both the same. You just weigh your personal likes and dislikes of both. The AK is cheaper and less maintence and easier to operate. But the AR's are real slick looking more accurate and will hold thier value more so than the AK plus you can probly find a drink blender attatchment if you looked hard enough for the accessories galore.

But if you are indecisive like me then get both, just decide which one you want first...

 

[Guest]

i love my AR and plan on getting a second in a .308 I held a few AK's, but never shot one yet. They felt weird in my hand kinda like glock :mrgreen:.

I choose the AR for Accuracy, right now you might not want to shoot over 200 yards, but once you start shooting long ranges you might want to then you will have to buy another rifle.

I would like to get me an AK later to add to my small collection but for now i'm glad i went with the AR

 

[Guest]

I chose the AK because I could walk out of the store with a gun and some ammo and start shooting it for $400.

or he could buy an SKS which would leave him with $200 more money for ammo.

Consider a sks as your beater cheap ammo gun you can get right now.

Take your time and get the ar you want.

Best of both worlds.

 

[Guest]

+1 only I do own both. Plus he SKS to boot (sometimes the sks is the funner of the two)

What you want my friend, is entirely up to you. You will have 50/50 saying they like one over the other. But I like them both the same. You just weigh your personal likes and dislikes of both. The AK is cheaper and less maintence and easier to operate. But the AR's are real slick looking more accurate and will hold thier value more so than the AK plus you can probly find a drink blender attatchment if you looked hard enough for the accessories galore.

But if you are indecisive like me then get both, just decide which one you want first...

+2 .. we have both .. AK and AR but we have more AK's than AR .. (have the sks too )

just like XD 9 .. is entirely up to you. whatever you like .. but if you can't decide .. buy both :mrgreen:

 

[Guest]

I approve of the sks.



In case that matters to anyone.

 

[Guest]

I approve of the sks.
In case that matters to anyone.

your blessing is appreciated !

 

[Guest]

Maybe it's cause I'm in Ca. and it's all I can really get my hands on, but...

It's a really good rifle, underrated I say. More accurate than most people assume it is and a lot of fun, plus a fraction of the cost of either. With the money you save you can buy lots of ammo. And, in a state that allows it, Tapco 20rd mags work well. If you don't care about being able to put 3 flash lights and 7 lasers on your rifle then it's a great choice.
The one down side is that it's kinda heavy, but that's why God invented the sand bag.

 

[Guest]

I like the AR... American Rifle.

 

[Guest]

I love that about the AR but nowadays anything is possible

 

[Guest]

Both!!!

 

[Guest]

You can get an ak in 5.45 which is even cheaper to shoot. Ak's will hold their value and have actually been going up in price. What I would do is buy a ar15 lower and parts kit about $150. Buy a nodakspud economy ak receiver about $65 plus transfer. This will leave you with the $160 needed to buy a rommy kit with g2 trigger group... As you get more money you can finish either rifle. That way you dont have to choose and dont have to worry about not being able to buy/get receivers.

 

[Guest]

I don't have either one, but I'm leaning toward the AK. Partly because of bad experiences with AR's in Nam, and partly because of cost.

 

[Guest]

If I had to choose just one that would be a very difficult decision. I would just get both, actually you will need about 4 of each in different configuration when it is all said in done. But if I had a choice of only 1 I would probably pick the AR.

I love the 7.62x39 round. Shoot 5 gallon water jugs and see, the AK round just pushes it a whole lot more around than the 5.56 AR round. The AK is not that accurate because of the sights, but put a red dot mounted on a forward rail and out to 200 yards you are talking about AR like accuracy (for semi auto). @ 100 yards Robinson claims the XCR 7.62x39 is just as accurate as the XCR 5.56. But the Ergo's on the AK is all effed up. Shoot 500 rounds in the AK, and it starts to beat you up. The AR on the other hand you are just warming up at 500 rounds. I don't think it is the extra power of the 7.62 is what beats you up either, it is the messed up ergos!

Another + for the AK is reliability, ruggedness, and the ability to go extended period of times without cleaning. Don't let anyone tell you an AR can hold up to the same abuse that an AK can. They are just in extreme denial and are probably on drugs or live on bizzarro world where everything is opposite. This is why the AK will be a better SHTF weapon.

Now the positives for the AR: great ergos, very low recoil, accurate, better at ranges, easy to accessories, it is basically better than the AK in all aspects except for the ruggedness and reliabilty part. I shoot my AR's a lot more than my AK because they are just so much easier and fun to shoot than an AK. Also AR's are so easy to configure in different calibers and different set up such as SPR (long rang stuff) and SBR (entry stuff). When the SHTF I will probably grab the AR over the AK, but I just have to hope that I remember my weapons cleaning kit or if not that I will be able to find some rags and motor oil along the way to keep her clean and lubed periodically

Actually I will have the best of all worlds once Robinson Arms starts shipping the 7.62x39 Soviet kits for the XCR. And C-Products need to start shipping the 20 round 7.62x39 AR type mags. The XCR has the ergo's of an AR but yet the action stays clean like an AK.

 

[Guest]

Make it a goal to get both, or at least shoot both, before you decide that one is superior to the other. For a first time rifle buyer, the AK is available in calibers other than 7.62x39, and is usually cheaper than AR's.

 

[Guest]

AK or AR?

Both.

In a SHTF situation, you should be able to use either.

Hardwarz

 

[Guest]

Well the answer depends on what you want to do with the rifle. If you are looking for a SHFT / varmit & small game hunting rifle I would align more with US and NATO then Eastern Bloc because of availability of ammo and parts. Just about everyone I know owns something that will feed 5.56 or .223, I have more friends who own AR's then AK's.

I do own both (AR's and AK) and choose the AR platform any day. If you have ever really used an AK the ergonomics blow in real world conditions! And like Cartmann said the AK will beat you up. Try reloading an AK from a prone position and you will quickly start to see what I mean.

I've put well over 2k rounds down range in a single session with my ARs with no problems. Buying a quality AR is part of the deal if you want realiability there is a reason why you should spend $1,000+ on it.
The old Colt M16 A1's and "FN" A2's I was issued in the Army didn't have that many problems and we put thousands of rounds through them. Most of the time people don't know how to lubricate an M16/AR properly so they would jam or had crappy mags which was common. With good mags and proper lube the AR will serve you very well.

Unlike the budget consious Army of today the Army back in the 80's our range sessions after weapon qualification were FA rock and roll and those barrels were cherry red and we put lots of ammo through them we would expend in some cases 30k+ rnds.
The only time I saw any real problems with the M16/AR was shooting blanks from the blank adapters not providing a seal, the blanks not having enough powder and the carbon all over in the weapon jamming them.

Do you need to maintain the AR's sure but I rather have a weapon I know is going to function when I need it to then have an AK that doesn't because I bought into a false sense of reliablity. With that said I do clean the AR's and AK every 1,000 rnds. You can debate this all day long and at the range you are talking about either platform will serve you well.

If you are in Colorado look me up I'll take you shooting and you can compare them side by side.