Iraqi airmen fire AK-47s during a firing drill.

Accuracy

The AK-47 is not as accurate as the AR-15. The accuracy of an AK-47 (16" barrel) is 2-5 MOA, while the AR-15 (16" barrel) is around 1-3 MOA, depending on the barrel installed and fore end provisions for barrel float that eliminate deflections caused by the operator's support and/or sling tension.

Availability

According to the World Bank, there are 500 million firearms in circulation around the world; 100 million are in the Kalashnikov family, and 75 million of those are AK-47s. The popularity of Kalashnikov rifles is at least partly connected to the lack of regulation on their already affordable production. The Soviet Union did not control the manufacture of AK-47s through copyright law or patents, meaning production of the assault rifle spread quickly.

Both the AK-47 and the AR-15 are available in the United States. However, some states have restricted their sale and use. New York, California, Maryland, and Connecticut regulate possession of AR-15 rifles either through restriction of certain features or outright bans of certain manufacturers' models. For example, the A3 tactical carbine is legal for sale and possession in the United States generally, but is illegal for sale in California.

Design Comparison

An AR-15 M4 mid. A golden AK47 seen at Parlor Gallery in Asbury Park.

Cartridge

The AK-47 uses 7.62x39mm M45 cartridges, while the AR-15 uses .223 Remington or 5.56 NATO cartridges.

Barrel

The AK-47 has a barrel length of 415 mm, while the AR-15 has a standard barrel length of 508 mm.

Action Type

The AK-47 is a gas-operated, rotating bolt (Long Stroke Gas Piston) rifle. The AR-15 is a direct impingement or a rotating bolt rifle.

The AR-15 is a semi-automatic weapon. Gun-control advocates consider the AR-15 an "assault weapon" even though it fires about 45 to 60 rounds per minute, which is significantly lower than fully automatic weapons like the M16, which can fire up to 900 rounds per minute.

Magazines

The AK-47’s magazine features a pronounced curve that allows it to smoothly feed ammunition into the chamber. It has a heavy steel construction with “feed lips” to make it resistant to damage.

As the AR-15 was designed to be more lightweight and less durable, its magazine is made of pressed/stamped aluminum, and its feed lips are weaker than the AK-47’s as a result.

Weight

Ranging between 2.27 and 3.9kg, the AR-15 is lighter than the 4.3kg AK-47.

Ergonomics

The safety (selector) of an AK-47 is designed to be easily hit with the index finger while the middle finger remains on the trigger. Magazines are inserted and removed by a simple rocking motion. The AK-47 is extremely friendly to left handed users in terms of controls and ejection.

AR-15's safety (selector) switch is easily manipulated without losing sight picture. It's smaller size makes it more difficult to use under stress. The AR-15 is unfriendly to left handed users both in terms of controls and in terms of shell ejection.

Effective Range

A fully automatic AK-47 has an effective range of300 meters (330 yd) whereas for a semi-automatic it is 400 metres (440 yd) semi-automatic.

The semi-automatic AR-15 has an effective range of 400-600 meters.

Recoil Type

In the AK-47 fully automatic, the recoil is mild and predictable.

In the AR-15, the recoil is easily controllable, but difficult to predict.

Dependability

The AK-47, which was specifically designed to function in extreme environmental conditions, is considered more dependable than the AR-15, which is sometimes prone to failure when exposed to dirt, dust, and mud. To maintain reliability, the AR-15 needs to be cleaned following each use.

Prices of Guns

Although many variants are available for both the rifles, when comparing the base models, the AK-47 is cheaper as compared to AR-15.

Price of the AK-47 can range from $350-$600.

Price of the AR-15 can range from $750-$1,500.

Popularity

The AR-15 is sometimes called "America's Rifle" because it is the most popular long gun in the country. There are around 10 million AR-15 units currently in the United States. In fact, the AR-15 has also been popular with perpetrators of mass shootings — the gun was used in the San Bernardino, Aurora and Sandy Hook shootings.

References

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