AK-47 vrs M16....?

Question

If an AK-47 rifle is more powerful, accurate, and efficient how come we still use an M16 over the AK?

AK's are very powerful and accurate... you could bury them in the sand come back a year later pull it out and start shooting... M16's constantly need cleaning, and maintanance so how come we still use it...

These are all great answers, I personally cannot pick the best one out.

Best answer is up to you guys in the voting booth, hahaha.

Answer 1

I have fired, used both and ripped both apart and put both back together with my eyes closed and in a "real world combat environment" not just in a training situation. As for sheer volume of fire, knock down killing power and enemy suppression I love the AK. Also the AK-47 AK-74 AKM etc family of weapons are very reliable easy as hell to maintain, operate in hell and are very very user friendly. Personally I have carried and AK in more missions than an M-16a2.
However the 5.56mm round that the M-16 family of weapons carries is a very nasty wound causing round due to cavitation. It has been known to go in your gut and pop out your neck. Also a M-16a2 or a4 is a very very accurate round and I have hit things out to 500m with open iron sights. However it does not use a gas piston design and is very very matince intensive. It also is a pain in the *** to clean and service. Weight does not seem to bother me and I carry just as many rounds either way. The m4 is a good choice but you did not offer it as a choice however it uses a gas tube design too ad I have had an M4 jam and almost get me killed.
There fore I prefer a AK but the US army doesn't oh well. That's why our unit has the new HK carbines that are a variant of the M4 with a gas piston design. Pretty soon the M16 is getting phased out due to its complications so its all good..................Shadow Stalker

Answer 2

While the Russians have stopped making the AK-47 in place and are now making the fiberglass AK-74 which shoots the .223 like the M-16, the U.S. has not come up with a replacement for the M-16 except it's cousin the M4 which again shoots the .223.

The M-16 has a 150 yard "effective" advantage over the AK-47 and the less kick is an added feature. Also the new M-16s have a better platform and it's harder to attach the extras (such as telescopic sights and the grenade launcher) on a AK-47.

Answer 3

The AK-47 is not accurate as far as assault rifles are concerned. They have a maximum effective range of about 200 meters. The M16 has a max effective range of 500 meters. The M16 has a higher cyclic rate of fire as well as almost 33% greater muzzle velocity. What this means is that the trauma chamber created by the round is actually greater than that of the AK making the rifle overall more deadly.

So the M16 is more accurate...more powerful...higher casualty producing..but you do have to clean it everyday. Of course, all that takes is a little discipline and some elbow grease, something US soldiers are never short of.

The reason the AK is more reliable is because the mechanical tolerances are so poor. There are gaps in the chamber and the way in which the bolt intereacts within the reciever. This allows for sand and grit to collect without jamming the rifle. The flip side is that you do not get consistant pressure behind your bullets with each shot and this is why the accuracy is so poor. Imagine that sometimes rounds will land meters higher at long distance and at others lower depending on where the bold face hits the casing, etc.

That is a rudimentary into to rifle accuracy ballistics put in layman's terms.

Also, the 7.62 rounds are heavier and this means that soldiers can't carry as many of them into battle.

The reality is that although the AK can fire with sand in it, hitting the target is more important than being able to have a dirty weapon.

Answer 4

You ask what assault rifle then finish your question with AR??? The M16 and AK47 are assault rifles.... An AR15 is not..... Its as if you asked us whether we like Buick or Mercury then ask us what Honda we prefer??? Anyways I think I get the idea.... An AR15 is more accurate hands down. And depending on the model or barrel its way more accurate than any AK could hope to be... Of course you cant get a 3 round burst AR15. - Well at least not without a huge paperwork hassle and that's even if your state allows it.... Why not get them both?? I have 4 AR15's and a couple of AK variants... Even though the AR15 is more accurate and built better the AK is fun to shoot... Both of these rifles use cheap ammo so that's a big plus.... Accurate??? I only shoot at 12 or 15 inch steel plates and silhouette targets and both rifle's are plenty of accurate for that to 75 and 100 yards....... Shooting little 1 inch holes in paper is lame -- besides that's not what either rifle was designed to do....

Answer 5

AK NOT more accurate by any means. The same thing that makes them so versatile is also their downfall: Loose tolerances on the moving parts. Anything past 200 yards on a standard AK is a crap shoot. M4 much more accurate. 7.62 might pack more punch, but .223 ammo can cause more damage to flesh due to its tendency to "tumble"; that is, ride bone and bounce, detaching muscle from tendon, scrambling internal organs, etc. as opposed to hitting hard and going straight thru. Ironically, I own an M4 thats chambered for 7.62 x 39, so I got a bit of both. I also own an AK, and would take the M4 in a combat situation over the ak any day.

Answer 6

the age old argument.....ive seen it so many times... i shouuld save the answer and then copy and paste....an ak-47 utilizes a larger bullet 7.62 which has a greater impact, true... but the ak-17 sights are crude and at medium to large distances, is inaccurarte... the ak-47 also has more moving part, primaraly the bolt, which with each shot in auto-mode becomes more inaccurate. the ak-47 is designed more like a machine gun, tghe saftey selesctor switch goes from safe to auto the to burst...the result of flame from the barrel is also indication of a machine gun deisgn.. the ak-47 was desighned so that a person with only a little bit of training could easily operate it... thats why it is so durable, to take the abuse it has to..
the m-16 on the other hand is more like a rifle. it utilizes a 5.56 bullet. the impact is less at close ranges but is dramaticaly more accurate at further ranges than the ak... the sights are better desighned and the recoil is less...flame does not shoot from the barrel or not as much as the ak... in a quick summary, the ak was produced hurriedly and with not much planning. its advantages is its extremely durable and can tajke heavy abuse and still operate. it does not take much to learn how to fire and maintain the weapon...its larger caliber gives it a greater penatration ratio at closer ranges. its cons is its accuracy at greater ranges and instability when firing in atomatic modes... its sights are also poor..
the m-16s cons is the time it takes to learn, operate and maintain the m-16. also the weapon has to be constantly cleaned so that is stays operational. also the bullet at close range is not as effective as a 7.62. but in the end the m-16 is alot better gun, belive it or not. a good soilder always keeps his weapon clean so that shouldn't be a problem. and when it comes down to it, the mn-16 is more stable and accurate... in a fire fight, a well maintained m-16 defnetly has the avantage over the ak-47.

Answer 7

The AK 47 is a nice gun, but it's not a perfect weapon. The AK has a shitload of problems, and the parts are getting old on it. It ***** up constantly, but they're really cheap to make, probably 40 bucks to buy, and like 2 dollars per cartriage(sp?). The reason it's so widely used is because it's a proven weapon and it's so easy and cheap to make. Even a child can operate an AK, and in alot of places, they do.

Answer 8

Great Question. The reason why we still use it is because the AK is a causualty producing weapon were the M16 is meant to wound. When a "buddy" comes to help out his fellow wounded soldier you can shoot him also, and when help comes for him you can do the same thing. Thats how it has been explained to me. Also the m16 is lighter and so is the ammunition. Because of that you can carry more rounds. M16.

Answer 9

Design and simplicty as well as interchangeable parts, and the ability to function no matter the environment, I would say the AK47. This weapon can be buried in mud, cleaned off and still fire. The parts are interchangeable with any other AK47 and that means every part. The M16A2 is an excellent weapon, however it has to be continually cleaned and very well maintained. The weight factor goes to the M16A2 as it's appx. 7.8 lbs. The knockdown power goes to the AK47 as it fires a 7.62mm round. My preference would be the AK47. We use it because it's the assault weapon that the military has chosen to use.

Answer 10

As a soldier in the Army i would stay with a M4 any day over a Ak-47. Its a matter of personal preference. If you can fire both of them at a range. I believe our rifle is clearly supperior