AK-47 and AR-15: A Comparison
The Ak-47 is by far the most popular rifle in the world. Even if someone knew nothing about guns at all, it would be hard to find anyone who never heard the name AK-47. The AR-15 may not win the popularity contest over the AK worldwide, but it’s probably close. It does have the title, however, of the most popular rifle in the United States.
Both rifles are legendary, and both have been used in countless battles. I grew up watching war movies with iconic guns like the M1 Garan, Thompson Submachinegun, and the BAR. But the AK-47 was the staple of combat rifles, and the AR-15 was the symbol of freedom rushing in to save the day. Of course, when I was a kid, I saw little difference between both rifles. One had a magazine that was curved more and the other had a plastic handguard instead of a wooden one.
Little did I know how different they really were. Even though they are two completely different types of weapons, they do have some things in common. People are often divided between these two iconic guns with some being in the AK corner and some in the AR’s corner. While I drift toward the AR-15, I admire the AK-47 too. There is far more history involving these guns to cover today, but here is a brief history of both rifles.
History of the AK-47
The history of the AK-47 starts long before the gun itself was invented. It goes back to the early 1930s when a young boy in Kur’ya, Russia, started working as a tractor mechanic. He was poor and had recently returned from Siberia after being displaced by the Soviet Union along with thousands of other families. His name was Mikhail Kalashnikov.
Working on tractors sparked an interest in machinery. By the late 1930s, Kalashnikov had joined the Russian army as a tank mechanic. He was appointed a tank commander by WWII, when he served in the 24th regiment. By now he had begun inventing small weapons, but it was not until he overheard soldiers complaining about their weapons that he started work on the AK-47. At the time, Russian soldiers used submachine guns that fired pistol rounds.
Their rifles were bolt action and took longer to fire. His goal was to develop a mixture of the two. Something light and maneuverable that was automatic but fired a rifle caliber. Like most inventors, he did not design the AK on his first try. Kalashnikov designed several rifles that were presented at competitions and several of them failed. But in 1946 he developed the first version of the AK.
He made additional improvements to it in 1947, and in 1949 it was officially adopted as the standard issue rifle for the Soviet Army. To the Russian Army it was known as the “7.62mm Avtomat Kalashnikova”, or automatic Kalashnikov.
History of the AR-15
Unlike the AK-47, more than one person was involved in the creation of the AR-15. A company called the Armalite Company was formed by several people in the early 1950s. Their goal was to focus on weapons designs. The originating designer of the AR-15 was a man named Eugene Stoner. The company’s founder, George Sullivan promoted Stoner to Chief Design Engineer.
Their first rifle produced and adopted by the US Airforce was the AR-5. This was a .22 caliber bolt-action rifle that would come apart so it could be stored and carried easier by flight crew. The military gave it the name “MA-1.” By the mid-1950s, the US military was looking for a new rifle to replace the legendary M1 Garand. Armalite produced a few prototypes that were known as the AR-10 for the US military.
It was chambered in .308 and held more rounds than the M1 Garand. While people received the AR-10s well, the guns didn’t pass the military’s torture tests for the barrel. Instead, a different rifle was selected as the US military weapon, the T44, or better known today as the M-14. But as the saying goes, when you fall, get up and try again. Armalite was not deterred by the loss of the contract for their AR-10 rifle.
They continued to improve and develop the design and in 1959, Armalite sold two rifle designs to Colt, the AR-10 and AR-15. The US Airforce adopted the AR-15 first and named it the “M-16” rifle. This got the attention of the US Department of Defense and in 1965, the M-16 was adopted by the US military for all branches. It was the USA’s response to the AK-47.
What’s the difference between the two rifles?
The AK-47 and AR-15 differ in their chamberings and operating systems. The AK-47 fires a 7.62X39 round and the AR-15 fires a 5.56 NATO round. The 7.62 is the larger bullet, but the 5.56 is faster (2400 fps vs 3000fps). The AK-47 is a gas-operated rifle with a long-stoke gas piston. The AR-15 is a direct impingement, meaning the gas directly pushes the bolt back when it is fired. Both rifles are magazine fed by 30-round mags.
Another major difference between the two rifles is the recoil system. The AR-15 uses a buffer system which means the power from the bolt is absorbed into a long spring with a buffer weight on the end of it. This greatly reduces the recoil of the gun. The AK-47 on the other hand, uses a recoil spring behind the bolt. When the force of the bolt compresses the spring all the way, the rifle and shoulder of the person holding it absorb the rest of the force.
Each one is the answer to a country’s need for a superior weapon. The AR-15 is more accurate than an AK-47, but an AK is more reliable. Some will argue about this point, but I have had plenty of AR-15s fail to cycle over the years. I have never had an AK fail on me. They are called mud guns for a reason. The AR-15 is reliable but needs far more maintenance and attention than an AK. In the end, both rifles are battle proven and to this day, the question of superiority is debated.
Which is better, the AR-15 or the AK-47?
I drift towards the AR-15 because they are so easy to build and customizable. I enjoy putting one together, upgrading parts, and trying out new designs. The AK-47 does not offer many opportunities when it comes to customizing and upgrading. Having said that, I have an AK-47 and I love it. It wasn’t made to be a customized gun; it was made to be a battle gun that is cheap to build and runs forever.
Because of this, I’m not going to say one is better than the other. I’ll let the AK and AR experts fight over that one. But both rifles have a long, interesting history. They are both legendary guns that will be compared, scrutinized, and championed as the world’s best rifles for years to come. They both have pros and cons. The real question is, will you be an AR-15 or an AK-47 guy? Or you can choose to be unbiased and buy one of each!
