[TAW322]

Wondering which rifle would be most reliable in the eyes of others ?

[locutus]

Reliability would be pretty much equal. But other factors such as accuracy, range, effectiveness, etc make this a no-brainer. M-4 by a mile

[robocop10mm]

What "others" are you referring to? Uneducated, poorly trained, eager to become martyrs? Or intelligent, reasonably well trained "normal" humans?

Please introduce yourself to us.

[TLuker]

I think the the AK would be more reliable than the AR. I do not have an AR so this is based on my very limited experience with them. I have fired a couple and they were cheap AR's and they had problems. I do believe that a higher end AR would be reliable but I have no first hand experience with them. I have never fired an AK or SKS that failed to function.

Just my .02

[texaswoodworker]

AKs are made to be simple and reliable with very little work. They suffer in accuracy though. An M4/AR-15 can be just as reliable, but it takes a little more maintenance (not much, just clean it). They are very accurate though. I'd pick the AR-15 over the AK

[TAW322]

Thank you and I was referring to intelligent high end gun performers that have used these two weapons and could give me a basic structure to base my purchase off of and from these forms I have gathered most information I was looking for.

[Scorpion]

AK: Simple, robust design. I'm not a fan of the sighting system, nor of the AKM stock; when I shoot, I prefer to get a good cheek weld so that I can look through the sights. The rifle's ergonomics can be better, but can be mastered with practice. Some AK models are more accurate than others, particularly if said models are not of the 7.62x39mm variety. They are reliable, but remember that all manmade things can break; take care of your AK and it will take care of you.

AR: Simple, robust design, WHEN DONE CORRECTLY. Ergonomic, modular, accurate, reliable, easy to use, even with irons (Irons are all I run, for now). Most of the time, you just add lubrication and you're good to go. Excessive cleaning is not necessary; a good wipe down and a couple of passes through the bore with a bore brush is all that is really necessary for most cleanings.

My viewpoint; bear in mind that I have far more experience with AR-style rifles than AK-style; I have enough time on the AK to have an opinion but not enough to know the nuances of the rifle in and out.

[JonM]

if you dont take care of an ak its going to jam up just as much as any other firearm that is neglected. witnessed my best friend this past weekend suffer multiple failure to extract in his hungarian akm that was purchased in the 80's pre 922r days so is all original ak and he buys into that leave it alone and it fires no matter what myth.

reliability is a wash as both platforms suffer fails if not cared for. accuracy in ak47 is due more to the crappy iron sights than anything else. top that with less than stellar ammunition and you start to see why ak lose in the accuracy field. its a lot easier to find or make quality ammo for an ar15 than for an a47

the ar15 have better sighting solutions for irons and can also be scoped.

ar15 have a slightly longer usable max range

ak47 ammo is MUCH heavier the magazines are MUCH heavier and more bulky

i find cleaning my ar15 easier than getting into the nooks and crannies of my ak47.

ar15 followup shots are much easier as it stays on target waaaay better than a ar15.

ak47 drums that work well are easier to andcheaper to get than drums that work well for the ar15.

[Pasquanel]

Accuracy? Minute of angle or minute of man? The AK was designed to be a battle rifle accurate enough and very reliable never meant to be a sniper rifle or a varmint rifle but dude one up put an optic sight and its plenty accurate for its intended purpose. JohnM leans toward the AR I tilt toward the AK but where I live 100 yards is a long shot in fact here at the homestead 60 yards is about it. Reliability for the AK is legendary not just my opinion and the reason its my choice. Even using the cheapest ammo I can find it has never missed not even once and the reason I own several. That and I want to limit the number of calibers I have to stock ammo for. Oh and I almost forgot they are a hoot to shoot

[locutus]

If you want an AK platform get an AK74 instead of an AK47.

The gun is more accurate, and the 5.45X39 cartridge is far more effective than the 7.62X39. It also stays on target for follow up shots much better due to reduced recoil/