AK VS AR when the SHTF

[Mosinowner]

Which one? I'm talking about economy, government, WROL collapse. You can either take your AK47 variants or your AR15 variants. Which one?

 

[shibumiseeker]

Which one? I'm talking about economy, government, WROL collapse. You can either take your AK47 variants or your AR15 variants. Which one?

The eternal question with no real answer.

It depends on too many variables, the biggest one of which is your personal preference.

 

[elpenguin0717]

In America I rather have the ar15 since the ammo would be easy to find outside of the us I'd grab a ak for the same reason of ammo being avaliable

 

[42769vette]

 

[kolob10]

How about a good old FN LAR or M1. It will do anything you need done quicker than an AR or AK & just as reliable? Good shooting

 

[Mosinguy]

I never understood the argument "I'll choose X weapon over Y weapon because I can find ammo for it laying around.". If there is ammo laying around, there will be guns laying around

Me personally choose the AK because I don't live somewhere where a 200+ yard shot is needed. If its farther away, I can just hole up and wait for whoever to leave or for it to get closer. The AK is reliable. Ammo is stocked by Wal-Mart, so that must mean there's quite a bit in the country. The AK doesn't need a bunch of accesories to make it shine. Maybe a scope and a sling and that's about it.

 

[Sailor]

Just stop.

and



Use the search button.

 

[churchmouse]

It is all down to what I have. AR-15's
We sold off all of the 7.62X39 stuff due to lack of interest.

 

[buckstopshere]

I'm taking a spoon that I can shave my face with and nothing else.

 

[9mmfan]

I'm taking a spoon that I can shave my face with and nothing else.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Honestly, years ago I used to be one of those people that never understood the dislike for AK variants.

Now that I have ample range time behind both, I can see the disadvantages. For rapid-fire, the muzzle rise is much greater on an AK and the AR has more "control-ability" at least in my hands.

But OTOH, I've seen plenty of AR's go down after a LOT of shooting because they were dirty and needed cleaned and/or lubed. Never seen that with any AK I've been exposed to.

Honestly, I have both, and I'm willing to shoot either because both will kill the target very dead if I do my part.

However, given that I have to choose one or the other, I'm really liking the looks of an SBR 300 BLK w/ suppressor. You get the ballistics of the AK47 in an AR variant rifle, that can be changed over shoot as quiet as a MP5SD just by simply changing ammo.

As many tend to agree with, plan for the most likely scenarios first, and I just can't imagine likely odds of a scenario where I will need the slightly increased range of a 5.56 over the 300 BLK. But I can imagine several scenarios where having the capability to shoot very, very quietly will be a very beneficial. And having the ability to do both in the same rifle with NO adjustments, only a mag/ammo type change is probably going to be reason enough to choose that gun as my go-to. Back to the likely vs. unlikely, I can't imagine a scenario where I will be shooting so much to cause an AR to go down. If I was forced to pack up and leave home with only one gun, I am likely not carrying enough ammo to shoot until the AR goes down because of fouling. More likely scenario is somehow the gun got in mud or dirt and to cause it to go down, but then that would be my fault for not putting a condom over the muzzle and keeping the dust cover closed.

BTW, I don't yet have this gun, I'm buying parts for it right now. I just have a few challenges to buying these parts that I'm working on overcoming.

 

[windellmc]

A good AR is as reliable as a good AK. Good ARs are easier to find than good AKs in the US. You can add more accessories to the AR, but you don't have to. Brass cased AR ammo is more expensive than steel cased AK ammo (especially the 5.45 surplus) so if you want to stack it deep the AK might be a better choice. 7.62 milsurp is pretty hard to find while 5.56 mil-spec is pretty easy to get right now. There has basically never been any corrosive 5.56 made so you can shoot and not have to clean right away to prevent rust.

ARs are easier to work on with a pretty minimum set of tools so if you have spare parts you can get them back up and running faster. You can change an AR extractor with basically no tools. You can hot swap an AR bolt without checking headspace. You cannot do that with an AK. Good to great AR barrels are available everywhere. Good commie made AK barrels are getting to be like hen's teeth unless you get a Saiga.

If you live in Alaska or the cold parts of Canada the AK may be more reliable under Arctic conditions and the corrosively primed Commie ammo is also more reliable under extreme cold.

 

[gunowner930]

AR15 VS. AK variant? The answer is easy. What are you more comfortable and more proficient with? The accuracy of the AK is often understated, while its durability and 7.62x39 cartridge are overstated. The durability and 5.56x45 cartridge are often understated. Both rifles have proven to be very successful, and can make an outstanding weapon.

 

[bingley]

Which one? I'm talking about economy, government, WROL collapse. You can either take your AK47 variants or your AR15 variants. Which one?

That's easy. If SHTF, I'll get on INGO and debate AR vs. AK endlessly...

I'm actually trying to say something serious. There will be no end to the AR vs. AK question even if SHTF. You're sitting in your guard tower keeping your two-year food storage shed and water source safe, while your son is out gathering wood in the vicinity. If you have an AK in your hands, you're going to start thinking, gee, I should have gone with the AR in case I need to make that 200 yard shot to stop the marauding zombie from overtaking my son.

If you have an AR, you'd think instead, gee, maybe I should have gone with an AK, and convert all that saving in ammo and rifle into gold. I have to clean this all the time, and during times of catastrophe it's just not a good idea to divert all this energy to maintenance.

In the mean time, your neighbor will be thinking, gee, should I have bought these twenty Mosin Nagant? I could've just bought an AR with the same amount of money. But then if it breaks down I wouldn't have spare parts, and I like being able to poke at the people in the next county. if I want ammo I can just go to some farm in the Ukraine and dig up a box or two.

Look, I'd bet you'd be out of water or food before your particular rifle choice makes a difference.

Where do you guys imagine ammo would be "lying around"? That kind of makes me think of video games where you go around shooting monsters, picking up ammo and health points.

 

[Mosinowner]

That's easy. If SHTF, I'll get on INGO and debate AR vs. AK endlessly...

I'm actually trying to say something serious. There will be no end to the AR vs. AK question even if SHTF. You're sitting in your guard tower keeping your two-year food storage shed and water source safe, while your son is out gathering wood in the vicinity. If you have an AK in your hands, you're going to start thinking, gee, I should have gone with the AR in case I need to make that 200 yard shot to stop the marauding zombie from overtaking my son.

If you have an AR, you'd think instead, gee, maybe I should have gone with an AK, and convert all that saving in ammo and rifle into gold. I have to clean this all the time, and during times of catastrophe it's just not a good idea to divert all this energy to maintenance.

In the mean time, your neighbor will be thinking, gee, should I have bought these twenty Mosin Nagant? I could've just bought an AR with the same amount of money. But then if it breaks down I wouldn't have spare parts, and I like being able to poke at the people in the next county. if I want ammo I can just go to some farm in the Ukraine and dig up a box or two.

Look, I'd bet you'd be out of water or food before your particular rifle choice makes a difference.

Where do you guys imagine ammo would be "lying around"? That kind of makes me think of video games where you go around shooting monsters, picking up ammo and health points.

Well in the case you have to shoot someone and they have a AR15 you can search them with the A button lol

 

[WETSU]

I am an AK guy. Any of you who know me gets that. I have my reasons and I can run an AK better than a Russian. Its simply my preference.

But in the end, I will use whatever gun I find. Even your gun.

 

[windellmc]

I am not sure an AR would need constant cleaning unless you are SHTF in the desert. I assume you would be at your BOL which in Indiana means not much fine silt blowing around all day. If you are planning to bug out to the desert then the AK might be better.

 

[jve153]

my AR because i have one.

 

[johndavis111]

AR 15 im comfortable with it. I have a couple of them and lots of ammo. Also as someone else pointed out the ammo will be more widely avaliable stateside.

 

[bobzilla]

Galil. At ammo with al reliability. Done.