AR-15 VS AK-47
- May 28, 2021
- By Jared Daub
In our opinion, the AR-15 is a better option in almost every way versus the AK-47. Now, we understand there is a lot of personal preference here and one might beg the question: Why even answer this question? The simple answer is people ask us for our opinion on weapons platforms often. This question came up quite a few times so we figured, why not roll some heads at the same time? Onward.
If you haven’t had the chance to check it out yet, or if you are like me and don’t necessarily like to sit down and read a ton of blog posts, check out our full YouTube video on this topic here:
In this YouTube video I break down five reasons why I believe the AR-15 is superior to an AK-47. This does not mean that I don’t like AK’s and in fact I do find them fascinating. They’re a cool platform. The only thing is compared to an AR15..they suck. Here are my reasons why I would choose an AR-15 over an AK-47 every day of the week.
Reason 1: The AR-15 is easier to shoot. Some folks might disagree however those folks are in denial. The soft recoil and nice layout of the AR-15 makes for a very comfortable platform. Recoil is nearly non-existent. All of the controls on an AR-15 are well engineered and new shooters, with very little training, can learn to be effective on this platform. On an AK-47 or AK-74 there are far more nuances and quirks. Are these total deal breakers? Nope. But it loses to the AR-15 in my opinion in this area.
Reason 2: The AR-15 is far more refined. This piggybacks off the first reason. The AR-15 is a very refined platform. Since its inception it has undergone even more refinement and variations of high quality AR-15’s exist in so many forms. The AK-47 has also undergone many refinements over the years and aftermarket solutions are readily available. That being said, it still is not as refined as an AR-15.
Reason 3: The AR-15 is more adaptable. There are simply more ways to configure an AR-15 compared to an AK-47. No matter the mission, the AR-15 has an off the shelf solution from many companies. It has been modified and turned into anything anyone could ever need. Not to mention the plethora of calibers to choose from. Although most people think of the 5.56 NATO round for an AR-15, the calibers for the AR-15 are ever expanding. Every situation has a variant of the AR-15 ready to deal with it. The AK-47 has some variations and it is somewhat adaptable. Many militaries use variants of the AK so it is definitely capable. The AR15, in my opinion is simply MORE adaptable across the board.
Reason 4: The AR-15 is more accurate. I know this will make some eyes roll. This is simply my experience. I have shot and played with many AK’s and I own a few variants myself, they simply do not have the accuracy of ANY of my AR-15 builds. That’s my experience. I am sure someone has a match barrel on some AK that is sub MOA, but that has not been my experience with out of the box AK-47’s. I give this win easily to the AR15.
Reason 5: The AR-15, overall, is more bang for your buck versus an AK-47. All of the reasons above factored in point me to the AR-15 everyday. Do I hate AK-47’s no! We love running them and they’re a solid platform.
At the end of the day, each platform is great. The most important part is training. Whatever platform you choose, choose to be well trained on that platform. If that’s an AR-15, great. If it is an AK, awesome. Get ammo, grab some training aids (like our free paper targets on our site here: https://tatargets.com/paper-targets/) and get to training.
In fact, what are you still doing here?! Get out on the range and run your gun with purpose. See you all in the next one. Oh and subscribe to our YouTube channel. That means the world!
Jared Daub
VP of Design & Marketing
