The AK-47 and the M16 are the two most common assault rifles in the world. They are the ultimate competitors, and they are so different that gun enthusiasts generally love one or the other. These cold war era rifles have faced each other in nearly all conflicts since the 1960’s, and they have been the subject of countless comparisons and endless debates ever since.
The Ak-47 was finalised and entered service in the Soviet army in the early 1950’s. Its firepower, ease of use, low production costs, and reliability were perfectly suited for the Soviet military. Today, more AK-style weapons have been produced than all other assault rifles combined.
The M16 entered the United States service in the mid 1960’s. Despite its early failures, it proved to be a revolutionary design and stands as the longest continuously serving rifle in American military history. Today, many small arms experts consider the M16 as the standard to which all other assault rifles should be judged.
Ak-47 & Modern AKM
M16 & Modern M4
Efficiency
The M16/AR-15 series is considered the finest human engineered rifle series in the world. The M16 is effectively superior than the Ak-47 in most respects.
Magazine changes - getting the M16 back into action is much faster than the AK-47. This is due to the M16’s perfectly positioned magazine release catch and bolt release catch, as well as the flared magazine housing for fast magazine insertions. Also the M16’s ability to simply insert the magazine is far easier than the Ak-47’s “rock & lock” method required. It is also slightly easier for an M16 user to keep his weapon on aim during the reloading process than it is with an Ak-47, due to its reduced weight.
Safety - the M16 has a well designed safety lever located on the left side of the weapon that is easily manipulated by the firers thumb while maintaining a strong hold on the pistol grip. The Ak-47 has a large safety lever on the right hand side which is slow, uncomfortable, and often stiff to operate. This safety makes a loud and noticeable click when disengaged, but then again with practice the operator can become extremely efficient with the Ak-47 safety lever.
Trigger - while the M16 comes standard with a 7lbs trigger, it is still consistent and smooth enough, and can be replaced with a much better option. The Ak-47 has an unpleasant and often painful trigger slap, as well as an unpredictable length of pull, which is yet another disadvantage to the Ak when trying to engage accurately beyond close quarters.
Recoil
The M16 has a direct impingement gas operated system (as standard), straight-line recoil design, and smaller calibre, which results in far less recoil than that given by the Ak. This improves accuracy and makes the M16 far easier to control in fully-automatic fire.
M16 - the M16’s straight-line recoil design which has the recoil spring located in the stock directly behind the action, serves as a dual function of operating spring and recoil buffer. The stock is in line with the bore, which also reduces muzzle rise, especially during automatic fire. The recoil does not really shift the rifles point of aim, which allows for faster follow-up shots and reduced fatigue to the firer. Newer M16 flash-suppressors also act as compensators further reducing recoil.
Ak-47 - the Ak-47 has a long-stroke gas piston system, which is mechanically fixed to the bolt group and moves through the entire operating cycle. This causes a large disruption to the point of aim due to the centre of mass changing as well as the sudden, violent stops at the beginning and end of the bolt carrier travel. However the heavier weight and slower rate of fire makes the rifle far less likely to encounter stoppages. Newer Ak-47 type rifles can accommodate compensators and vertical down-grips to reduce recoil and improve handling, as well as allow the stock to be more in line with the rifles bore.
New Ak Variants (above):
1. Compensator | 2. Upgraded Optics (side scope mount) | 3. Telescopic Stock | 4. Downgrip | 5. Picatinny Rail
Range & Accuracy
M16 - the M16’s lighter, higher-velocity cartridge has much better range and accuracy than the Ak-47’s cartridge. The M16 has a reputation for excellent accuracy, and its flat trajectory allows skilled shooters to take headshots out to 300m. Newer M16/AR-15 rifles that have twist rates capable of firing heavier bullets accurately, are cable of achieving very accurate groupings. A standard M16 can expect to achieve 1-3inch groupings at 100m. With newer rifles and ammunition development, testing has shown that it is possible to achieve a 95% success rate when engaging 20cmx20cm targets out to 600m, provided the marksman is capable of achieving this level of accuracy.
Ak-47 - the Ak has always been thought of as a good enough weapon to engage targets out to 300m. During tests, expert shooters firing from the prone or bench rest, have difficulty putting ten consecutive rounds onto a man sized target at 300m. No matter what changes or upgrades are made to the rifle, accuracy will not improve because it is too sloppy of a rifle. The newer stamped steel receiver AKM models are even less accurate than the original Ak-47. The Ak-47 is generally capable of achieving 3-5inch groupings at 100m, and the newer stamped AKM’s (which are more rugged and hard wearing) are capable of achieving 4-6inch groups at 100m.
Reliability
Ak-47 - the Ak-47 has a reputation for being extremely rugged and reliable. It uses a long-stroke gas piston system, which allows the rifles excess (dirty) gas to escape without affecting the action. It is built with generous clearances (low tolerances) allowing the weapon to function easily when it is dirty with little or even no maintenance. This makes it very reliable, but is also the reason for the rifles lack in precision.
M16 - the M16 has always had a reputation for poor reliability, although it has greatly improved since the early design. It uses a direct impingement gas operating system which is much lighter and more compact than the gas-piston design. The downside is that this design requires the combustion byproducts from the discharged cartridge to be blown into the receiver. This accumulating carbon and fouling build-up within the receiver and bolt-carrier negatively affects reliability and requires intensive maintenance. Also the intense heat caused by these gases burns off essential lubricants on the rifles cartridges, which means that the weapon must be well lubricated before firing otherwise the rifle is likely to encounter a stoppage. More expensive AR15 models offer short-stroke piston systems, which are more reliable.
Ammunition
The Ak-47’s heavier 7.62x39mm cartridge has much better penetration than the M16’s lighter, higher velocity (faster) 5.56x45mm ammunition. However, the M16’s ammo has the ability to fragment upon impact which causes far more damage internally than the Ak’s bullet, especially if the bullet does not pass through a vital organ or the Central Nervous System. Due to the weight reduction of the 5.56mm, an 8-man team equipped with M16’s is capable of carrying the same firepower as an 11-man team equipped with Ak’s.
5.56x45mm NATO
This remarkable bullet is designed to yaw (tumble) and fragment into many pieces of various sizes upon impact. When the bullet strikes the CNS or other vital organs, incapacitation occurs. If vital organs are missed due to poor shot placement, hydrostatic shock will still generally result due to the severe tumbling and fragmentation of the bullet inside the body.
Light 55-grain (M193) ammo, when fired from the M16’s original 20-inch barrel at ranges up to 100m, will experience this excessive tumbling and fragmenting effect, causing wounds far greater than you would expect. These wounds are more devastating than those caused by the Ak-47, and are often considered inhumane.
The fragmentation and tumbling reduces when the bullets velocity reduces (in shorter barrelled AR’s or at longer ranges). At ranges beyond 200m, and when impact velocities are below 762mps (2500fps), the bullets lethality becomes dependant on shot placement, as the bullets failure to yaw and fragment causes fairly insignificant wounds when passing through non-vital areas of the body even when JHP are used.
Heavier bullets such as the 62-grain (NATO SS109/USM855), produce better long range performance and improved penetration especially when used in rifles with shorter barrels and faster twist rates, such as the 1:9-inch twist. The bullets are however less likely to fragment, and are less effective unless correct shot placement is achieved. The 62-grain lead core armour piercing bullet can penetrate 38-51cm of soft tissue, and up to 12mm of steel from 100m.
The 77-grain OTM (Mk262) bullet was designed for shorter barrels such as the M4 carbine, which has a faster twist rate. This bullet makes up for the lost velocity and inability for lighter bullets to yaw and fragment when fired from shorter barrels. The 77-grain Match bullet is heavy, yet lightly constructed, so it is able to fragment more violently at short ranges as well as longer ranges. It will also greatly increase accuracy in short barrel AR-15’s. The only downside is that it is far more expensive.
When using short barrelled AR’s with a suppressor fitted, keep in mind that if the rifle does not have an adjustable gas regulator/port, the rifle will require a large, heavy suppressor otherwise the faster cycling of the working parts will cause feeding issues.
The 5.56x45mm round is often thought of as ineffective and unsuitable for killing, but this is only a direct result of insufficient training and poor shot placement, often caused by errors in wind estimation, target lead, firing position, and stress under fire. These problems can all be resolved through proper training, and the 5.56mm bullet can become an extremely lethal, lightweight, and long range projectile.
Image 1, Muzzle Velocity AR15 | Image 2, Cartridge Comparison | Image 3, 7.62mm Left & 5.56mm Right
7.62x39mm Russian
The 7.62x39mm Russian Short bullet was designed for WW2 and first used in the RPD machine gun. The bullet functions in cold polar to hot tropical conditions between -50 to 50 degrees celsius It does not fragment and rarely tumbles in soft tissue, which means the damage caused is literally that of the bullet’s path. The bullet can pencil through tissue with relatively little injury except that of the permanent cavity (provided it does not strike any vital areas). However, if tumbling does take place due to deflection from bone or other objects, the wounding effect will be significant.
The 123-grain M43 boat-tail bullet has a copper plated steel jacket (bi-metal, which wears out rifling faster than copper only) with a lead and soft steel core. It most often comes in a steel casing which is prone to rust and degrades the barrels throat faster than brass. It does also come in brass casings. The case is very tapered, hence the distinctively curved Ak-47 magazine. This taper makes feeding and extraction very easy. The bullet has little wounding capacity compared to the 5.56x45mm bullet, and yawing only takes place after passing 26cm of tissue. This greatly reduces the wounding effects agains humans, and wounds are often comparable to small handgun FMJ bullets. Unless they hit a vital organ or the CNS, the injuries are often non-fatal, small, and quick to heal.
The 123-grain M67 is a newer design, which has superior wounding ability, speed, and accuracy than the M43. In this design the mild steel core has been removed, which shifts the bullets centre of gravity rearwards and allows the bullet to yaw after entering 9cm of soft tissue, instead of 26cm. This allows for greater wound cavities, and in the event where the cavity intersects with the skin at the exit area, a large exit wound is created which takes longer to heal. The damage potential of the M67 is still however limited to the small permanent cavity that the bullet makes itself.
The projectile has a far greater penetration capability than the 5.56mm especially when when shooting through objects such as trees, walls, or vehicles. Civilians often like the 7.62x39mm cartridge because plenty of military surplus ammo is available at a fairly low cost. Civilian cartridges are available in FMJ, SP, and HP
M16 - Conclusion
Considered as the finest human engineered rifle series in the world.
Expensive to buy, especially when buying short-stroke piston systems.
The rifle requires high maintenance and must be very well lubricated yet clean, especially when operating in dirty environments.
Very easy to control and operate, yet more complex to strip and assemble in field conditions.
It is only 2/3 of the weight of the Ak, and bullets are lighter also, allowing you to carry much more ammunition.
Very accurate weapon system made with high tolerances, and can accurately engage targets 3 times further than the Ak.
Good quality, high-tech peep sight system.
55-grain bullets when fired through the 20-inch barrel deals more damage than the Ak round, however, penetration is poor if your target is hiding behind obstacles.
Intended for use as single-shot precision rifle, with a fully-automatic capability. Safe - semi-auto - full-auto.
The M16 is a precision instrument intended for use by professional soldiers.
Ak-47 - Conclusion
As the M16’s arch rival, the Ak-47 is the ultimate bad guy gun.
It is cheap to buy, but also made cheaply.
It is simple and very reliable. The rifle can still fire without any problems even when not maintained.
Very easy to operate, and easy to strip and assemble in field conditions.
It is heavy, which means firers will fatigue quicker, and soldiers must carry less ammunition than those with and M16. However, on the plus side, this added weight is far more suitable when the rifle is used as a weapon to strike the enemy during hand to hand combat.
It is great for close quarters and dirty jungle environments, but accuracy is poor beyond 200m. The rifle’s strengths in CQB became apparent in Vietnam against the M16.
Has a low-tech, open iron sight system.
Greater penetration when shooting at targets through objects such as trees, walls, or vehicles.
Intended for use as an automatic weapon, with a semi-automatic capability. Safe - Fully Auto - Semi-auto.
The Ak-47 is more suitable for the untrained individual.
