AK vs AR – Kalashnikov vs Stoner
There are many controversial subjects that we constantly debate. David Lee Roth vs Sammy Hagar, Chevy vs Ford, and whether or not pineapple belongs on our pizzas. Well, this debate is up there with the other ones. Today at True Shot Academy, we are going to stir the pot and wade into the Kalashnikov vs Stoner debate.
The AK:
The existence of the AK-series of firearms is owed to Mikhail Kalashnikov. Kalashnikov’s original AK-47 set the stage for the development of one of the most prolific firearms designs in the post-World War II era.
The AK is a piston-operated carbine. Put simply, the piston is pushed back by the gasses of a fired cartridge and rides along a recoil spring assembly and is then sent back into battery with the next round. In its base form, an AK-pattern rifle will feature a 16.25” barrel that is often chrome-lined to promote longevity of the bore.
While AK pattern rifles were originally chambered in the Soviet 7.62x39, they eventually would be chambered in other intermediate cartridges such as 5.45x39 and 5.56x45. The platform would later be adapted and modified to accommodate larger calibers such as 7.62x54r, 8mm Mauser, and .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm.
AK pattern rifles commonly come with either stamped or milled receivers. Stamped receivers are essentially stamped and folded steel and are held together by the use of rivets. Milled AK pattern rifles feature a receiver that is machined from a solid piece of steel. In the commercial market, stamped receivers tend to be more common than milled receivers are as stamped rifles tend to demand a lower price than their milled counterparts.
The AR:
The AR-15 design is the brainchild of Eugene Stoner. In the present day, the AR platform can be found in a variety of forms to suit a myriad of wants or needs. Into cloning military service rifles? AR’s can easily be molded into popular clone rifles such as M16 variants or Block II clones. Want to build something simple and clean? You can easily find fixed front sight upper receiver groups and standard lower parts kits. With the AR platform, the possibilities are essentially endless and you truly can
As far as operation goes, the AR platform will typically rely on a direct gas impingement system. Simply put, gasses from a fired cartridge will be pushed through a gas tube that sits above the barrel and aids in cycling the bolt to load and chamber the next round. Piston-operated variants of the AR platform exist in and are available from manufacturers such as Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT) and Primary Weapons Systems (PWS).
The AR platform is also able to accommodate a variety of different calibers, making the platform incredibly versatile. You can stick to the tried and true 5.56x45 round and enjoy the wealth of 5.56x45 and .223 Remington ammunition that you can shoot. Additional cartridges that are compatible with a standard AR receiver set include and are not limited to: .300 Blackout, 7.62x39, 6.5 Grendel, .224 Valkyrie, and 6mm ARC.
The AR-15’s use of separate upper and lower receivers allows for a high degree of customizability. An upper receiver group can be separated from a lower receiver by pushing out the pivot and takedown pins. In addition to making cleaning the system easy, this feature makes it easy for one to put a different upper receiver on their lower. One could own one lower receiver, or rifle, and own multiple upper receivers and effectively swap between rifle setups on the fly. Essentially, this is a way in which someone could own multiple guns in one. Want some magnification? Slap an upper with a magnified optic on your lower. Want something that excels a bit more up close? Throw an upper receiver with a red dot or reflex sight on that lower.
AR receivers are typically found in either forged or billet form, both being constructed from aluminum. Like the name suggests, forged receivers are forged from aluminum while billet receivers are milled from a solid piece of aluminum. Both receiver types are finished and fine tuned with CNC machines. While there generally aren’t any issues combining forged and billet receivers in a build, there can be some differences in tolerances that can lead to some instances of incompatibility. Particularly, some issues can arise when attempting to put certain handguards on billet upper receivers. As always, one should consider compatibility when picking out parts and components for their build.
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AK Pros:
Will handle lower quality ammunition, particularly surplus ammunition and rounds with a lacquer coating better than an AR. The rifles are generally less picky than AR pattern rifles and will usually be able to ignite the harder primers commonly found on Eastern European AK munitions and surplus ammunition in general.
The AK platform is generally more resistant to neglect than the AR platform. Looser tolerances allow the rifle to keep functioning as the action gets fouled up from repeated use.
Extremely user-friendly manual of arms. This is not to say that the AR is difficult by any means, but the simplicity of the AK is one of its greatest strengths. To put simply and crudely, if you want to charge and load the rifle, pull back on the big thing on the right (charging handle) and flip the big lever on the right down (safety lever) and shoot. Again, the manual of arms on an AR-15 is not complicated by any means, but the AK by comparison is much simpler and easier to pick up and use, especially for an inexperienced shooter.
AK Cons:
More difficult to suppress than an AR pattern rifle. AK-pattern rifles are notorious for a general lack of concentricity, making it a challenge to suppress them as there is a high chance of incurring a baffle strike.
While side mount options, railed dust covers, and railed gas tubes exist, the AK platform is not nearly as optics friendly as an AR. Out of the box, most AK rifles will either have to be modified in some way to mount an optic or a compatible side mount will need to be purchased.
Building and working on an AK is not as easy as an AR pattern rifle. While tasks such as swapping muzzle devices, adding optics, or swapping components like handguards or grips can be done with relative ease, some aspects of the AK require special tools and processes to work with. For example, rivets are used heavily in stamped AK rifles and can require special tools and knowledge to work with. While you can buy most of the tools to work on an AR pattern rifle at a big box store, finding the tools to work on an AK are not going to be as common. While skilled AK builders exist and offer their services, the culture of the Average Joe building and working on AK pattern rifles in their garage is simply not as mainstream or accessible as working on an AR pattern rifle. Ultimately, there is a higher barrier of entry which manifests in the form of more specialized tools, knowledge, and skill when it comes to working on an AK.
More proprietary than AR pattern rifles. One has to make sure that parts or components they are considering buying are compatible with their given rifle. For example, some items are compatible with stamped receivers and not milled receivers. AK pattern rifles have been produced by a myriad of different countries in a multitude of different configurations. For example, underfolders and side-folding AK pattern rifles with the folding mechanism built into the receiver are either incompatible with most stock accessories or will only accept a limited number of components. AK style rifles produced by Zastava adhere to Yugo specifications and are incompatible with certain common components as a result. Specifically, Yugo pattern AK pattern rifles will not accept AKM (standard) spec handguards and stock components, making those who wish to customize these features have to seek out compatible parts.
The ammunition commonly used by AK pattern rifles, the 7.62x39 and 5.45x39 cartridges, are also never going to be as plentiful in the United States as the 5.56x45 which commonly feeds AR rifles. Furthermore, the pipeline of 7.62x39 and 5.45x39 seems to constantly be at risk due to multiple sanctions and import restrictions which have accumulated over recent years.
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AR-15 Pros:
Incredibly modular. Can be setup in a variety of ways easily by an end user. AR upper receivers can be easily interchanged between lowers, allowing one to swap between multiple setups on the fly.
User friendly modification. Most major components can be interchanged at home by a relatively inexperienced end user. Tools needed to interact with major and minor components can be acquired from most big box stores that carry firearms and firearm accessories. Tutorials for their use can either be found accompanying tools or easily found by consulting a resource such as YouTube (for now).
Exhaustive number of accessories, parts, and components available for the AR platform. An end user can truly customize and tailor an AR to suit their aesthetic and practical needs.
Can be chambered in a variety of cartridges, allowing one to build or buy a rifle for a wider variety of applications. A wide variety of potential chamberings means that there is also a significant pool of cartridges available to choose from. Some of these rounds are more mainstream than others, all pale in comparison to the 5.56x45, but there are multiple options for each chambering available.
AR-15 Cons:
More ammo sensitive than AK pattern rifles. The rifle was never designed to shoot steel cased and lacquer coated ammunition. Depending on a rifle’s trigger setup, the rifle may have issues igniting certain primers.
More susceptible to neglect than the AK platform and will often require more attention and cleaning. Direct impingement systems tend to run particularly dirty, especially when paired with a suppressor. The dirtier the gun gets, the higher the chance it will become gummed up and need cleaning.
More maintenance is generally required on AR pattern rifles than AK rifles. Simply, an AR features more parts than an AK and thus has a higher chance of failure. There are more “wear” parts on an AR than an AK was well, such as the gas rings in a bolt carrier group. Over time, the gas rings in an AR will wear and need replacement to ensure smooth and optimal operation of the rifle.
The wide variety of parts and components for the platform coupled with how easy they are to work on increases the potential for user error. One must take care when upgrading or building an AR and ensure that what they are intending to do is actually compatible with their setup and particularly their chambering. For example, different chambered barrels will have different thread pitches. A .300 Blackout barrel will feature the common .30 caliber thread pitch of 5/8-24 while 5.56x45 barrels will feature 1/2-28 threads.
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Conclusion:
Both the AK and AR designs are exceptional designs with large followings. The subject of ergonomics was not touched in this piece as this is ultimately subjective and up to the individual shooter. The goal here was mainly to highlight the two popular styles of firearms and present some general pros and cons for your consideration. You will find no shortage of people who prefer one platform over the other while touting their preferred platform’s supremacy. There are certainly some great shooters who can burn it down with either platform. We at True Shot Academy would like you, the reader, to weigh in and let us know which one you all prefer.
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