is it because of their opposition to the soviets during the cold war? the US military wanted to have a rifle of their own?
ok i apologize, the ak47 is not better
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March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
The simple answer is that Kalashnikov’s (AK-47, AKM, AK-74 ect) are not better than M-16a2′s, M-16a4′s, or M-4′s.
Kalashnikov’s are reliable that part is true, they are also reliably inaccurate. They fire the 7.62x39mm round which does have more knockdown power, however due to the weight of the rounds an individual soldier can carry less ammo. So not only are they inaccurate, you cannot carry as many rounds in addition to the weapons themselves being much heavier. They are extremely inaccurate during fully automatic fire, and have a very high climb rate.
Kalashnikov’s start to over heat after about 30 rounds.
The M-16a4, and M-4 fire the 5.56mm round. You can carry more ammo, as well as the round itself and the weapon themselves being much more accurate and controllable during automatic or burst fire. The 5.56mm round while having not as much knockdown power as the 7.62x39mm is much more lethal. The 5.56mm round rips into its target and "tumbles" causing massive internal damage. The point being is that if your shot by a 5.56mm round it might not knock you down but chances are you will die from it much more so than the 7.62x39mm which generally gives a through and through wound.
The M-16a4, and M-4 are lighter weapons which include a rail system for attachments making them fully customizable for given tactical situations and conditions, unlike Kalashnikov’s.
So with the M-16a4, and M-4 you have a lighter weapon that is customizable. You have a weapon that is more accurate. You have a weapon where the soldier can carry more ammunition. You have a weapon that fires a more lethal round.
I never had reliability issues with the M-16. Reliability issues can be overcome with proper preventive maintenance, and cleaning.
The M-16a4, and M-4 are just miles above Kalashnikov’s.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Who said the AK47 is better?? Cheaper maybe, but not better.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Different guns are better for different things. The AK47 doesn’t fit what the military needs in a gun.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
The AK-47 is not a better assault rifle than the M16 or the M4. Both are far more accurate at longer ranges than the AK and have faster rates of fire. The main advantage of the AK is due to it’s simplicity it is easy to maintain and almost never jams.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
It is not better.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
It’s not better. It’s heavier, takes a heavier round, so less ammo can be carried, and is far less accurate.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
ok although the ak is more reliable and can handle worse conditions and are cheaper to make the problem you run into with them is that they arent very accurate and the m16/m4 are way more accurate so it comes down to a question of a weapon that fires more and can handle more crap or a weapon that you have to take care of but can reach out and touch somebody…i stick with what i got
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
I have no idea which weapon is better, (and don’t care), but I do know that US business will not tolerate a multimillion dollar contract going overseas if there’s a US-made alternative. That’s why they call it "the military-industrial complex."
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
As many have said before, the AK47 is definetly not better. It sucks and the m4(which is a smaller version of the m16) is much better.
I am glad we don’t use that thing.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
The reason people say the AK is better than the M-16 is probably because the M-16 was fairly untested when it was first introduced in vietnam. In those conditions, the AK fared better than the M-16. The AK had a "loose" construction, so moisure and debris that entered the rifle would not cause as many jams.
Over the years, the M-16 has been vastly improved. The M-4 has replaced it in a lot of situations due to the lighter weight and reduced size. Any reliability advantage the AK once had has been lost.
However, in certain areas, not everyone has a rifle, so US troops have been known to use AKs. A friend of mine who served on a tank crew said that they had 2 rifles for the 4 of them, (the other two had a sidearm) so they kept 2 AKs with them for emergencies.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
I carried an AK for a friend of mine in the Macedonian army, in iraq, while he was on leave. I got to carry that heavy ass weapon for 2 weeks and was glad to be rid of it. It is inaccurate, more of the pray and spray type of weapon.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
I have fired both and far prefer the M16A2. Never fired the M4, but would like to. Being able to reliably hit a man-sized target at 600 yards 10 times out of 10 is no small task, one the AK47 is not up to. "Pray and spray." I like that. More suited for terrorists and forces who can’t take the time to train properly.
I wish the comment about not tolerating contracts going overseas due to the military industrial complex were actually true. The Air Force is going against tradition and common sense by sending our tax dollars to France and Airbus for their new tankers. Boeing is appealing this decision because of back room dealing on McCain’s part. They didn’t appeal the decision when they lost the fighter contract, because that was fair play. This time it is not and the American people are being sold down the river.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
The AK47 is less accurate, and the US military wants accurate guns like the M16 and M4
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Ak47 isn’t better, just requires less maintenance.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
the m16 is more accurate and at long range against an AK, it would be the victor.