![\"Ak47](\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/AK47-rifle-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAny discussion over which rifle you should keep ready for home defense inevitably boils down to a comparison between the AK-47 vs AR-15.<\/p>\n
These rifles are popular for good reasons. Pick either one to place at your bedside and you\u2019ll be far better prepared for the worst than if you had neither. That said, let\u2019s first go into the histories behind these two trusted rifles.<\/p>\n
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The \u201cAK\u201d in AK-47 stands for \u201cAvtomat Kalashnikova,\u201d a dead giveaway as to its country of origin.<\/p>\n
Mikhail Kalashnikov developed the automatic rifle in the late 1940s. (He also designed the AK-74, which isn\u2019t to be confused with its predecessor.) Kalashnikov conceived the AK-47 while recovering from a wound he received at the Battle of Bryansk during WWII, Kalashnikov attributed his wound in part to the fact that Russian soldiers not only had to share weapons between them, but didn\u2019t even have automatics.<\/p>\n
His solution combined what he identified to be the best features of America\u2019s M1 carbine and Germany\u2019s StG 44. His creation proved exceptionally reliable as well as economical to mass produce. The AK-47 is now the most produced firearm in history, with as many as 150 million having existed at some point. This fact alone is truly a testament to Kalashnikov\u2019s success.<\/p>\n
![\"AR15](\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/AR15-at-ther-ange-1024x651.jpg\")
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The \u201cAR\u201d in AR-15 stands for \u201cArmaLite rifle,\u201d in spite of what some media might lead you to believe. The rifle owes its origin to the aftermath of WWII, when the U.S. military sought a single weapon to replace the M1 Garand, Thompson submachine gun, and other firearms.<\/p>\n
ArmaLite submitted several AR-10 prototypes designed by Eugene Stoner to the military for consideration in 1956, and although the design was innovative and lightweight at 6.85 pounds, the military opted instead in favor of Fabrique Nationale\u2019s T48 (now known as the FAL) chambered in 7.62×51. However, the military learned that the M14 was inferior in multiple aspects to the AK-47 during the Vietnam War, so they soon approved a scaled-down version of the AR-10 for service called the AR-15. Because the AR-15 was chambered for 5.56×45, a smaller cartridge than 7.62×51, soldiers could carry three times more ammunition for it. ArmaLite sold the rights to the AR-15 to Colt in 1959, which manufactures it to this day. Countless other manufacturers offer their own AR-15 style rifles as well.<\/p>\n
To be certain, while both the AK-47 and AR-15 were designed as automatic weapons, they have since been redesigned as semi-automatic weapons for sale to the civilian market. Walk into a gun store and buy either, and you won\u2019t have to worry about ATF throwing smoke grenades through your windows that night. (Some states do restrict the sale of certain types of semi-automatic firearms, though.) That said, while the two types of rifles serve the same purpose, which is rapidly perforating things, they are fairly different from one another.<\/p>\n
Needless to say, you would not want either caliber to hit you. Without getting too bogged down by physics, you can confidently declare the 5.56 is superior in terms of its faster muzzle velocity and flatter trajectory.<\/p>\n The 7.62\u2019s heavier bullet has got greater frontal surface area, however. Thus, its poised inflict more damage by creating a wider wound channel. This effect may be even more exaggerated if you are firing a bullet that expands during penetration. (Do note, \u00a0the extremely modifiable AR-15 may be chambered to fire a great variety of calibers as well. Consider the 5.56×45 simply its default setting.)<\/p>\n The gas-operated AK-47 and the direct impingement AR-15 do perform significantly differently from one another. When you outfit both rifles with 16\u201d barrels, the AK-47 is less accurate. Expect two to five minutes of accuracy with most rigs, as opposed to the AR-15\u2019s one to three.<\/p>\n The AK-47\u2019s effective range is shorter than the AR-15\u2019s, although this will likely not impact your ability to defend yourself. The AK-47 is effective at a range of over 400 yards when fired in a semi-automatic setting, a far greater distance than your assailant is likely to engage you over. In general the AK-47 also generates more recoil, which may impact your ability to accurately direct rapid fire.<\/p>\n![\"AR15](\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/556x45-vs-762x39-1024x366.jpg\" "\\"ar15")
The biggest difference between the two rifles is their ammunition. The AK-47 fires 7.62×39 ammunition<\/a>, while the classic AR-15 is chambered for 5.56<\/a> (and\/or 223 Remington). Generally, the 7.62 fires a 123 grain projectile at 2,350 feet per second. A typical 5.56×45 fires a 55 grain projectile at 3,000 feet per second.<\/p>\nAccuracy<\/h4>\n
Effective Range<\/h4>\n
Reliability<\/h4>\n