Des' Firearm Thread
- Thread starter Desdichado
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M
And you held the only form of freedom that is available to men in this world ..the right to self-defense and to bear arms has made America the greatest nation in world history... The Japanese talked about an invasion of the American mainland and said it would be utterly impossible because a rifle would be behind every blade of grass.
So this thread seems like the appropriate place to pose this question. Eventually, I'm going to be in the market for an AR-15 and/or AK-47 model but I have no clue as to who makes the best bangs for the buck. If Ruger just made every gun in the world, things would be so simple. I'm not a HUGE gun nut so I'm not looking to invest a house into a gun, but I am looking for a really fair shooting, reliable make.
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
If you are looking for accuracy then the AR is the obvious choice.
If you are looking for ultra reliability and rounds down range then the AK has proven itself to be that.
Depends on what you want it for. Close quarters. The AK may be the better choice. If you want to shoot prarie dogs or varmints then the AR would be the rifle of choice.
Maybe you should get one of each and see which you like best. Then sell the other one if you need to. That would never work for me because somehow I can't seem to sell guns, only buy them...
As far as brands go... You usually get what you pay for. The higher priced brands are usually the higher quality ones.
If it were me I would get a Colt AR.
If you are looking for ultra reliability and rounds down range then the AK has proven itself to be that.
Depends on what you want it for. Close quarters. The AK may be the better choice. If you want to shoot prarie dogs or varmints then the AR would be the rifle of choice.
Maybe you should get one of each and see which you like best. Then sell the other one if you need to. That would never work for me because somehow I can't seem to sell guns, only buy them...
As far as brands go... You usually get what you pay for. The higher priced brands are usually the higher quality ones.
If it were me I would get a Colt AR.
My advice for an autoloading rifle would be not to pidgeon-hole yourself into an AR or AK platform. There are other fine, versatile autoloading rifles out there which do the same job pretty darn well.
Personally? I chose an AR for multiple reasons.
1. Familiarity and ergonomics. I've fired both guns before, but found the AR is simply a better shooter. That may not be true for you, but I think it is true for most people given all the grips and rails out there. The only way you can really figure that out is by heading to the range.
2. A related point, but aftermarket parts and spare parts. The AR-15 is ubiquitous right now, so it's easy replace and upgrade pretty much everything on the weapon. I'm not the type who dresses these things up like a Christmas tree. Changing the type of ammo you can fire is easy albeit expensive. If you want to replace the common 5.56 with an obscure 100 grain Swine Smasher, go ahead!
3. The 5.56 (most common AR ammo) is so common that I'm sure if you looked hard enough, you could find it at Walgreens. It's also pretty affordable. I had heard from a fairly credible source that typical AK rounds are less expensive, but ammo prices do fluctuate and I've only seen cheaper 5.56. That's something I would look into locally.
4. The AR platform isn't as inherently reliable as the AK, but modern technology has caught up. You can beat up a Daniel Defense AR like and AK and they'll still go bang unless you use them both as a fancy urinal.
5. Some inherent advantages in accuracy. I would personally trust the AR more at, say, 200 yards, but I think it might have to do with the sights I was using on the AK. People who swear by the AK (better shooters than me), tell me that if the AK won't hit it at semi-auto, then you should've brought something designed for sniper use...or call in an airstrike.
AK Advantages
1. They are generally more affordable and the price differences between low-end to high-end are pretty low. You can only improve an AK so much before the changes become superfluous. I'd trust my life with a $300 AK. I would trade an identically priced AR for a Remington 870.
2. AKs are way easier to clean. Unless Gaston Glock is tinkering with a new rifle right now, I don't think that would change anytime soon. The AR-15 isn't extremely difficult to clean, but if you are in some horrifying situation where you have to field strip in the dark, you'll wish you had an AK.
Lightning Round
1. If I had to choose between the AK-47 with the AK-74, I'd choose the 74. If it's good enough for the Spetsnaz, it's good enough for Des.
2. K, Ruger guy. Ruger does make an AR-15 model. If you like Ruger that much, though I strongly suggest you check out the Mini-14. It's a really neat rifle. It's chambered in the same round as most AR-15's, and has 20 and 30 round mags available. Sweet shooter.
Hope this helps! Either way, there is no substitute for going to the range and taking a crack at 'em yourself.
Personally? I chose an AR for multiple reasons.
1. Familiarity and ergonomics. I've fired both guns before, but found the AR is simply a better shooter. That may not be true for you, but I think it is true for most people given all the grips and rails out there. The only way you can really figure that out is by heading to the range.
2. A related point, but aftermarket parts and spare parts. The AR-15 is ubiquitous right now, so it's easy replace and upgrade pretty much everything on the weapon. I'm not the type who dresses these things up like a Christmas tree. Changing the type of ammo you can fire is easy albeit expensive. If you want to replace the common 5.56 with an obscure 100 grain Swine Smasher, go ahead!
3. The 5.56 (most common AR ammo) is so common that I'm sure if you looked hard enough, you could find it at Walgreens. It's also pretty affordable. I had heard from a fairly credible source that typical AK rounds are less expensive, but ammo prices do fluctuate and I've only seen cheaper 5.56. That's something I would look into locally.
4. The AR platform isn't as inherently reliable as the AK, but modern technology has caught up. You can beat up a Daniel Defense AR like and AK and they'll still go bang unless you use them both as a fancy urinal.
5. Some inherent advantages in accuracy. I would personally trust the AR more at, say, 200 yards, but I think it might have to do with the sights I was using on the AK. People who swear by the AK (better shooters than me), tell me that if the AK won't hit it at semi-auto, then you should've brought something designed for sniper use...or call in an airstrike.
AK Advantages
1. They are generally more affordable and the price differences between low-end to high-end are pretty low. You can only improve an AK so much before the changes become superfluous. I'd trust my life with a $300 AK. I would trade an identically priced AR for a Remington 870.
2. AKs are way easier to clean. Unless Gaston Glock is tinkering with a new rifle right now, I don't think that would change anytime soon. The AR-15 isn't extremely difficult to clean, but if you are in some horrifying situation where you have to field strip in the dark, you'll wish you had an AK.
Lightning Round
1. If I had to choose between the AK-47 with the AK-74, I'd choose the 74. If it's good enough for the Spetsnaz, it's good enough for Des.
2. K, Ruger guy. Ruger does make an AR-15 model. If you like Ruger that much, though I strongly suggest you check out the Mini-14. It's a really neat rifle. It's chambered in the same round as most AR-15's, and has 20 and 30 round mags available. Sweet shooter.
Hope this helps! Either way, there is no substitute for going to the range and taking a crack at 'em yourself.
My hot weather gun/holster is a Taurus TCP in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster.
My cooler weather (more clothes) gun/holster is a Taurus PT111 G2, in a Tagua Gunleather OWB holster... I forget the model... maybe "fast draw" or something like that.
Somehow, I've inadvertently/unintentionally become a walking Taurus advertisement. I have a 24/7 in 45 acp, plus the two mentioned here... used to have a stainless Mod 85, until I foolishly shot someone else's reloads in it.
Anyway.... check out Alien Gear holsters. Great product, great price, great customer service. I bought one of their IWB holsters for the PT111, before I found out none of my pants are, um, the right size for me to get a handgun in them. Hence the Tagua...
My cooler weather (more clothes) gun/holster is a Taurus PT111 G2, in a Tagua Gunleather OWB holster... I forget the model... maybe "fast draw" or something like that.
Somehow, I've inadvertently/unintentionally become a walking Taurus advertisement. I have a 24/7 in 45 acp, plus the two mentioned here... used to have a stainless Mod 85, until I foolishly shot someone else's reloads in it.
Anyway.... check out Alien Gear holsters. Great product, great price, great customer service. I bought one of their IWB holsters for the PT111, before I found out none of my pants are, um, the right size for me to get a handgun in them. Hence the Tagua...