AK fanbois on suicide watch

[WaffenVW]

Myth busted!





AR for teh win! 

[PJ_Godzilla]

Interesting...

I don't have a dog in this fight, having examples of both in my collection.

There is a big takeaway and an implicit corollary deduction you might be tempted to make

The Big Takeaway: tighter tolerance between bolt and carrier and receiver (or dust shield for those rifles that use such a thing like the FN) are actually better for reliability, since they keep the crap OUT.
The implicit corollary: internally low tolerances tend to be less reliable, especially in a dirtier internal environment.

I say that last because the AR got a rep, in large part because the early Colt models exhibited poor field reliability in service, but also because of the direct impingement system. I note that I have an FN-FAL that has been "accurized" (LaFrance) and it's fussier on ammunition, according to LaFrance "due to the tighter headspacing", so I'm sticking with this corollary.

As for my AR, which is actually a nice Bushie, I've never had so much as a hiccup, but then, it is babied.

As for your subject line, I'm assuming people get really partisan about their AKs and ARs. What a silly waste that is, since it is best to have all of the above.

[Bizman]

By the subject I thought it'd be about Arabian Knights, the squad.

[WaffenVW]

Just a poke at AK guys, nothing serious. I like AKs too, but not with a passion. This was a brutal test and the AK is probably more reliable in a test where only a little crap gets into the action. The early ARs, the Vietnam-era M16A1 got a bad rep because of a number of mistakes, like believing it was a "self cleaning rifle" and not issuing cleaning kits. Soldiers were firing thousands of rounds with no cleaning. That's just not going to work very well. Even more so with the filthy gun powder in use at the time. AK's probably better at surviving that kind of long-time abuse tho.

[Shuffler]

Most folks using AKS carry a towel around with them for cleaning. They conviniently store this on their head for quick access.

[Nathan60]

Most folks using AKS carry a towel around with them for cleaning. They conviniently store this on their head for quick access.

[bustr]

I think Kalashnikov was really aiming at a gun that could be mishandled, use sub par ammo, thrown in a corner and ignored, and forgotten to clean regularly by conscripted undereducated troops. Then still fire when needed. That was his experience coming off the battle fields of WW2. Guys were always amazed they could throw one in a locker then pull it out to plink with a month later, rusty from the humidity, and it would fire and cycle.

I wonder if Kalashnikov was ever forced to soak one in mud and have it cycle by leaders who would have sent him to the uranium mines for making them loose face failing a test like that? 

[WaffenVW]

The guys at Polenar on youtube did a thing where their AK guy and AR guy would swap guns and do some drills. Hilarity and some profanity ensued...

[DaveBB]

M-16 was still jamming and getting Americans killed in Iraq.  Standing order was to not lubricate it before going outside the wire.  Most famous incident was Jessica Lynch's convoy.  M-16s essentially became single shot rifles, failing after each shot.

Piston operated M-16s (HK416) are a different story.  Much more reliable.

[WaffenVW]

They did a dust test also, but not with the AK. Not yet anyway.

[10thmd]

I have personally seen M-4's jam with very small amounts of sand involved.

[DaveBB]

Sand that has the consistency of talcum powder seems to be the worst offender.

[10thmd]

Yup

[WaffenVW]

I'll take your word for it. I'm an H&K guy, I don't bother with complicates gas systems. I'll take a roller delayed blowback over DI or piston gun every time.

[Nefarious]

I'm an AK "fanboi" and a firm believer in the AK platform. However I don't claim it to be any more superior than most any other major platform.

It does what it does and that's good enough for me.