AK 47 or AK 74???

[Horse]

5.45 is the way to roll IMHO

 

[RealtorWhoCarries]

Get both, 47 as your go to gun and the 74 to train with. Soak it when you are done and clean it twice, you have to remove the muzzle break and clean it well.

It will rust overnight, salts in primers.

Thanks Sailor..a couple of questions...Why train with the 74 and and go to with the 47???Just curious as to your reasoning. Also, what do you mean "soak"..and in what, for how long??? What is muzzle break? Thanks so much for taking the time to field these questions..

 

[arsenal69]

nevr shot an 74 but, I have a AK-47 and it is one bad ass gun I think you would be very happy with it

 

[windellmc]

I think training with what you will use is a much better idea. I have never shot a 47 but I have heard it has more recoil than the 74. I know the 74 is fairly light on recoil.

If you are buying non corrosive ammo, either costs the same. In fact even steel cased .223 costs about the same as 5.45 or 7.62x39.

7.62 is supposed to go through barriers better but 5.45 is flatter shooting and lower recoil.

If SHTF parts and ammo availability is your primary concern you need a good AR. You should also have all the ammo you think you will need before SHTF because any caliber will probably be hard to come by in that situation. Keep in mind that the US military and law enforcement has lots of 5.56 and 9mm ammo stored around the country. You can also work on an AR with relatively simple tools.

 

[RealtorWhoCarries]

Great information. Thanks to you all!

 

[alan robert]

You can buy both an lower end AK47 and AK74 together for around a $1000. So buy one of each and shoot both. Sell what you don't like. lol

Either AK and surplus ammo will produce all of the close range combat accuracy and reliability a person would need. Past the practical lethality range for an intermediate cartridge, you will need to go to something that has more long range punch and accuracy.

The AK is a very reliable bare bones fighting carbine. Some people are really good with shooting the AK for accuracy, some not so much.

If you need a peep sight to be a good shooter, then you are going to have problems with the open blade AK sights.

If you like the AR platform and want to shoot the AK74 and AK47 rounds, there are some reliable DI and Piston action AR uppers currently for sale that shoot these rounds.

Adam Arms, S&W, Black Rifle Arms, Huldra Arms, Bushmaster, DPMS, Colt, and Model 1 Sales to name a few.

Whatever direction you go, stock up on a little extra ammo, it couldn't hurt. The surplus ammo reliability varies, but usually will go bang and has all the combat accuracy needed.

The AK will produce better accuracy with quality ammo. But that kind of defeats the concept of the AK platform, cheap to buy and feed, doesn't it?

Don't look too or rely on the government for ammo restocking or scrounging. Katrina was a good example, what they think of the private citizen being armed.

Have fun and good luck in your choice.

 

[windellmc]

I the SHTF I assume the gov't will be ineffective or non existant. There will be a lot more 5.56 laying on the ground than 7.62.

A muzzle brake is the attachment on the end of the barrel. An Ak74 style brake helps a lot with muzzle rise with the 5.45 and 7.62 rounds.

 

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

Go with the AK-74. They are generally built very well and usually cost the same price as a WASR. A really good AK will run you around $700. A good AK-74 like the Tantal will cost $450-$550. Surplus ammo for the 74 is available and Tula still manufactures it.

 

[windellmc]

If you are going to run surplus ammo which is all corrosive I would get something with a chrome-lined barrel. The $500 AK-74s do not have chrome-lined barrels.

 

[Lead Head]

Thank you all for the great input. you say in a shtf situation, that both calibers will dry up, but isn't the 47 round stocked in gun shops more than the 74? Thanks again, this is great stuff.

Yes this is true because of AK47 popularity due to length of time in use. The AK74 is still somewhat new to the US market compared to the 47 but the 74 is in full military use in Russian and some adjacent areas.

AK74 ammo is a click away on the net in single box, quantity discounts or spam can and only a few days away. Do a search on INGO or the web. There are at least 6 suppliers worth mentioning and probably many more.

I'm also with some of the other posters. Buy both and then decide. They will only go up in resale value.

 

[SERVED_USMC]

I love my 74. I only own 1 AK and dont plan on acquiring more. I will keep this one around for a while though. It cheap to feed and tons of fun to shoot. I need to replace the stock though. It sucks big time. Horrible cheek weld and its to skinny. Also going to pick up a MI rail for it one of these days.

 

[gunowner930]

Both are outstanding rifles. The 7.62x39 will provide more hard target penetration than the 5.45x39. However, let's not pretend that the 7.62x39 is some anti-tank cartridge. The 5.45x39 will drop attackers just fine, and is similiar to the 5.56x45 in ballistics. Take your pick, I'd prefer the 74, but you can't make a wrong choice here.

 

[tradertator]

I have and love both. My current 47 is a Polytech Spiker, and my 74 is an Arsenal SGL31-62. Of the 2, my 74 gets shot 10 times as much. The spam can surplus ammo is dirt cheap, and I don't mind cleaning the rifle after I'm done with it. The last couple of 1100 round cans I bought were $110 a piece. Good luck finding some 7.62X39 for that price.

 

[MilitaryArms]

I love them both, but my favorite is the 74 by a considerable margin.

 

[Spyke05]

This sir is great gotta love Sam Jackson!

"When you absolutely, positively got to kill every mothertrucker in the room...AK47, there is no substitute"

Samuel L. Jackson

 

[40calPUNISHER]

I the SHTF I assume the gov't will be ineffective or non existant. There will be a lot more 5.56 laying on the ground than 7.62.

A muzzle brake is the attachment on the end of the barrel. An Ak74 style brake helps a lot with muzzle rise with the 5.45 and 7.62 rounds.

If there is 5.56 ammo laying around there might be some ARs laying around too....

 

[RealtorWhoCarries]

If there is 5.56 ammo laying around there might be some ARs laying around too....

I hear you. i think they are saying due to the wide use of Law Enforcement and the like.

 

[windellmc]

If there is 5.56 ammo laying around there might be some ARs laying around too....

That is probably true.