M16 vs. AK-47 By: Brian Konopka
Ak-47 The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the USSR by Mikhail Kalashnikov. The main advantages of the Kalashnikov rifle are its simple design, fairly compact size, and adaptation to mass production. It is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to clean and maintain. Its ruggedness and reliability are legendary. Used by: Albania, Bangladesh, Buglaria, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Hungary, Iraq, India, Iran, Israel, Finland, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Serbia, South Africa, Sudan, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, and many more. Ak-47 is so well known is part of some country flags.
M16 The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for semi-automatic, three-round burst and full- automatic fire. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. The rifle entered United States Army service and was deployed for jungle warfare operations in South Vietnam in 1963.
Length Ak cm. (34.3 in.) M cm. (39.0 in.0) In close-quarter combat is vital that you have a smaller gun. When your searching a hut in Vietnam, you never know what’s around the corner.
Weight Ak-47 With 30 round magazine 5.22 kg (11.5 lb) Bullet weight 7.9 g M16 With 30 round magazine 3.6 kg (7.9 lb) Bullet weight 3.6 g Walking around on patrol is heavy work, soldiers have to carry over 65 pounds of gear with them, the less weight, the better. Lighter weapon= Happy soldier
Soldiers’ battle stories cont. “Carrying that damn 60 up those hills was a pain in the ass, always having to move through the trees with such a heavy load really takes it out of you. After going back and swapping for that M16A1, these patrols around the village have been so much easier” (Budra 71).
Accuracy Ak-47 At 100 yards 5.9 in (spread) M16 At 100 yards 4.3 in (spread) When your putting fire down range, you want to make sure it’s hitting where you want it too, especially when you have to make every bullet count.
Soldiers’ battle stories “While in the town we where hit by the congs, being low on ammo, I had to make every shot count. I'm glad I had my M16, I can shoot a strand of hair a mile away with that thing” (Budra 93)
Rate of fire Ak rounds/min (600) M rounds/min (700)
Soldiers’ battle stories cont. “Out in the jungle things can get a little scary during the night, especially when you get some contact. Having a rifle that can put down some heavy lead definitely makes a difference during a firefight” (Budra 104) Sometimes putting down lead is the best thing you can do. The point of suppressive fire is to keep the enemy's head down. If he can’t see you, he can’t kill you.
Stopping Power Ak in. through ballistic Gelatin M16 15 in. through ballistic Gelatin When you shoot an enemy, you want to make sure that the round kills him and not have to worry about another shot. General rule of thumb is “Where a rifle lacks in stopping power, it has in accuracy”.
Number of Parts Ak-47 Has 7-12 parts Parts can be found a low prices, over 100 million Ak- 47 sold worldwide M16 Has parts Over 8 million M16’s sold worldwide
Dependability Ak-47 The Ak can be placed in the ground for days at a time and still fire without a single jam It is a simple set up and can easily fixed, it was made to last M16 The M16 has to be constantly cleaned in order to function properly It is state of the art and needs to be cared for….. This is my rifle. There are many like it.... There is a strong connection between a soldier and his rifle
A soldier’s accounts "One of the bulldozers uncovered the decomposing body of an enemy soldier, complete with AK-47. I happened to be standing right there, looking down into the hole and pulled the AK out of the bog. "Watch this, guys," I said, "and I'll show you how a real infantry weapon works." I pulled the bolt back and fired 30 rounds — the AK could have been cleaned that day rather than buried in glug for a year or so. That was the kind of weapon our soldiers needed, not the confidence-sapping M16” (David H. Hackworth)
Rifleman’s Creed “ This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than the enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. My rifle and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit. My rifle is human, even as I am human, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. Before God I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy.”
Rifleman’s Creed (Full Metal Jacket)
Works Cited "Colt M16A1." Colt M16A1. Web. 11 June Budra, Paul Vincent, and Michael Zeitlin. Soldier Talk: The Vietnam War in Oral Narrative. Bloomington: Indiana UP, Print. "The Marine Corps Riflemanâs Creed." The Marine Corps Rifleman's Creed. Web. 11 June "War Stories of Members of the 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry, in Vietnam." War Stories of Members of the 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry, in Vietnam. Web. 11 June "ÐÑиÑиалÑнÑй ÑÐ°Ð¹Ñ Ð³ÑÑÐ¿Ð¿Ñ Ð¿ÑедпÑиÑÑий "ÐÐÐÐШ"" ÐÑиÑиалÑнÑй ÑÐ°Ð¹Ñ Ð³ÑÑÐ¿Ð¿Ñ Ð¿ÑедпÑиÑÑий "ÐÐÐÐШ" Web. 11 June (Russian Site)