So the AK-47 is pre-historic and outdated for battle?

[Springfield 1911]

I love my Saiga .308 and my AR's. I have to say though that the Saiga has had a malfunction, I have had one stovepipe, I think it was probably the ammo. I was shooting that surplus stuff in the green plastic bag. I have yet to have a malfuntion in any of my AR's, granted they only get handloads, and trust my life to them.

 

[Jled]

This was probably talked about ad nauseum, but here it goes:

The AK-47 was replaced in 1959 by the AKM, a lighter more updated design...this is the version of an AK-47 that 99% of us have in mind when we think of them (nevermind that most Aks around were probably made by a country other than Russia).

The AK-74 replaced the AKM in 1978 after the soviets saw how effective a small diameter bullet and high velocity could be and how it could tumble and cause massive damage upon impact in a body. Apparntly they paid attention to the Vietnam war and improved upon stoners ammo design. Also the lighter round eased soldiers burden in carrying ammo around. The main battle rifle of the Russian military is now the AK-74M, an updated version with synthetic stock and rails for optics and grenade launchers.

Russian spetznaz troops are also issued the AK-103 which is a modern version of the AK-74 chambered in 7.62x39 and the AK-105 which is essentially a carbine version of the AK-74M ( think M4 versus M16). The AN-94 is a completely different and freaking cool rifle that is used in small numbers by select units and is pretty much unique except for outward physical resemblances to the Kalashnikov family.

All this to say that yes, the AK-47 is completely outdated for battle. Any AK-47 is over 50 years old and based off a design from essentially world war 2. To be fair, the original M16 is also completely outdated for battle but it's children and grandchildren still kick butt everyday for our troops. The AK family is undoubtably neck and neck with the M16 family for greatest gun of all time. With a modern version of each rifle, I don't see how you could go wrong for 95% of actual combat situations.

 

[Fatal_Bert]