Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

I've been considering getting either an AK or an AR-10. I'm not really that into black rifles and assault weapons, but I've got two .223s and a .50 cal. Beowulf on the AR frame but nothing in a .308; and I figure I ought to have either an AK or an AR-10. I don't have any strong opinions on this, but am inclined toward buying a new rifle.

I'm wondering what the rest of you wild-eyed gun crazies think about it. Any advice?

Come over to the dark side

My favorite:

The tragedy is that you want to choose one over the other.

ShotgunBlast wrote:The tragedy is that you want to choose one over the other.

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I'm actually leaning toward the AK based upon the recoil of the .50 Beowulf. I know a 7.62x39 isn't as big a slug (I guess it does have a lot more velocity than the .50B), but I still tend to think an AR buttstock is not the best way to transfer the recoil of a 7.62x39 to what I increasingly think of as my frail and aged shoulder.

dorminWS wrote:

ShotgunBlast wrote:The tragedy is that you want to choose one over the other.

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I'm actually leaning toward the AK based upon the recoil of the .50 Beowulf. I know a 7.62x39 isn't as big a slug (I guess it does have a lot more velocity than the .50B), but I still tend to think an AR buttstock is not the best way to transfer the recoil of a 7.62x39 to what I increasingly think of as my frail and aged shoulder.

AKs fire a slug about twice as heavy as an AR at about 2/3 speed so the recoil is a little more. AK buttstocks were made for short people (so it seems) and don't have a large surface area to spread the recoil. Given your penchant for owning 1911s, I don't know that you would really appreciate the stamped steel wonder. As for an AR10 type rifle, it would have more recoil than the AK, but if you got it in .243 instead of .308, you would definitely have a better rifle than an AK for both accuracy and power with reasonable recoil to boot.

Have you looked at something like the M1As?

Jakeiscrazy wrote:Have you looked at something like the M1As?

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I've got an M1-A. Just figured I oughta have a "nasty black rifle" in .308. "Cause..... well, ...........'cause I ain't got one. And I do kinda like the looks of the Arsenal SA-M7 Classic with the wood furniture. I could also live with the 7-S with the nastier, blacker stock. Studying on it ...........

Dormin, hard to go wrong with a Kalishnikov if you don't already have one. The AK platform brings a lot to the table, reliability, decent accuracy, and above all- it is cheap to shoot in comparison to an AR-10. The AK has a lot going for it, it is the combination of a Remington, Garand, and German MP-43, all rolled together and in typical Communist fashion, it is cheapened.
The magazines are common, inexpensive, and easy to come by, whereas there is no 'standard AR-10' magazine, DPMS, Armalite, RA etc use different magazines and there are small differences in parts, where as the AK can swap mags and all parts, save for the differences between milled and stamped here and there.
The AR-10 platform from any manufacturer is a great long range dependable platform, but the cost only starts with the rifle, by the time you add optics, collect some magazines, buy it ammo.........the gap widens fast.
The AK is best suited to it's rudimentary iron sights, and is as useable as anything right out of it's shipped box. AKs also can be repaired. As in- weld it up, file it, improvise pins and springs etc. The AR-10 however, is a swap parts until it is right, lot less wiggle room for the future concerning parts availability and repair.
I love both, for a host of different reasons, but off the top of my head between the two- AK...... Or both!
Hope you like the Beowulf- I got 3 and they are a hoot. Recoil thankfully is nothing remotley close to that of the AK.
Let us know what you decide, and remember- this was a solicited opinion

@ Jacob:
I truly do appreciate the input. My pet FFL tells me all his sources are out of stock on the Arsemal AK.

Unfortunately, right now, either or may be difficult to come by, especially at an uninflated price. Good luck though, patience pays in this business/hobby. One will turn up, I waited 15 years to find one of my rifles, in the caliber, condition and price that I wanted!