Originally posted by Bejean:
ah...the great AK47 vs M16 debate or 7.62mm vs 5.56mm debate huh...
AK47 is a solid durable weapon but try carry it, its much heavier and cumbersome than M16.
7.62mm has great penetration power, true about it able to go through trees but how many rounds can a trooper carry before overloaded? 5.56mm is great for certain jobs also.
I believe it is a matter of compromise.
I agree completely with what you've said about "compromise". Although "ultimax100" put in a lot of true facts about the early problems with the M-16 concerning bad ammo etc.
But I have heard this "if only the M-16 had better ammo initially" story many times. So many times that I begin to accept it. But then think about this: do you think the communists had "good" ammo? AK ammo propellent, even the best brand new stuff, is corrosive. And imagine the long ardous trek it took for communist ammo to reach the South carried by porters via the Ho CHi Minh trail through jungles andd streams.
They must be in pretty nasty condition by the time they reach the troops. Still, the AK-47 functioned reliably. The communists never had to say "if only we got better ammo". They're thankful they got any ammo at all and the AK just fired every round fed to it.
Simply said, compared to the AK for toughness and reliability, the delicate M-16 or AR-15 sucks.
However, I still like the M-16 for accuracy and lightness. True, a bigger bullet is always better as a 5.56 bullet cannot punch through a tree trunk and can be deflected by foliage even. But when accuracy is required - it's there. With the AK-47, so what if the bigger bullet can pass through a tree. It's rather inaccurate mostly plus you carry less ammo because of the weight.
But neither system is perfect.
Even today, there isn't a perfect system. The M-16 has proven that small calibre is the way to go - which is why the new AK-74 is now in 5.45mm. But the AK-74 kept the tapered cartridge case design like the AK-47. While this is more reliable as it aids feeding, it is supposed to contribute to inaccuracies of the AK design. Goes to show you can't have the cake and eat it.