I have no answer for you, but keep in mind that if you get the AK, you’ll be buying yet another type of ammo on top of 5.56 and whatever else you’ll shoot. That means that if you prep at all for SHTF/natural disaster/whatever, you’ll have to stock up a little on that much more ammo of a different caliber. If you had two AR’s that shot the same cartridge, you’d have that ammunition compatibility between the two.
Was this supposed to be a reply to another thread? That’s how it reads anyway.
That said there are AK variants that shoot .223/5.56. Of course they don’t usually use AR magazines. I say usually because there is a Zastava M85 PAP pistol and PAP M90 rifle that take AR mags. There have been a couple conversions as well. Other than that you’ll have to stock different mags. Mags are the issue with 5.56 AK as they are harder to find and more expensive( except ProMags) than 7.62 or 5.45(AK74) mags. the other issue is they aren’t standardized since Russia didn’t control the adoption of 5.56 like when THEY introduced the 5.45x39 so one country’s 5.56 mags may not fit in another country’s 5.56 rifle. This isn’t a deal breaker if you like AK’s. You just have to do a little more work to procure magazines. I’ve had good luck at Gun Mag Warehouse. Also for a Saiga for instance some mags work fine say the Weiger steel mag after a little massaging with a dremel. My point is it depends on the AK whether you have to stock another caliber or not. That is the very reason I bought a 5.56 AK vs a 5.45 one.
All that said if this thread doesn’t get locked I see an AR vs AK war coming.
In the late '90s early 2000’s I would have said buy an AK. They could be had for cheap. $300 to $500 dollars for a good rifle and ammo was cheap. Less than$100 a case. Those days are gone. You can get a good AR for less than what I’d consider a good AK these days so the tables have turned. Russian 7.62x39 is still cheaper than 5.56 though.
Personally I like both so I say get both. Just decide which one you want to get first. Stocking another caliber to me isn’t that big a deal.
I’m generally of the belief that AK’s are like 1911’s. Everyone should have one, but one is probably enough. In contrast to AR’s where 2 is one, 1 is none, and you’re better off with more than less. I’m genuinely curious as to what would happen to the price of 7.62x39 if our Russian relations take a turn for the worse. I will
admit that I’m ignorant to the origin for most of the x39 stuff. Also, it seems that most “good” AK’s are now more than most “good” AR’s?
I also agree that the late 90’s were the glory days for the AK.