We could probably throw more in here, but here are ones in the same price range for a quality battle-proven ‘type’ carbine.
What is the comparative service life for these weapons. Lets just narrow to Colt 6920, Arsenal SGL 21, Current VZ-58 (Czechpoint).
Assume an annual carbine course or two and semi-auto only use.
I suppose the 6920 has the advantage of easy rebuild, etc.
I’m sure you’ll get plenty of data on the M4 here. I don’t have any data on the Vz 58. Here’s what I have for the AK.
Polish requirements for the Tantal were “a minimum service life of 10,000 shots, including 150 shots with dummy 300 and 500 gram rifle grenades” with 20 or fewer malfunctions during the life of the weapon (0.2% jam rate). Required accuracy was 5 shot group within 150 mm @ 100 m.
The Tantal is 5.45, but this is about the same as their requirements for the AKM.
15,000 rounds are fired through the SG550, but at that point we’re getting pretty far from the AK.
An e-mail from Arsenal said “The military warrants the barrel for 30,000 rds (if I remember right) but the rifle can last much longer , more around 70,000 rds.” They’re the ones trying to sell the rifle, though. 
I can’t find any number in my manuals, unfortunately.
you can easily get 10,000 rounds out of all the rifles
On an AR, you can replace most parts with just basic tools. Everything related to the operating cycle is easily replaceable by the end user, and I think that’s huge. Even parts like the barrel are replaceable with tools that aren’t totally out of reach for most people.
Try getting an AK with an ejector that’s too short and see what solution you come up with.
(I had to buy another AK and ditch the shit one.)
I think any one of those three will last you a long time easily 20,000 rounds or more.
Out of those three I would go with the Colt but all three are good rifles.
Well, seeing as you’re not in Afghanistan and getting in daily firefights for years on end, I think you’ll be very well served by any of those guns. They will all last you a very long time. I think the differences in longevity would be negligible. We’ve all heard the stories of AKs that have been shot so much that the rifling in the barrels has become smooth but they still go bang every time.
If built of the same materials, the lower pressure of the x39 round coupled with the lack of HPI testing should make those barrels/bolts last longer.
In theory.
I don’t know really anything about a VZ-58 other than it fires the same round as the SGL-21, mags and parts are not compatible and it has a much smaller market.
If you are looking for your only personally owned carbine, I can’t think of many reasons to not get the Colt (unless initial cost is a deterrent) as you’ll never have to contend with an import ban on parts and ammunition(two of my greatest concerns when buying weapons now). You also have greater local support, easier maintenance and easier training support.
Unless you have a proper shop and tools (hydraulic press being key) you will have a a very difficult time re-barreling your AK. An average person can do an AR in about 30 minutes.
Almost every part upper/lower can be replaced on an AR. Damage an AK receiver- you’re done.
Ejector gets worn down or damaged, go find a competent gunsmith. If you have a Yugo or Chinese gun then in certain cases you need to find the same for replacement parts.
Having spent the better part of the last 5 years working on a shitload of weapons to include AR’s and AK’s, I’ll take the AR any day of the week.
One of these days I’d love for you to sit down and write a detailed account of some of your trials and tribulations repairing AK’s.
I’ve talked to a couple of people back from Iraq (and Afghanistan?) who claimed to have done that job over there, and they tell some surprising things.
For example, one claimed to have run across at least one milled AK that was locked up so tight (bolt closed) that they just trashed the gun, as they were unable to get it to open. I’ve also run across a post or two on the internet since then telling the same story.
I have a theory that the milled receiver flexes less, so if “something” gets in there and causes the bolt to be jammed shut, it’s toast.
If we are talking about AK (milled) and not AKM I believe the barrel is threaded. Regardless here is my experiences with AK platform.
In any case barrel life with 7.62x39 is very long provided the barrel is made of good steel. I have unlined barrel here that I have shot couple of tens of thousands through. Best part of this is the fact that I bought the gun used and it had clearly been in IPSC use so it had been probably shot quite a bit before I got it. Much (maybe 15 000) of what I have shot has been Russian steel cased round with mild steel bullet. Barrel remains in good condition both visually and accuracy wise. Rifling is intact and the barrel shows no visual wear and shoots below 2 MOA with quality ammunition. I had a spare barrel for the gun but recently sold it as I am quite confident that I will be unable to shoot the barrel out.
I have had two mechanical failures with this particular weapon (twenty years old Sako M92s). first time I had firing pin retaining pin walk out when I assembled it backwards on the bolt, second failure was when recoil spring guide broke in two. This was after 15-20 thousand rounds in my use due to manufacturing error in the bolt carrier. Carrier was a millimeter too long and it hit the recoil spring gun every time gun was fired causing the guide to eventually break. I had to replace the guide and the spring. In the same time I replaced the ejector spring and ejector that had worn considereably from shooting the steel cased ammunition.
So maybe after 30 000 rounds of my use (plus the use of the ten years before that I had it) I have replaced 5 parts. Also I have broken one plastic magazine. Gun has been used in all sorts of drill including e.g. striking with the weapon.
Jippo,
I am happy that your AK is working for you. It doesn’t change the fact that it is not designed to be worked at a lower levels (which Templar has pointed out before as well).
As far as I can remember the only AK’s that had threaded barrels were the original Type 1’s, 2’s and 3’s. I believe that all current modern milled guns still have pressed barrels.
As for your sub 2 MOA accuracy claim I will leave it alone. Simply because that is an anomaly and anyone with experience knows that it is nowhere near the reailty of the daily AK.
As I stated before. The AK is not modular and wasn’t designed to be. The AR is and had evolved and continues to evolve. I will take an AR any day of the week. I can support it, work on it and maintain with minimal effort.
I have seen AK’s with ruptured chambers that were so bad that round couldn’t be removed. They ended up being scrapped because they couldn’t be fixed. With an AR the weapon itself can be saved.
Finnish Valmets and Sakos are not run of the mill AK’s. They shouldn’t be directly compared to original AK’s and AKM’s from East European manufacturers at all.
Also all the milled Finnish rifles have threaded barrels. Installation has to be done by a weaponsmith to time the barrel properly and to drill the gas port.
2 MOA with them is nothing spectacular but more or less typical accuracy of the weapon system in used condition. In the end they were built by the people who make the Sako TRG and they shoot the ammunition made by Lapua. Some info can be found in wikipedia if you do not believe me.:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rk_62
Check the accuracy part. Last time I qualified with an issue weapon (read: iron sights, everything in stock configuration) last autumn I shot 163 points out of 180 on the 5 sec, 3 sec and doubles on 5 sec targets. 10 points for bullseye of 10cm at 150 meters making it a 2,2MOA target.
I wouldn’t really take stories on the Internet as fact.
I’m not. That’s why I’d like to hear IG’s accounts.
I have AKs with 20k or more rounds. Im pretty sure if they do ever get shot out it would probably be worth it to just buy a new AK then pay for a smith to install a new barrel/bolt assebly or whatever needs replaced. Hell honestly l dont even know any smiths who work on AKs.
Only have a few thousand rounds through my only ar a colt. If anything does break though or get shot out its an easy fix, so clearly the AR wins here.
Yup. Especially Wikipedia. I hear all sorts of things and never actually see the groups.
75 meter indoor range. 123 grain FMJ’s by Barnaul and Lapua and 200grs Lapua D166 subsonics home cooked.
I fail to see how that is anything more than a story in the internet, though. If you think I am lying I am probably also doing the same with pictures… 
Think about AK quality this way. Best of them are these days made in Russia or Poland, many of them are made in places like Egypt, China or Pakistan. How good and/or accurate do you think your favourite AR would be if it was made in one of these countries? Then you take the cheapest ammunition you can find and never manage to get tighter than 4 MOA groups. Hmmm… IF the gun was actually extremely well made and shot MATCH grade ammunition, what would it do? 4MOA?
I think you are using a rifle and ammunition that is not a common combination here in the US or within the realm of experience for most people who’ve been shot at with AKs.
I don’t think you’d ever be able to get groups like that with an Arsenal SGL31 and M67 ammo.
That was pretty much my point. I tell about my personal experience and get branded as liar just because US point of view is limited to the lower end of the spectrum. No very nice, now is it?
No, you quoted Wikipedia. What the hell do you expect? Now that you’ve actually posted some decent groups, you’re doing a bit more than quoting an unverified internet source written by volunteers.
Decent groups. My $900 5.45mm AR can do the same with surplus Sov ammo and I also have the pics to prove it. I’d love to own a Valmet but can’t justify the price.