This is such a weird take. AKs also ‘just work’, most people will never have to hand-fit anything on an AK, and ammo prices for AK are at parity with ammo prices for AR. The cheapest end of anything can be dangerous to the user, so again that’s another non-point. The majority of people aren’t going to see a major functional difference between the two, it comes down to personal preference.
Wut? AR-10s have different competing standards, and tend to be strangely finicky. (I’ve got an AR-10 in 6.5CM; it’s really picky about ammunition.) The AR-10 was never adopted by the military; I think that you’re thinking of the M-14.
AKs also ‘just work’, most people will never have to hand-fit anything on an AK
That’s because it’s going to come assembled (hopefully). But if you ever need to replace a part? Good luck, because you’re going to need it. OTOH, when I replaced the barrel, hand guard, trigger, BCG, etc. on my rifle, it was all very much plug-n-play.
ammo prices for AK are at parity with ammo prices for AR
They most definitely are not. Ammo prices for 5.56x45mm NATO start as low as 23.7cpr, if you’re willing to shoot reman; if you want new, then 30.5cpr. Ammunition for 7.62x39mm starts at 38.9cpr, and that’s steel case bi-metal bullets. If you want brass cases, they start at 45cpr. That means that a single 30 round magazine costs about $9.15 for an AR, and $11.67-$13 for an AK.
The majority of people aren’t going to see a major functional difference between the two
If you mean the majority of people that buy a rifle and then never use it, sure. If you’re talking about people that actually go out and shoot, you’re definitely wrong.
An easy example is ballistics. I have a 50/200y zero. I have to aim low and 100y by about 2", and at 500y I’ll have about a 45" holdover. My LPVO has hash marks for ranges, and it’s mostly right. An AK variant usually has a 25y zero; at 500y, your holdover is at least 80", and as much as 120", depending on the ammunition. You aren’t likely going to find too many LPVOs that have holdover marks calibrated for an AK, so you’ll probably be eyeballing it with a red dot and a magnifier. You can make hits out to 500y with an AK, but it’s going to be a lot harder.
This is such a weird take. AKs also ‘just work’, most people will never have to hand-fit anything on an AK, and ammo prices for AK are at parity with ammo prices for AR. The cheapest end of anything can be dangerous to the user, so again that’s another non-point. The majority of people aren’t going to see a major functional difference between the two, it comes down to personal preference.
The gun you’re actually describing is the AR-10
Wut? AR-10s have different competing standards, and tend to be strangely finicky. (I’ve got an AR-10 in 6.5CM; it’s really picky about ammunition.) The AR-10 was never adopted by the military; I think that you’re thinking of the M-14.
That’s because it’s going to come assembled (hopefully). But if you ever need to replace a part? Good luck, because you’re going to need it. OTOH, when I replaced the barrel, hand guard, trigger, BCG, etc. on my rifle, it was all very much plug-n-play.
They most definitely are not. Ammo prices for 5.56x45mm NATO start as low as 23.7cpr, if you’re willing to shoot reman; if you want new, then 30.5cpr. Ammunition for 7.62x39mm starts at 38.9cpr, and that’s steel case bi-metal bullets. If you want brass cases, they start at 45cpr. That means that a single 30 round magazine costs about $9.15 for an AR, and $11.67-$13 for an AK.
If you mean the majority of people that buy a rifle and then never use it, sure. If you’re talking about people that actually go out and shoot, you’re definitely wrong.
An easy example is ballistics. I have a 50/200y zero. I have to aim low and 100y by about 2", and at 500y I’ll have about a 45" holdover. My LPVO has hash marks for ranges, and it’s mostly right. An AK variant usually has a 25y zero; at 500y, your holdover is at least 80", and as much as 120", depending on the ammunition. You aren’t likely going to find too many LPVOs that have holdover marks calibrated for an AK, so you’ll probably be eyeballing it with a red dot and a magnifier. You can make hits out to 500y with an AK, but it’s going to be a lot harder.