Which is better

Question
My cousin and I have been wondering what gun is better. He says that the Ak-47 is the best but I say that the M16 A4 rifle is best. so which fire arm is the best?

Answer
Like with anything else, the question is, "The best for what?"

The merits of the AK are that because it is so losely fit, it tends to be absolutely reliable, even if it is full of sand and is filthy.

The M-16 requires more care to function properly. Its tighter tolerances make it less tolerant of sand in the action.

The 7.62X39 cartridge of the AK is also more powerful than the 5.56x45 cartridge of the M-16.

On the other hand, the AK47 is true weapon for the masses. Taken off safe, its first firing position is full-auto. It is very uncomfortable to fire from the shoulder (not because of recoil, but because the stock digs into the face), and has poor sights. Due to several factors, the weapon is extraordinarily inaccurate. One would be lucky to hit a torso sized target with aimed fire at 100 yards, and some specimens can't hold torso sized groups at 50. The idea behind the weapon seems to be to put it in the hand of many people, who will simply blaze away with unaimed full auto fire downrange in the hopes of hitting something (a theory that has proven not to actually work).

The M16 is a rifle first. The selector goes from safe to semi auto, then to full auto. Its effective range with 55 grain bullets is 300 yards, and it can keep all its shots well within the kill zone at that distance due to better manufacture, better ergonomics, better sights, tighter tolerances, and better mechanism. With a faster rate of twist and 77 grain bullets, reports of confirmed kills at 800-900 yards are coming out of Afghanistan.

The M16 is faster into action, faster to reload, and faster to clear malfunctions for most people. The 5.56 cartridge is used because it is the NATO standard, but more effective cartridges such as the 6.8 SPC or 6.5 Grendel easily fit the weapon's platform.

If I were going to be sent into the bush for years with no armorer, no parts, and no cleaning equipment, I'd rather have an AK because it would probably still work at the end of event.

If I have access to cleaning equipment and armorer's tools, I'd take the M16 every time.