AK 47 or AK 74

psucobra96 · Aug 22, 2013

So after much debate between getting another AR or an AK before the deadline I chose the AK. Now I need to decide between the AK 47 and the 74. What do you guys think. I'm leaning towards the 47 because I feel like the ammo is more available and I am sick of hunting for ammo for my 5.56.

I'm not sure who has 47's in stock right now, I'm likely going to be going to Engage to buy the rifle and support my local vendors and I am fairly certain tehy have a few 74 variants in stock or coming soon.

Ganegrei · Aug 22, 2013

Get both. Seriously.

Duffy's Gun Room, and IP here, had a MAK-90 (a 47) in stock last I checked. Great 7.62 gun.

Engage is getting a few more Arsenal 74's in the near future.

highfructosecornsyrup · Aug 22, 2013

i wish i could afford both. my buddy bought 2 74s and he loves them. stocked ammo quick and cheap...

Gskwared · Aug 22, 2013

I agree, get both.

Gundahar · Aug 22, 2013

I eventually got both. For you I would get the 74, since you are used to the 5.56. The big blooper arc of the 7.62 might be really annoying to you. It is very similar to a 30-30, but it sounds like you are from the AR world. Get the AK version of what you have been shooting and I think you'd be happier with it.

My humble 2 cents.

Gundahar

ianmcall · Aug 22, 2013

I bought a 74 from classicfirearms.com last week.

Ragnar · Aug 22, 2013

If you can't afford both now, buy a 74 now and buy a 100% 47 receiver. Build out the receiver later.

Scott7891 · Aug 22, 2013

Some things to consider in your purchase as well:

7.62

-cheap mags and widely available
-ammo more widely available and domestic

5.45

-Good surplus mags expensive
-Ammo cheap for now and all foreign except Hornady which is expensive as well as can be finicky because of plastic-tipped cartridge. All it takes is an executive order and cheap 5.45 surplus is gone forever.

bkuether · Aug 22, 2013

Picking up my AK 74 tomorrow.

I am stocking up on ammo in anticipation of that "executive order".

And no, not making fun. I believe that 0bozo will do it, and that a revolution is coming.

fivepointstar · Aug 22, 2013

my only bitch about the AK74 is the availablity of mags and the cost of mags. I stuck with what I know and what I have a lot of ammo for

AlpineDude67 · Aug 22, 2013

I weighed the same issue - and decided to go 74.

7.62 is cool, but the ability to buy a huge pile of those 5.45 spam cans for not a lot of money and have basically the most economical centerfire rifle cost per round really won me over. If I was into reloading maybe that wouldn't matter a lot. But if you are going to shoot a lot and not reload, then the price of ammo is a very big deal.

The 74 is the Russian version of the 5.56, with similar performance at much lower cost.

If money were no object, and/or I knew the gun wasn't going to get more than a couple hundred rounds a year through it, I'd buy the 47, just because I think it is cooler to have that "classic" AK round.

But I want a gun I will shoot a lot, and that pushed me towards the 74. Although I am going to see if I can also buy a 47 before October 1, because the best choice here is not to choose and get both if you can swing it.

aquaman · Aug 23, 2013

AlpineDude67 said:
I weighed the same issue - and decided to go 74.

7.62 is cool, but the ability to buy a huge pile of those 5.45 spam cans for not a lot of money and have basically the most economical centerfire rifle cost per round really won me over. If I was into reloading maybe that wouldn't matter a lot. But if you are going to shoot a lot and not reload, then the price of ammo is a very big deal.

The 74 is the Russian version of the 5.56, with similar performance at much lower cost.

If money were no object, and/or I knew the gun wasn't going to get more than a couple hundred rounds a year through it, I'd buy the 47, just because I think it is cooler to have that "classic" AK round.

But I want a gun I will shoot a lot, and that pushed me towards the 74. Although I am going to see if I can also buy a 47 before October 1, because the best choice here is not to choose and get both if you can swing it.

where are you finding cheap 5.45

psucobra96 · Aug 23, 2013

what should I expect to pay for a medium quality AK? I don't think I have the coin right now to drop it on one of the higher end models. Even though this is a last chance thing sometimes you just can't have it all.

Mike OTDP · Aug 23, 2013

Classic Firearms is selling the Waffen Werks AK-74s for ~$675, so you should be able to buy one for ~$750 OTD.

AlpineDude67 · Aug 23, 2013

aquaman said:
where are you finding cheap 5.45

Depends on how you define cheap. I see it for under 20 cents a round from gunbot, etc. frequently but not always. Often you need to buy multiple cans to drop it under 20 cents. Is that a screaming bargain? No. But compare it to either 5.56 or 7.62 or even 9mm for that matter. As far as I can tell you need to drop down to rimfire to go lower cost per round than 5.45. At least that is how it looks today. The risk is it may change. That is why stocking up should be part of your thought process. If all you can get is the Hornady stuff - then the 74 is no bargain shooter.

aquaman · Aug 23, 2013

AlpineDude67 said:
Depends on how you define cheap. I see it for under 20 cents a round from gunbot, etc. frequently but not always. Often you need to buy multiple cans to drop it under 20 cents. Is that a screaming bargain? No. But compare it to either 5.56 or 7.62 or even 9mm for that matter. As far as I can tell you need to drop down to rimfire to go lower cost per round than 5.45. At least that is how it looks today. The risk is it may change. That is why stocking up should be part of your thought process. If all you can get is the Hornady stuff - then the 74 is no bargain shooter.

I can tell your a n00b

the 5.45 boat set sail long ago

AlpineDude67 · Aug 23, 2013

aquaman said:
I can tell your a n00b

the 5.45 boat set sail long ago

On this - you bet. Guilty as charged. If I had been on the ball and gotten into this a couple years ago I'd have bought it all at $120 a spam can. I am a guy who shot some occasional trap & skeet and did a little 22 plinking now and then. It was always something I was going to do someday - get more seriously into shooting. Then someday suddenly became - now or never. Figure it out or give up on it. So I started figuring it out. I am not going to let them have the satisfaction of boxing me out.

This site has been really helpful in kicking me a few notches up the learning curve.

AK 47 or AK 74

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