Why are AR's used in mass shootings instead of AK's - so many reasons to choose AK's

Almost every time I hear that a mass shooting has occurred with a rifle, I hear the phrase something like "the AR-15 assault rifle" nor often followed by "a weapon of war" or a "military grade weapon of war". Well these statements are filled with misinformation and the Mainstream Activist Media seems gung-ho to push these phrases regardless if they are correct as long as they instill fear in their audience, promote ignorance of the topic and don't reveal the true facts of the situation at hand.

After every incident where a shooter uses an AR-15, regardless if it is a real AR or a clone, it is always referred to as an AR when sometimes they aren't, but they are close enough for people to know about what the reporter is speaking. In other cases (non mass shootings) where guns are found in the perp's house, they will report about AR's being found and the number or rounds of ammo. It is one thing to have 10,000 rounds of AR-15 ammo and a totally different thing to have that many 22LR rounds (which is basically the same caliber but much less cartridge size and fires at a much lower speed - it is usually a target practice round) and it is not uncommon for someone to shoot that many rounds in a year (some people a month) of the 22LR, so this type of shallow reporting can give a skewed viewpoint of what the person may have been doing.

So the AR shoots a 5.56x45mm (or .223 Winchester) round vs the 7.62x39 AK-47 round. The 5.56mm - .223 caliber which is almost identical to the .22LR bullet. The 7.62mm AK round is the same caliber as the .308 or 30-06 bullet but has a smaller brass cartridge - meaning slower bullet but still very deadly.

The AR is very accurate out to 400 yards and even further in the hands of a good shooter and the AK is much less accurate at those distances but is VERY deadly in close quarter encounters such as 50 yards and below (a good AK can be accurate to 400 yards as well, but quality varies on where it was built and what company built it).

Bullet speeds in feet per second (fps)
AR-15 - 2,750 to 3,750
AK-47 - 2,100 to 2,500

Bullet energy in Joules
AR-15 - 1,500 - 1,850
AK-47 - 2,050 - 2,380

Bullet weight in grains
AR-15 - 36 - 77
AK-47 - 122 - 154

In semi automatic configuration, both rifles perform the same in rate of fire but the AK comes out far ahead should the perp want to modify it to fire in full auto or in burst fire with numerous modifications that can give these types of fire, from simply filing down a part, using a rubber band and a couple other methods. The AR is much more difficult to modify and might be out of react for many people without access to machining tools or extra parts to modify and replace the originals.

Now looking at the energy of each bullet, this is the energy at the muzzle so it looses some as it travels. Most of these attacks are in fairly close proximity so the energy is probably pretty close to the numbers posted above. The heavier the bullet, the slower the speed of the bullet but it doesn't always mean it has less energy. The AR round with the lowest amount of energy has only 63% of the energy that the highest AK round has. That is a large difference especially considering the AK round is 90% greater in size (the area of the bullet face). The increase of bullet size and the increase of energy translate to a more effective wound channel at close range where the smaller AR bullet is more likely to pass through the victim (AK will also probably pass through, but causing more damage). Even with all the claims of hydro static shock and the tumbling of the bullet, the tumbling often happens from further distances for some reason but the shock trauma is of concern but is also there in the AK round at this distance.

Then we have the price. Often these are students with what should be limited budgets and we so often hear that they have 10's of thousands of dollars in guns and ammo, which just seems ridiculous to even gun enthusiasts (for people of that age I/we mean). While they could be prepping for the collapse of the government, which is never out of the question and a good reason to stockpile things such as this, I would think that due to the difference in price the AK would be more utilized for this. Considering an AK can cost anywhere from 30-70% of the price of a nice AR, that leaves lots of money to spend on bullets, target practice and maybe some body armor if they want something like that.

Now far be it for me to say that there is some kind of conspiracy going on here, but the AR is a US made gun that has MANY guns of similar design, shoot the same round (5.56x45 NATO) made by HK, FN and a slew of other European gun manufacturers. It I didn't know anything about our society, government, news, etc I would say that these events are planned and they are given the guns to use in these attacks. But reality being what it is, that statement would bring criticism from everywhere even though there is a lot of evidence to support it. I mean it's not like governments have committed atrocities against it's people in the past killing 100's, 1,000' and even millions at a time - there is no way that they would EVER orchestrate a series of events that would further their agends of banning guns, especially "assault rifles" or "weapons of war" and use the fact that "the children" being victims to pull at our hear strings and to enrage the do-gooder (often hypocritical) lefties against the heartless mass murderer constitutionalists - thus dividing the nation on a number of manufactured events (not saying people didn't die - just they could have been planned). You have to crack a few eggs to make an omelette. It almost seems that they have picked a gun to demonize and one that the emotion driven simpletons on the left can remember and latch onto and spout their pre-programmed party line. Then the Mainstream Activist Media can swoop in and tell them how good they are, how evil the "right" is and how righteous their cause is and the constitution be damned, especially because it was written by those scum slave holders.

And then there is the question of why has no one used the AK-74 which shoots the 5.45x39 which is the AK's variant that shoots bullets near identical to the AR-15 in caliber.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

I thought they were not as accurate as an AR-15. I dunno though.

If these shootings are the work of... People who want to push gun control. The main reason would be this in my opinion. An AR looks a little more scary than an Ak...

a reply to: testingtesting

Depends on a lot of things. I refuse to use ROMAKS or anything made by Norinco so mine are generally as accurate as friends ARs on the 50-400m ranges. Past that there's not much steam left in them. That's where PSLs and SVDs enter the equation but those are more comparable to a 7.62 NATO/.308.

loll becourse the pussies who are carring those ar's can't handle the weight of an ak47 and the ammo ....

The most popular rifle in America is an AR pattern rifle.

The most popular handgun in America is the Glock 19.

Both turn up in crimes for the same reason you see a lot of Toyota Rav4s on the road these days.

originally posted by: ressiv
loll becourse the pussies who are carring those ar's can't handle the weight of an ak47 and the ammo ....

Spend a lot of time in the field have you?

I'll s&f ya. Nice collection of figures. I think you're barking up the wrong tree, though. Here's my thought process:

Fully-automatic firearms are illegal in most if not all states without a special license. Modifying a semi-auto for fully auto fire is similarly illegal. An AR-15 is an air-cooled, gas-operated, shoulder fired, magazine-fed, semi-automatic 5.56mm weapon. Legal, right? Modifying it to operate otherwise is illegal, just like sawing off the barrel of a shotgun; illegal. So we've got a rifle which is semi-auto, and works real good as long as you keep it clean(Kalashnikovs don't require as much cleaning, and are easier to modify for full-auto, which is why it makes sense the AR-15 is great for America.) Regulating the magazine capacity, in my mind, would be a great way to regulate the use of the weapon. If i'm not mistaken, this has already been put in place.

Handguns come in a variety of calibers, but they are generally an air-cooled pistol. They may be magazine or cylinder-fed, semi-automatic, single, or double action, in various combinations. Non-exclusively, for instance the Glock is called a "safe-action" pistol, in that it requires a full depression of the trigger in order to discharge. There will be other people more knowledgable than me with regards to the disparities, but my takeaway is that handguns (let's just call them 'pistols' because let's face it, pretty much every gun is a 'hand gun') are a much greater threat, and are used in more murders than rifles, such as the AR-15, by far. So when we talk about gun control, does it makes sense to take away semi-auto rifles, or semi-auto pistols, which are used in the most murders?

Now we get to the Constitutionality of rescinding the right to own semi-auto weapons. Is there a use for semi-auto while hunting. Of course there is. When people think about hunting, they think immediately about deer, duck, or turkey hunting. Ambush-style hunting. But what about boars? I somehow simultaneously regret and am stoked to inform the reader that wild boars are an invasive species in some parts of the country, and for sport people sometimes hunt them with spears! Does that seem barbaric to you? Do you feel that killing wild boars with spears and knives is less humane than simply shooting them with a rifle? Have you ever been charged at by a wild boar? What if you miss your first shot? Wouldn't it be nice to have a semi-automatic rifle to chamber that next round for you? Or maybe it's just more civilized to let the boar gore you while you cycle the weapon manually, as prescribed by the Government. Wouldn't it be nice to have a sidearm, perhaps a pistol holstered in case your primary weapon, be it a rifle or a spear, were to fail? What if you fail to strike a killing blow, merely wounding and incapacitating the animal. Would it be more humane to end the creature's suffering with: a) slicing it's throat with your knife, or b) shooting it through the head with your gun? Of course, you'd choose c) buy your kale and tofu at the supermarket.

That was snarky. My point is that the 2nd amendment has nothing to do with defending against a totalitarian govt. We do that by voting. The 2nd amendment is to defend against foreign invasion, to provide a common defense, and to provide personal security and welfare. When governments begin rounding up guns, that's when the trouble begins. It's like, say the government, having done away with guns, started taking away personal automobiles because some people use them irresponsibly. How would that go over. Yes, they make it easy to run over pedestrians. Doesn't mean the govt. needs to confiscate them. Should the government have a say in how fast your car can go? Sure. Or it's gas mileage, or whether it has seatbelts, or how it's emissions smell? Sure. Can't ban them though.

I can't believe what I'm reading here.. A discussion about the best type of weapon for a mass shooting..
What a twisted mentality..

No that’s not at all what this discussion is about my triggered friend. Back to the answer, AR-15S are the Hollywood and video game producers gun of choice. The bad guys use AK-47S. Mass shooters are the bad guys so it’s ironic at best. Our kids look to Hollywood for heroes, they sold a hell of a lot of Scareface posters over the years. a reply to: Misterlondon

I guess Ruger Mini 14 just doesn't sound as dangerous either.
AK 47's are the official gun of foreign terrorists.
It's part of the uniform so people don't get confused.

Glad to see we're focusing on the important questions here...

a reply to: LordAhriman

Ask the important questions, please.

Simple answer...AK47's aren't tacticool, can'tbe "high speed, low drag" with an AK47.

originally posted by: Misterlondon
I can't believe what I'm reading here.. A discussion about the best type of weapon for a mass shooting..
What a twisted mentality..

My first sentence was going to be, "What the hell kind of macabre bull# is this"? But I decided to be diplomatic and simply respond with a rational explanation as to why an AR would be found in this kind of crime.

At first I thought I missed something, so I re-read the post. Still sounds like a really #ty attempt at macabre humor.

originally posted by: WUNK22
No that’s not at all what this discussion is about my triggered friend. Back to the answer, AR-15S are the Hollywood and video game producers gun of choice. The bad guys use AK-47S. Mass shooters are the bad guys so it’s ironic at best. Our kids look to Hollywood for heroes, they sold a hell of a lot of Scareface posters over the years. a reply to: Misterlondon

Maybe these school shooters see themselves as good guys, righteous in their actions, which is why they choose good guy weapons?

originally posted by: Kukri
Simple answer...AK47's aren't tacticool, can'tbe "high speed, low drag" with an AK47.

Interesting. Is the implication that the choice of weapon reflects the shooter's intent, more so than availability? Is the assertion that the AR-15 is the choice of a new generation?

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

First, please learn your ammo. There is a HUGE difference between a .22lr and a .223 5.56x45:



Also a good bit of difference between a .223 5.56x45 and a 7.62 x39 (what a AK-47 uses).

It is illegal to own a fully automatic AK-47 in the following states:

CA, DE, HI, IL, MA, MN, NJ, NY, RI, WA, and WI.

You may own one in other states, but it's going to cost you a lot of time and money. Price tag on AK-47's can be almost as much as buy a nice new car.
If you purchase the gun from out of your state, it's going to take about 6 months to get to you as it requires Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives approval, and requires a $200 transfer tax.

Once it arrives in your state (note, at the proper facility, not you), you need to provide BATFE two copies of your fingerprints, a 2x2″ photo, and a completed Form 4 signed by a Chief Law Enforcement Officer. It can take another 6 to 12 months to have the tax stamp affixed.....in which you can finally take that AK-47 home...but if you plan on crossing state lines with it, you'd better have a Form 20 done.

Again, that's for a fully automatic AK-47 (which is classed as an assault rifle because it meets all the requirements to be one, which the AR-15 does not meet the requirements and hence is NOT and assault rifle).

AK-47's that have been modified to be semi-automatic only can be bought and purchased just like any other long rifle.

a reply to: projectvxn

I see what you're saying, but I find it more abstracted than macabre.

a reply to: Misterlondon

You miss the point... people are all up in arms about the AR-15. They've convinced themselves that if they ban that particular type of weapon somehow the school shootings will stop. They feel that if that weapon wasn't available, these kids would just stay home and read the bible. They don't want to tackle the root-casue of the problem cause it's too hard. The AR or AK are not close quarters weapons. Let's hope someone doesn't figure that out.