A self-described AK fan put an AK-47 pistol and a 7-inch AR-15 pistol head to head for Gun Websites, expecting the AR to come out ahead. It did, and the reasons are worth knowing for anyone shopping for a short AR.
What makes them pistols
- Each was built on a receiver that was never a rifle, and set up without a stock.
- They fire the same cartridges as their rifle versions, 7.62×39 and 5.56×45, and run the same way, but are harder to shoot well without a stock.
- Federal rules on pistols and their accessories have changed over the years. Check current federal and state law before buying or configuring one.
Short barrel trade-offs
- A cartridge loaded for a 16-inch barrel still has powder burning when the bullet leaves a 7-inch barrel, so both pistols throw a lot of muzzle flash.
- Less barrel means less velocity and energy, and less rifling to stabilize the bullet.
How they run
- AK: gas pushes a piston attached to the bolt carrier.
- AR: gas travels down the gas tube to the gas key on the bolt carrier.
- The AR pistol in the video had run hundreds of rounds without a serious malfunction. A short AR may need buffer and spring tuning by a competent armorer.
- An AK pistol needs a builder who knows how to tune one; a first attempt can end up unreliable.
Why the AR won
- Modularity: most AR pistol parts are standard AR parts, so they can keep a rifle running and are easy to replace with basic tools. Much of the AK is riveted, and its shortened carrier and bolt are no help to a rifle.
- Sight radius: the AR pistol’s is longer, even longer than its barrel.
- .22 conversion: swapping in a .22 bolt and magazine turns the AR pistol into a .22 trainer in seconds. AK conversions need a barrel sleeve and do not suit an AK pistol.
- Same manual of arms as the full-size rifle for each platform.
By the numbers
- AK-47 pistol: 6 lb 4.5 oz unloaded with bayonet, about 19 inches long, 25 with the bayonet, 11 inches tall.
- 7-inch AR pistol: 5 lb 8 oz with a 30-round magazine, 24 inches long, about 10 inches tall.
Takeaways
- For a practical short gun, the AR pistol is the more useful tool. The AK pistol is a uniquely American curiosity, fun to shoot and to look at.
- See AR15 Pistols, AR15 Conversions and AR15 Laws.
Based on a video from the Gun Websites YouTube channel. New to the AR-15? Start with Where To Start.