Originally Posted by finesse_r

There may be some influence from the German STG and he may have stolen some concepts, but I assure you no respectable German would have designed something so inelegant, and so unpolished as the AK-47.

It is relatively inexpensive and highly effective, so has its own kind of elegance I suppose, but it does not have any of the slick professional polish that I would expect from a German designer. The AK-47 is rough, with tolerances that are far from tight, and inexpensive to make. It lacks German precision from top to bottom.

That is part of its appeal however. That lack of tolerance, means it is not easy to jam with dirt or heavy use. Those rough edges and stamped parts make it easy to produce in quantity. And there is no doubt that it worked and worked well for what it is.

While I like the 7.62 x 39 round, I don’t care for AK-47 rifles. I much prefer my Mini-30 for shooting that round, and while the Mini-30 does not sport German quality designing either, it is a lot closer than the AK-47.

If I could get a AR-15 for the 7.62 x 39 round that was truly reliable and with affordable magazines, that would be my choice of weapons. As it is, I now prefer the AR-15 for its ease of use, easy changing magazines, and overall design, if not for its ammo.

I know you can get AR-15’s that fire the 7.62 x 39 round, but the last time I checked on them there were too many problems with that system. Besides I am now set with AR-15’s and ammo. That will have to continue to be my SHTF rifle.