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To prove a point to a moronic mate: Are AKs ergonomic?

Are AKs ergonomic?

  • Yes

    Votes: 30 58.8%

  • No

    Votes: 21 41.2%
  • Total voters
    51
A

Airsoft-Ed

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Pretty simple question, do you think AK platform rifles have good ergonomics?

Ergonomics with regard to weapons refers to the ease of using the weapons controls, most generally changing mags, racking bolts, changing the fire mode and turning the safety on and off in as few moves and as quickly as possible.

It can also go as far to include being ergonomic to both right and left handed shooters.

In a nutshell, are AKs "user friendly"?

 
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I find mine quite user friendly, about as much as my L85.

 
It ticks the boxes of all the requirements, mag changes are simple and you can't exactly miss that big ol' safety/fire selector switch.

And they are definately user friendly, I mean they give them to eight year olds in Africa

Given you are right handed of course

 
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Its not hugely bad but neither is it that great when compared to a lot of others so I put no, I don't think there that comfy to hold either.

 
It's a 50/50 with an AK. I find it ergonomic even though the bolt and the fire selector are on the right hand side of the gun. So for a lefty, that's great, but I'm a righty and those two things don't bother me at all.

 
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I find that if you compare them to the most standard of standard guns, the M4, the safety is harder to use, it requires you to take your forward hand off the gun, or your finger off the trigger to operate it.

Mag changes are extended by having to hook the mag in, it's also harder to do if you have any underbarrel attachments mounted to the front, because they obstruct the curve of the mag as you lever it in, you also have to use your forward hand to remove the mag, whereas on AR platform rifles you need only use your trigger finger, and mags simply drop in and out under their own weight.

Lastly, the bolt doesn't have a lock feature, meaning you have to reach over the weapon to charge the bolt, which takes longer than simply pushing the bolt lock switch. With ARs no rocking or racking is required.

Basically, ergonomics come down to how fast you can manipulate the weapon and if you timed the same guy reloading an M4 and going through all the drills, they'd be demonstrably quicker with an AR, than an AK, no? That's basically what you're voting on.

 
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I think an AK-47 is comparable to a cactus. It looks cool, but I wouldn't want to handle one for an extended period of time.

 
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Airsoft-Ed said:
I find that if you compare them to the most standard of standard guns, the M4, the safety is harder to use, it requires you to take your forward hand off the gun, or your finger off the trigger to operate it.

Mag changes are extended by having to hook the mag in, it's also harder to do if you have any underbarrel attachments mounted to the front, because they obstruct the curve of the mag as you lever it in, you also have to use your forward hand to remove the mag, whereas on AR platform rifles you need only use your trigger finger, and mags simply drop in and out under their own weight.

Lastly, the bolt doesn't have a lock feature, meaning you have to reach over the weapon to charge the bolt, which takes longer than simply pushing the bolt lock switch. With ARs no rocking or racking is required.

Basically, ergonomics come down to how fast you can manipulate the weapon and if you timed the same guy reloading an M4 and going through all the drills, they'd be demonstrably quicker with an AR, than an AK, no? That's basically what you're voting on.
Click to expand...
Well maybe the mag changes are a bit slower, but it depends on what you are used to. I could change an ak mag alot quicker than a stanag type one without looking.

And as for the safety, you are just flicking your index finger up, why would you need your finger on the trigger if you are engaging the safety and disengaging it your finger is on the way down anyway.

In terms of airsoft the difference is negligable, however in the real steel world AR's are superior.

And if you have an AK you don't need semi auto :P

 
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Sigh, this is going totally wrong. <_<

 
Dan1690 said:
Well maybe the mag changes are a bit slower, but it depends on what you are used to. I could change an ak mag alot quicker than a stanag type one without looking.

And as for the safety, you are just flicking your index finger up, why would you need your finger on the trigger if you are engaging the safety and disengaging it your finger is on the way down anyway.

In terms of airsoft the difference is negligable, however in the real steel world AR's are superior.

And if you have an AK you don't need semi auto :P
Click to expand...

Minus the AR part this is exactly what i am being called a 'moronic mate' for

 
Oh come on! AKs just aren't ergonomic, the controls can't be reached without altering your grip on the weapon and the reloads take longer to do, it's not even an opinion it's a raw fact!

Give me strength! D=

 
Airsoft-Ed said:
Oh come on! AKs just aren't ergonomic, the controls can't be reached without altering your grip on the weapon and the reloads take longer to do, it's not even an opinion it's a raw fact!

Give me strength! D=
Click to expand...
To move the selector on an M4 switch I have to twist my wrist slightly back therefore altering my grip. There really isn't that much difference between them.

 
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Ak's are ergonomic.

Just you all are used to using AR's, and thus using AR practice and expecting it to work on an AK.

You can go from safe to semi just slapping the lever down with your RIGHT hand (you're expecting to use your right thumb like an AR aren't you)

Charging handle is easy to do, similar but easier to a L85, but rather than a AR where you also have to pull the release tab, and is awkwardly across your body.

Sights and grip angles are just so point and shoot, African kids can use em.

Remember this gun was made in 1949. It is an old design. But USA was fielding the M1 and M2 carbines at this time, and for another 10 or so years.

Of course AR's will be MORE ergonomic, but the AK is very usable.

 
Airsoft-Ed said:
Oh come on! AKs just aren't ergonomic, the controls can't be reached without altering your grip on the weapon and the reloads take longer to do, it's not even an opinion it's a raw fact!

Give me strength! D=
Click to expand...
345.jpg


 
I'm not saying it can't be made to work, it can and for all it's shortfalls, the AK makes up for them in reliability.

We're not arguing which is better. I have an equal love for both, except I prefer the AK's gearbox in airsoft...

BUT! The AR is faster to manipulate because it has better ergonomics, it's just a fact, there's no denying that it's faster to reload an M4, faster to take safe off an M4. Faster to just generally use an M4.

Not that it comes into it, but it's even faster to acquire a target and continuously fire on it with an M4 because the round puts out less recoil and apature sights are easier to use than AK ones. The distance between them is also further to increase accuracy.

Speed and ergonomics. The AK ought to be losing this poll, unless there's some sort of major failure in the wording of the question.

 
Nickona said:
easy to use, yes... ergonomic, no.
Click to expand...
Explain when: easy to use = good ergonomics...

Yes an M4 is better by most peoples standards Ed, but that doesn't mean the AK is bad.

 
I'm not saying it is bad! I'm saying it's slower to use than an M4 because the controls are all in silly places.

Easy to use does not equal good ergonomics. The Vector is easy to use as well, but that has utterly terrible ergonomics.

And thank god Nick, someone who gets it.

 
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I find I can operate the fire selector of an AK with my trigger finger easier than I can that on an AR with my thumb. It's the wrist twist/bend thing - it's easier to bend my wrist inwards than out and up.

I think fast mag mag changes are excellent, but I don't believe that using a hand to open a pouch, remove a mag, and click it into place is faster on either platform. If you add saving the empty mag then I think experience really comes into it, because you can use your trigger finger to operate an AK mag release just as your off hand reaches the mag, which is a lot faster than doing it with your off hand thumb and grabbing the empty mag by its front and back at the top - it's also easier to put an AK mag into a dump pouch when you're holding it by an end than sideways. I'm not sure if there's anything similar you can do with an AR mag change.

I prefer the position of the sights on AK's - I can line up over them without closing my left eye. I can't do that on an AR... or my G36.

I do think that crane stocks are a big ergonomic boost, but I just don't like the yankie look of 'em!

 
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