Someone had to start this one. They're the two most successful assault rifles in the world, highlighting the cold-war battle between the Soviet Union and the United States of America. These rifles are a microcosm of this showdown.

The M-16
The M-16 was designed to be light, accurate, with low recoil and high performance with the new and unproven 5.56x45 mil. NATO round, which was slimmer and lighter than its 7.62 predecessors. However, it and the rifle it was fired out of were lighter and more controllable than the 7.62, while retaining lethality and piercing power. However, this rifle was and is plauged by a serious issue: its direct impingement action, which causes rapid fouling and jams, if the gun is not cleaned frequently. It is also a complex tool, requiring a fair amount of skill to field-strip and clean. While the reliability of the rifle has been improved drastically with design changes, it still requires frequent cleaning.
Another aspect of the rifle that cannot be missed is its versatility. The M16 has literally thousands of attachments available, particularly if the gun is equipped with picatinny rails. It can be adapted to any mission, quickly and easily.

The AK-47
The AK-47 was designed by a Soviet veteran of World War II. It is mostly a derivative of the German Sturmgewher 44, with some design aspects of the American M1 Garand worked in. It fires the 7.62x33 Soviet round, a derivative of the 7.62x54 round used in mosin-nagant sniper rifles. The round has great stopping power, as well as the ability to pierce light-medium cover. The AK is built cheap; however, this is to the rifle's advantage. The rifle is nearly impossible to jam or break, and will continue firing under virtually any circumstances; some AKs that had been buried in mud and run over would be found decades later and fired on the spot. You can't kill an AK. Also, the 7.62 round can be found most anywhere, as the Soviets produced it Ad Nauseam. The rifle's simple construction means that almost anyone can use it; field maintenance is extremely simple with the AK. However, this cheap design comes with a massive problem: Accuracy. The AK is only accurate out to perhaps 175 meters on semi-automatic. On Automatic, the gun is uncontrollable with more than 4-round bursts. Also, the recoil often makes a shooter flinch, further decreasing accuracy.


So which is better? Post your opinions up here.

personally and from some of my army buddies opinions as well...we would choose the an isreai modifed AK47 over an M4

The Galil? Yeah, they're about as badass as they come. I myself am neutral on this. Both rifles have their merits and their drawbacks.