Difference in firepower between the AK-47 and the M4A1?

Question

This is a very simple question.

Say you have a very long block of balistics gel ( perfectly uniform in consistency ) . You shoot an Ak-47 round in it, then a M4A1 round. How much farther will the AK-47 round go, than the M4 round?

PS: Can an M4A1 round go through the standard US Army Bulletproof jackets/armor?

Answer 1

I don't know how far it will go in, but I can tell you an AK is something like a .308, whereas an m4 is 5.56mm or .223. I would say that the AK would go much further than the m4.

Answer 2

To begin with, the two rounds are very different. The AK is a 30 cal bullet that is about 125 grains and flies at around 2200 fps, while the M4 uses a 22 cal bullet at around 2800 fps. Always remember that penetration is more a factor of weight than speed, therefore the AK round would go deeper.

Both rounds are deadly, and will slice through all level 2, 2a, and some level 3 jackets.

I have fired many AK 47s in my life, and have never found 1 that would be accurate gun beyond 200 yards. I own several AR style guns, one is an M4 style(16 inch barrel with a flat top). I can hit a soda can out to 300 yards consistently. I am sure I can do better, but have never found the ranges to do so.

Answer 3

LOL. I love the generality of the words. To answer the AK has the more powerful round but both can pierce the vests. And I know the AK-47 will have enough power to kill someone after going through a vest, the M4A1 would probably wound someone pretty bad but not like the AK.

Answer 4

Ballistic Gel tests are misleading--human flesh is more flexible.

Dig this: the formula for kinetic energy is:

1/2mass(velocity-squared).

Hence, heavier bullets are preferable for combat situations. Corbon offers their DPX products in 7.62x39, which should eliminate any fears regarding penetration. Trust me, I'm ex-military and I HATE the M16 and the M4--get an AK variant!

Answer 5

Your question should be worded different.... You actualy want to know the differences between the 7.62X39MM cartridge and the 5.56 cartridges..... They are both fine cartridges but both also have there strengths and weaknesses....... The 7.62X39MM is generaly a flat shooting cartridge and has a drop of about 4 to 6 inches at 200 yards and drops even steeper at long distances.... The 7.62X39MM  is slower @ 2200 feet per second and is useless as a long range sniper cartridge.... Its a .30 caliber close range bullet that still has 1000 foot pounds of energy at 150 yards (lots of knockdown power)..... Forget it for shots beyond 200 yards...

7.62X39MM ballistics info...

http://www.handgunsmag.com/ballistics/76...

The 5.56 / .223 cartridge on the other hand shoots a smaller bullet but it has a very fast velocity around 3200 feet + per second and has very long range capabilitys.... Sharp shooters can easily hit targets at 500 yards using a bolt action rifle and some BUT NOT ALL AR15 / M16 type rifles.... A regular M4 short barrel is not as accurate as all the armchair gun gurus in here will tell you. Yes a heavy barrel varmint barreled AR has long range accuracy but not some beat up M16 / M4 service type rifle....

.223 cartridge guide.....

http://www.6mmbr.com/223Rem.html

Answer 6

Okay after some research I think I can be the only person to actually answer the question so far. I was able to determine comparible penetration through standard 10% ballistic gel the 5.56 nato round penetrates to an average depth of 12.5 inches, while the 7.62 round penetrates 16 inches on average. both rounds will go through most types of body armor with enough poper afterword to kill the target. The 7.62 round penetrates much beter. After traveling through windshield glass, heavy denim clothing and 2 layers of level IIA body armor the 7.62 round still penetrated through 4 inches of ballistic gell while the 5.56 round did not. Really it depends on the armor if the bullet can get through. Level 1 armor stops bullets up to .380 acp, level IIA stops up to 9mm or 38 special, level II stops 45 acp or .357 magnum, level IIIA stops high velocity (rifle +P+) 9mm and .44 magnum, level III stops the 5.56, 7.62 and .308 bullets, and level IV stops .338 lapua and armor piercing bullets up 30-06. most civilians and law enforcement officers use level II or level IIIA armor, while sometimes military personel will use up to level III armor. The US army uses a vest the has a portion on it over the chest that is level III and will stop a 7.62 round or a 5.56. but the bullet will still injure the person. It may kill the soldier if the bullet doesnt hit the part of the soldiers armor that has the extra protection.

Answer 7

The 5.56mmx45mm(.223 Remington) will go through 15 to 20 inches of ballistic gel.The 7.62mmx39mm(.30 short Russian) will got through 20 to 25 inches. Both rounds will not go through the standard us army bullet proof vest.The vest is a kevlar vest with a level 4 ceramic plate which will stop at least one round from a  7.62mmx51mm NATO amour piercing round which is the military version of the .308 Winchester.The 7.62mm NATO is more power full then the 7.62mmx39mm and the 5.56mmx45mm

Answer 8

first off, tripleplay15, has no idea what hes talking about. the AK 7.62x39mm WILL go through a flak jacket, and so will the 5.56mm M16/M4 rounds. the AK round is whats called an "intermeadiate round" because its not as long as the 7.62x51mm NATO cartrige. the slugs are the same, the brass is not. the ballistic ceramic plates were origionally designed to stop 9x19mm round like from a pistol, unfortunetly the enemy shoot a round that travels MUCH faster then the 9mm so there for the faster round can, and sometimes does, penetrate. and if people here dont belive me, find a combat vet who was shot in their vet and it went through them also, they are out there. anyway, the 5.56mm is probably going to will the ballistic jelly race cause its size and speed.

Answer 9

well first off, neither can go through the armor, but the AK is a 7.62 mm(.30-.30) round compared to the 5.56 mm(.223) of the M4, so it will do more damage than the m4 however the AK is very inaccurate and so the advantage we have with m4 is accuracy but we are sacrificing stopping power