Annie, Get Which Gun?

MY RECENT ARTICLE comparing the AK-47 to the M-16 has elicited a substantial number of personal anecdotes, expert opinions, and gun-nut testimonials. Readers seem split when it comes to which assault rifle they prefer. One Vietnam vet suggests he’s been spoiled by the M-16 and finds the AK-47 “unpleasantly sloppy to shoot,” while an Army captain says the “M-16 is the biggest piece of junk ever foisted on the American soldier.” One 26-year military policeman would “rather carry a good AK-47 than an M-16 any day of the week,” while an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel writes that he would “take the M-16, hands down.”