ak-47 or ar-15?

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My pre-ban Norinco AK47 with screw-on AK74 muzzle break was $325.00 in 1994 dollars. My post-ban Colt AR15 with bull barrel was $980.00 in 1995 dollars. Both were bought new and both have been thoroughly wrung out over the years in filthy as well as meticulously maintained conditions with a wide variety of ammo and I've yet to have one misfire with the AK and I've short stroked more rounds then I care to remember with the AR. In my real world, that mythical AK reliability is no myth, just sayin'...

Been debating on whether to hit reply, because I don't want this to devolve into a gun forum. BUt, oh well.

I guess we can agree "real world" is based on anecdotal evidence and personal experience through a straw. My straw is being raised with everything from norincos and maadis through wasr's, yugos and parts bin century's. And of course bushmasters, dpms, one colt, noveske, and countless smaller shops for ar15s (even a few plumcrazy plastic ones!). And to top it off the AK list, the chinese, and indeterminate ak's in Iraq and Afghanistan--utilized in over 35 months of day-to-day living and firing both personally and training BRM to local nationals. Personal experience of the M16a1 all the way through fresh-from-the-box FN M16A3, M4, et al. Both the AK and AR in all conditions from my backyard to "two-way" firing ranges. Had my fair share of failures all around. Few stoppages personal AK or Ar15, in "the backyard," none I actually recall dramatically or specifically. Plenty when I was using weapons on-the-job though, when I was firing something that I didn't "live" with (i.e. qualifying with a weapon I didn't maintain), both AK and AR. Failures among mine privately owned (or my dad's) ran notably less but there were still bad AKs to bad AR15s (olympic comes to mind, dpms too). I'm not naive enough, though, to think all DPMS rifles, for example, are terrible, considering my experience with them was from 20 year old products.

I guess my real world tells me different than the simple "AK GOOD, AR BAD."

I can tell you there's no price advantage right now for anything, because I think anyone who spends more than $1000 for an AK or (off the shelf) AR15 is nuts. But 2010-2012 prices of AR15/AK, on the low end, I don't see it substantially better for the AK. You were looking at $400 WASRs which weren't worth it. ANd $600 AR15s, which were. THen you had $1000 Arsenal AKs which were on par with the AR15, but now you've lost that price advantage.

I think the 1994 prices are off topic, unless you want to bring in the fact at that time you could buy CRATES of Russian tula SKSes for the price of your one Norinco... Either way, there are $2000 AKs AND AR15s being sold right now.