Economics. After I felt I no longer needed a semi auto except to have fun, shooting the Garand matches with my cousins and brother, the renewed "threat" of government failure, depression, social unrest, and extreme regulation (which may call for "resistance" to same), I felt compelled to add some semi-autos to my gear. The availability of several AK variants, and large quantities of ammo (both 5.45 and 7.62x39) for far less than a high end AR-15 made the choice for me. For ranges encountered in semi-rural Ohio, or urban indulgences, the AK should fair just as well as any AR's. Mine have been only slightly modified, but have what I need to get the job done. I believe the 7.62x39 is better than the 5.56 or 5.45 for shooting through car doors, but inferior to the 7.61x51. Since I am not going to get into that round again, I'll have to rely on the M1 Garand should I want a heavier, longer range or better penetrating round. But for general "get yourself out of the fire zone" weapon, the AK seems to be the best dollar value at this time.