AK-47 vs. M4A4: Which CS:GO assault rifle is better?

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) has dominated the FPS multiplayer genre for the last 11 years. For the last decade, there has been an ongoing debate on which assault rifle is better. Despite countless changes to weapons in this category over the years, this debate is yet to be settled. Both rifles have pros and cons that mainly depend on the player's mastery, but in certain situations, one outshines the other.

With CS2 on the verge of its official release, both weapons have received defined nerfs and buffs. Let us examine in more detail the two rifles from the Counter-Terrorist (CT) and Terrorist (T) sides.

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AK-47 and M4A4: A statistical comparison between two of the best rifles in CS:GO

AK-47

The AK-47's official description in CS:GO states that:

“Powerful and reliable, the AK-47 is one of the most popular assault rifles in the world. It is most deadly in short, controlled bursts of fire.”

AK-47 is a Terrorist-side-exclusive assault rifle in CS:GO, known for its high damage, long-range accuracy, and justified pricing. The gun can effectively kill a fully armored (Kevlar+Helmet) CT with one headshot or 4-5 body shots, something that its CT counterparts (M4A4, M4A1-S) cannot do.

The statistics of the AK-47 are as follows:

• Cost - $2700
• Bullets per magazine - 30 bullets
• Reserved ammo - 90 bullets
• Damage unarmored - 143 HP (Head), 35 HP (Chest & Arm), 44 HP (Abdomen & Pelvis), 26 HP (Leg)
• Damage armored - 111 HP (Head), 27 HP (Chest & Arm), 34 HP (Abdomen & Pelvis), 26 HP (Leg)
• Firerate - 600 RPM
• Recoil control - 68%
• Accurate Range - 24m
• Armor penetration - 77.5%
• Kill reward - $300

The AK-47’s major disadvantage is its firing inaccuracy that sets off after spraying a few bullets and the heavy recoil that comes with it. The gun's upward recoil is fairly powerful and requires more mouse movement to control the spray. The side-to-side recoil also becomes stronger after firing 8-9 bullets and is more difficult to correct.

The rifle’s rate of fire is also lower than its CT equivalents' and is more hefty, thus slowing the player down more. It is one of the loudest guns in CS:GO and has a very distinguishing firing sound, allowing opponents to easily identify the users of the firearm.

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M4A4

The M4A4's official description in CS:GO says the following:

“More accurate but less damaging than its AK-47 counterpart, the M4A4 is the full-auto assault rifle of choice for CTs."

M4A4 is an exclusive Counter-Terrorist assault rifle in CS:GO. Although costlier and less damaging than the AK-47, it compensates for its weakness with its superior accuracy, controllable recoil, better fire rate, and less weight, enhancing the player's mobility.

Here are the statistics of the M4A4:

• Cost - $3100
• Bullets per magazine - 30 bullets
• Reserved ammo - 90 bullets
• Damage unarmored - 131 HP (Head), 32 HP (Chest & Arm), 41 HP (Abdomen & Pelvis), 24 HP (Leg)
• Damage armored - 92 HP (Head), 23 HP (Chest & Arm), 28 HP (Abdomen & Pelvis), Leg: 24 HP (Leg)
• Firerate - 666 RPM
• Recoil control - 77%
• Accurate Range - 30m
• Armor penetration - 70%
• Kill reward - $300

This rifle takes two headshots to kill an armored Terrorist or 5-6 body and arm shots. The M4 is a very versatile weapon for all ranges and proves to be deadly when handled properly. During a full buy round, this automatic rifle can lock on to long-range gunfights and, due to its better accuracy, can turn the round in your favor.

However, the M4A4 comes with a few disadvantages. Its lower damage can sometimes prove to be fatal in a gunfight, along with its slower reload time. The firearm also has a costly price tag, which can sometimes ruin a team’s economy. The gun's armor penetration is also lower than its T-side counterpart and hence falls short when it comes face-to-face with a fully armored opponent.

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Verdict: AK-47 takes the edge over M4A4

Comparison of M4A4 and AK-47 in CS:GO (Image via Sportskeeda)

Here is a clear comparison of statistics between the two assault rifles -

Stats	M4A4	AK-47
Damage per shot	33 HP	36 HP
Headshot Damage	92 HP (armored) 131 HP (unarmored)	111 HP (armored) 143 HP (unarmored)
Fire rate	666 RPM	600 RPM
Accuracy	Better	Worse
Reload time	3.1 seconds	2.5 seconds
Movement penalty	Less	More

The AK-47 slightly edges past the M4A4 to become the best assault rifle in CS:GO due to its low cost, high damage, great armor penetration, and better first-shot accuracy. Even though the M4A4 provides better shooting accuracy and recoil control, the AK's superior firepower and the aggressive playstyle it can be paired with make it the perfect firearm to use at any range.

Ultimately, both assault rifles are effective in their own way and depend on the user's playstyle to be proven deadly in CS:GO's Active Duty map pool. The AK is for confrontational players who are looking to take gunfights confidently and one-tap their way to a round victory, and the M4 is for players who are inclined more toward picking strategic gunfights rather than dealing damage.