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Very tricky question this.
M16:
5.56x45mm NATO cartridge is capable of peircing armor
Three round bursts is more effecient than full auto
Modular design makes it adaptable to any battlefield
Is the base for the M4 carbine and HK416

AK47:
7.62x39mm Soviet round has superior killing power
It almost never fails (Unless you are using a low quality chinese copy)
Can be used by anyone
Most widespread assault weapon in the world
In existence since the end of World War Two


This is just some of the pros of these weapons. In reality they are on the same level, but are suited to different applications.

RK-62 all the way. ;D

.357 has a lot of pass through power making it less lethal. The .45 ACP load in the Colt is better for killing.

Who the hell thought this would be a good match-up? The .357 has less stopping power, more gas escaping because it's a revolver, is slow to reload, and if it's double action then it has a risk of breaking down from all the strain put on the parts to turn the cylinder and fire the bullet.
The colt has fewer moving parts per action (i.e. It doesn't have one thing moving two objects), a larger bullet, is semi-auto, and reloads many, many times faster.

Perhaps a more suitable comparison would be the original Colt revolver vs. the .357 magnum.

Or the Colt M1911 vs. the Luger.

PSG-1 vs. Dragunov?

Catch my drift? Compare similar things, not things that only have a few similarities (like being hand-held and firng bullets).

Kay so, they are both 7.62mm x 51mm NATO battle rifles, so part of this will just be comparing stats.

FN FAL-
Weight- FAL 50.61: 3.90 kg (8.6 lb)
Length- FAL 50.61 (stock extended): 1,095 mm (43.1 in), FAL 50.61 (stock folded): 845 mm (33.3 in)
Barrel length- FAL 50.61: 533 mm (21.0 in)
Action- Gas-operated, tilting breechblock [2]
Rate of fire- 650–700 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity- FAL 50.61: 840 m/s (2,755.9 ft/s)
Effective range- 200–600 m sight adjustments
Feed system- 20 or 30-round detachable box magazine


G3-
Weight- 4.7 kg (10 lb) (G3A4)
Length- 1,025 mm (40.4 in) stock extended / 840 mm (33.1 in) stock collapsed (G3A4)
Barrel length- 450 mm (17.7 in)
Action- Roller-delayed blowback
Rate of fire- 500-600 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity- 800 m/s (2,625 ft/s)
Effective range- 500 meters (550 yd), 100–400 m sight adjustments
Feed system- 20-round detachable box and 50-round drum magazine
Sights- Rear: rotary diopter; front: hooded post


In comparison, while many different models were present, in general the FN FAL was lighter weight, had a longer barrel (21 compared to 17.7, or 3.3 inches, and a somewhat longer range, around 100 meters) as well as increased muzzle velocity, resulting in more power (3422 joules compared to 3104, or 318 joules) and possibly more accuracy.

The gun's used the same ammunition, were designed for the same job, used 20 round magazines, and were designed to be using iron sights.



The key advantage that the G3 had over the FN fal (given it's inferior statistics for a weapon designed to do the same job, being heavier, having a shorter range etc.) was the retractable stock, that could be used to make the weapon fire-able while still possessing a shoulder stock at up to a 33.3 inch size, and increased reliability.

While the ability to shorten the stock (even more so than the M4 carbine retractable) is an obvious advantage, the reliability is less obvious. Reliability issues are hard to isolate and identify with theoretical weapon designs and, the ability of each weapon can depend simply on the weapon material.

That being said, the G3 was much heavier and used relatively strong materials, with many other features designed specifically to increase reliability, like polygonal rifling. The barrel chamber was fluted, which assisted in the initial extraction of a spent cartridge casing (since the breech is opened under very high barrel pressure), As the bolt carrier clears the rollers, pressure in the bore drops to a safe level, the bolt head is caught by the bolt carrier and moves to the rear as one unit, continuing the operating cycle. The bolt also features an anti-bounce mechanism that prevents the bolt from bouncing off the barrel's breech surface. The spring-powered claw extractor is also contained inside the bolt while the lever ejector is located inside the trigger housing (actuated by the recoiling bolt).

The firing mechanism in and of itself is also renound for it's high reliability.


The FN fal was decently reliable, in that it was easily fixed by the gas tappet system. One could also adjust it, to decrease recoil as well as power.

So, which is better?

I'd have to say that they are equal, with FN fal better for accuracy and power, with the G3 better for regular situations, with adequate accuracy and power but being small and highly reliable.