AR-15 in AK calibers

[AK0perator47]

Same!

E-Landers are amazing

 

[osprey]

Cdp mags are what I use.

 

[Member 53328]

Buy an AK if you want a 7.62x39. I wouldn't waist time or money to be disappointed with the end result.

 

[MfnLeadFarmer]

Buy an AK if you want a 7.62x39. I wouldn't waist time or money to be disappointed with the end result.

Got one of those too. Problem is suppressing one is harder than AR. Not to mention this caliber in an AR has so many advantages. Sure it has its shortcomings like anything else; but, the relatively cheap price of 7.62 when compared to 5.56, way better ergonomics, modularity, and ease of suppression are just a few of the reasons I've transitioned to 7.62x39 in this drought. I'm hardly disappointed with mine.

 

[GrayGoose]

Got one of those too. Problem is suppressing one is harder than AR. Not to mention this caliber in an AR has so many advantages. Sure it has its shortcomings like anything else; but, the relatively cheap price of 7.62 when compared to 5.56, way better ergonomics, modularity, and ease of suppression are just a few of the reasons I've transitioned to 7.62x39 in this drought. I'm hardly disappointed with mine.

Agreed, suppressing it is the main reason I built my 7.62x39 AR as opposed to an AK. A YHM Ti-Phantom QD nicely tames it's bark. About 2k rounds so far, with the tweaking I mentioned in an earlier post with springs and firing pin it still runs like a champ.

 

[MfnLeadFarmer]

Agreed, suppressing it is the main reason I built my 7.62x39 AR as opposed to an AK. A YHM Ti-Phantom QD nicely tames it's bark. About 2k rounds so far, with the tweaking I mentioned in an earlier post with springs and firing pin it still runs like a champ.

I put all the Q stuff on my cans including my Saker. It's really hard not to smile when you shoot it. It's gets even better shooting subs through my octane45. It's the poor man's 300BO.

Yeah those growing pains are irritating to say the least. It's all worth it now.

 

[Member 53328]

Got one of those too. Problem is suppressing one is harder than AR. Not to mention this caliber in an AR has so many advantages. Sure it has its shortcomings like anything else; but, the relatively cheap price of 7.62 when compared to 5.56, way better ergonomics, modularity, and ease of suppression are just a few of the reasons I've transitioned to 7.62x39 in this drought. I'm hardly disappointed with mine.

That's understandable. The first AR I built was a 7.62x39. Needless to say I didn't keep it long. Sold the upper and went to a 300 black out. And bought an Arsenal SLR107. If I am running a 30 cal suppressed through an AR platform I am going to go with the blackout. But I understand the climate and needing to be able to shoot what is available. Good luck with whatever you end up doing.

 

[ar addict]

Have one in each caliber, used Adams Arms gas piston and C-products mags.
Don't remember anything special about firing pin or springs.
Fired a couple of mags in each, put them away and went on to the next build.

 

[Wombat of Doom]

I have a PSA 7.62x39 upper, & the stupid thing has been reliable just popped onto a random lower. Granted, the Vepr is by far and again my preference for 7.62x39, that or my cz527 and my old SKS I bought at age 12.

 

[Mecanik]

The only thing that's wrong with the AR is the caliber they chose, It should have been about a .250 or a .264 diameter bullet about 90 to 110 grains.
And I don't doubt someone has made a wildcat of that size already.......

 

[Wombat of Doom]

The only thing that's wrong with the AR is the caliber they chose, It should have been about a .250 or a .264 diameter bullet about 90 to 110 grains.
And I don't doubt someone has made a wildcat of that size already.......

6.5 Grendel?

 

[Mecanik]

Just checked they already make it. 25-45 sharps... They make the barrels too.

 

[titsonritz]

For the 7.62x39, I spent some more time on. I got a good deal on a 10.5" barrel, and bought a 7.62x39 BCG. Also bought a enhanced firing pin, for harder primers, and a Wolff extra power hammer spring. Had some reliability issues with cycling, but after tinkering with it finally got it work, mostly.

All in all it was fun to tinker with, but I would never trust them personably for anything other than a toy. I've decided I still want something in 7.62 and 5.45, but I want to spend the extra on a AK platform.

^^This

Seems to me 5.45 x 39 would be just fine in the platform, but running 7.62 x 39 you are going to have a hard challenge finding reliable magazines to feed it because of the straight walls in the magazine well, plus the bolt face is honed out for the larger shell casing base that makes the bolt lugs more delicate.

IMHO- I'd give the 7.62 x 39 a pass in the AR15 platform, unless you went with the "AR-47" lower that runs true AK mags.

^^and this.

The extreme taper of the 7.62x39 cartridge necessitates a curved magazine (ie AK-47/AKM mags) for reliable feeding which is not conducive with the straight wall mag well of the AR receiver. The 5.45x39 isn't as drastic and more forgiving.

Back when 7n6 was readily available and dirt cheap, it made a lot of sense to have a 5.45 for a training weapon setup the same a your primary 5.56 gun, but these days with the ammo gone and most solid manufacturers no longer offering barrels in that chambering it no longer make much sense unless you have a pallet of ammo laying around and even then I'd say get an AK-74 and be done with it.

 

[AK0perator47]

6.5 Grendel?

I actually have a Grendel! Have not shot it yet... I have AKM as well but was thinking about building one in the AR platform. Just want to also have a 545 rifle but trying to get one is almost impossible and when I did find one the price was ridiculous.

 

[titsonritz]

6.5 Grendel?

The 6.5G has the same problem as the 7.63x39 trying to fit it's bigass in the AR's tight jeans. IMO, the 6mm ARC and .277 Wolverine look the most promising "upgrade" in caliber.

 

[Knobgoblin]

PM sent on your ammo

 

[Rkangel]

That's understandable. The first AR I built was a 7.62x39. Needless to say I didn't keep it long. Sold the upper and went to a 300 black out. And bought an Arsenal SLR107. If I am running a 30 cal suppressed through an AR platform I am going to go with the blackout. But I understand the climate and needing to be able to shoot what is available. Good luck with whatever you end up doing.

Can't afford the second mortgage to shoot 300 Blackout right now.

 

[Boboclown]

5.45 and 7.62x39 seem to be the only somewhat affordable ammo available these days. Still researching buffer weights and gas blocks myself. Leaning more toward 7.62x39 as 5.45 parts tend to be harder to find. Some research suggests that 5.45 tends to burn through barrels quickly. Anyone with experience on 5.45 barrel life?

5.45 is way more fragile in the availability department. As for barrel life, its a fast bullet relatily. Expect it closer to a stee case .223 barrel life. ARs were never really meant for steel cased ammo like AKs are.

Plus its harder to find magazines for a 5.45 AR. I have AK74 mags and 5.56 AK mags, trust me they are not interchangeable. To get 5.45 mags to feed 5.56 is somewhat doable, but not the reverse.

Lowers that accept AKM/AK47 mags need modification to use AK74 mags so that's not a good route either.

 

[Boboclown]

The extreme taper of the 7.62x39 cartridge necessitates a curved magazine (ie AK-47/AKM mags) for reliable feeding which is not conducive with the straight wall mag well of the AR receiver. The 5.45x39 isn't as drastic and more forgiving.

Slightly more forgiving but good luck finding mags. I've made AK74 mags to feed 5.56 in my Arsenal 106, and I can say that the reverse isn't doable. Can't make a 5.56 mag to feed 5.45.

Its easier to make a slightly more curved mag to feed ammo that has somewhat less taper than it is to do the opposite.

 

[billdeserthills]

I tinkered around with a 5.45 and a 7.62 AR builds. Got some great deals on barrels so I thought I'd give it a try.

For the 5.45, I didn't do anything special other than 5.45 barrel (16") and 5.45 BGC (and mags). I think I got a bad barrel though, first round would always fail to extract and I'd have to hammer it out from the muzzle. Eventually just threw the barrel away and called it quits.



I had the same trouble with a recent AR-10 build, finally found the bolt needed adjusting, I finally replaced the bolt and now it works fine