Thoughts on AR 7.62x39

[fstdraw]

I'm thinking about building or buying a 7.62x39 AR. Those of you with experience in these please give me your opinions good and bad.

I reload this bullet and have tons of components. Looking for more accuracy than my Arsenal SLR 107FR is capable of. Thanks!

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[mhayd93]

I recently acquired a 16" HBAR 7.62x39 upper from Bear Creek Arsenal. I swapped out the standard firing pin it came with for an enhanced firing pin that allows for more protrusion (to reliably set off hard mil-spec primers).
Using Tulammo steel case ammo and a 28 round Duramag, it functioned flawlessly from the get-go!

I have not done any dedicated accuracy testing, but I can definitely say it is far more consistent and capable than my Chinese SKS, so take that for what it's worth! Very fun and pleasant to shoot as well!

 

[RustyNail]

I think 762x39 in anything other than an AK is just gay, lol. My thoughts.

 

[eldbillbo]

I bought into this a long time ago when 7.62x39 was $89 per thousand and as low as $69+shipping via mail order. The only purpose for this was cheap ammo. I know there have been some improvements I think CMMG has put a lot of effort into the design to work out all the bugs and I am sure there are just better mags nowadays. There were decent mags back then but care had to be taken to load them and we had an actually ban so there was no development of improved mags we were stuck with was made prior to 1994.

I enjoyed it but when wolf started producing .223 for just a little more it time to bag those fugly 7.62x39 ar15 mags and shoot what the Ar15 was designed to shoot.

It seems if you reload it would be better to get one in 6.8spc, 6.5grendel or .300blackout.

I was shooting a Colt sporter LW 7.62x39 and I think I had an Oly at that time they both worked really well. I have read that Colt bolts were better designed for 7.62x39 and unless it's been copied still stands true as they are built stronger to avoid bolt breakage.

 

[nwslopoke]

I have one. I took it from working great to messing it up now back to working good.

It works fine with the enhanced firing pin and heavy milspec trigger. I wanted a lighter but reliable trigger and went with a POF 4.5lb trigger, H2 buffer and 20 rd C-Product mags. ASC mags work OK but I think the C-Products are better.

Also, in bad conditions I was seeing 2" groups @ 100 yds with Tula and a cheap scope. The scope had slipped in the rings from my last time out.

 

[mhayd93]

I think 762x39 in anything other than an AK is just gay, lol. My thoughts. 762x39 was never meant to be a precision round.

Whoa there! Does that include the SKS?? You know the carbine that was chambered in 7.62x39 first!

Also, I think it is fair to mention that 7.62x39 ammo is commonly available and cheap (even now) compared to other popular calibers; quality AKs and SKSs, however, are expensive and few and far between! There is definitely a stronger niche than ever for a properly functioning 7.62x39 AR!

 

[osprey]

I have built several and have a barrel I use that results in a very accurate and reliable Ar with the right magazines. I have N of 7500 rounds through one build now and other than one broken extractor it has been flawless. As far as the 7.62x39 round not having accuracy potential, that is pure fallacy.

 

[TTSX]

My thoughts were "meh" until CMMG came out with the mutant, then the KS-47 from PSA so AK mags could be used. I'd probably buy one if I had a grand burning a hole in my pocket but dedicated 7.62 AR mags is a non starter

 

[Deerhurst]

I love my 7.62x39 ar! Midstate firearms upper with av3.5lb POF trigger. It has never even do much as hiccuped.

 

[Lennie]

I enjoyed it but when wolf started producing .223 for just a little more it time to bag those fugly 7.62x39 ar15 mags and shoot what the Ar15 was designed to shoot.
.

Just a FYI Wolf does not manufacturer or own any manufacturing facilities for ammo. They Market ammo under the Wolf name which is produced on contract with companies who manufacture ammo. They are a only distributor of ammo and sometimes primers for reloading. Their brass 223 ammo is loaded by the Taiwan military.

From Wikipeda
WOLF Performance Ammunition is a trademark associated with Sporting Supplies International (SSI), a corporation in the United States. It was founded in 2005. The ammunition was mostly manufactured by Tula Cartridge Plant in Tula, Tula District, Russia from 2005 to 2009. Some .22-caliber rimfire ammunition is made by SK Jagd und Sportmunitions GmbH (SK Hunting- and Sporting-Ammunition) of Schönebeck, Salzlandkreis, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

 

[Lennie]

7.62x39 is a very accurate round when carefully loaded. Reloading it brass cases has proven that.

In an AR platform, the opening in the end AR bolt which goes over the case head must be opened up in diameter to handle the larger 7.62x39 case head. This opening up of the bolt removes metal that serves to support the bolt lugs. This is why AR bolts for the 7.62x39 round suffer from lugs breaking off.

 

[Capn Jack]

This works for me. I'd like it better as an SBR, but I wont buy the stamp.

 

[Member 53328]

I built one. Ran one mag and sold it. 7.62x39 belongs in the AK platform in my opinion. And it's not the round I would look to for precision.

 

[LSWC]

I have an AR in 762x39 and prefer using my 300aac. Reloading options for the Blackout seem broader, the brass has been easier to find or create, and I can use existing magazines vs AR\AK mags. Functionality has been 100%. Accuracy on steel plates to ~100yds has been fine. If I had to choose one, 300aac would win - I have both and shoot the 762 far less often.

 

[osprey]

The 7.62x39 round gets a bad rap because of it's dinner plate groups out in many ak's. Some Ak's, more sks's and many ar builds can eek more accuracy out of the cartridge. My 16" ar build will shoot honest 1-1/4 ten shoot groups with wolf military classic ammo and a bit better with reloads. This is highly acceptable accuracy in my mind. I do recognize some weak points with 7.62x39 in the ar platform but accuracy is not one of them. Finding the right mags solves most of the feed issues but you will always have some inherent weakness in the bolt due to the opening up of the bolt face to accommodate the cartridge. I think this weakness can be mitigated by quality manufacturing though and I have yet to break a bolt lug with either a kak bolt or a young manufacturing bolt. As always, ymmv.

 

[nwslopoke]

My thoughts. 762x39 was never meant to be a precision round.

Isn't it the AK that wasn't built for precision?

I never measured my AK shots because they're iron sights and and I can't see worth a lick. The AR is scoped so I can't compare them apples to apples. I do know my Zastava is more accurate than the Saiga I used to have. At least I shot it better.

 

[Finnthedog]

PTR 32 ..

just saying

 

[Deerhurst]

Isn't it the AK that wasn't built for precision?

I never measured my AK shots because they're iron sights and and I can't see worth a lick. The AR is scoped so I can't compare them apples to apples. I do know my Zastava is more accurate than the Saiga I used to have. At least I shot it better.

7.62x39 does fine in accuracy. I run a saiga AK out around 300 yards. It rings steel with a red dot at 300 all day long. My 7.62x39 AR is very much the same, just oddly has more recoil.

 

[fstdraw]

MORE recoil from the AR? Hmm, would have guessed less. Half of you guys like it and the other half has issues. Now I'm in a quandary, I really have tons of reloading components and want to use them up. Maybe I'll forget the idea and chase 62 year old hotties around the playground, sling shot in my back pocket!

 

[HDR]

I built one after taking an inexpensive NIB Radical upper in a trade. First order of business is to get an optimized firing pin for Russian ammo. Other than that, it's been a hammer. 1.5 MOA out to 500 yards. Combined with my Primary Arms optic with ACSS reticle calibrated for x39, it's an absolute joy to shoot. I started the pandemic with 5k rounds of x39 on hand. My Daniel Defense AR hasn't seen daylight in 10 months. I say go for it.