Need Advice on 7.62x39 rifle or upper??

[snoryder1]

Gentlemen,
I need your advice. I want to shoot the 7.62x39 cartridge, in steel case, due to the relatively low cost. My question is, am I best off buying a used AK 47 to play with, or can I get a good upper for my AR and have accuracy with my fun. I have been cautioned that AR uppers in this configuration often do not run well.... what does everyone think?? Constructor?? H.. what do you say??

Thanks in advance for your time and knowledge.

[Boros]

I've had a cheapo-BT 7.62x39 kit for couple months, and just sprung for for an AR-15 performance upper. Why not? I've had limited experience, only about 200 rounds, but haven't yet had one FTF, with the cheap kit. I know that I lucked out, as I was using garbage ammo. But the accuracy is impressive, and I really can't afford to shoot other calibers as much. Shooting my 200rds of 7.62x39 cost me about $40. Shooting the same amount of 6.8 would have cost me well over $200. I'm not getting the accuracy out of it that I do with my 6.8 or 5.56, but my cheap 7.62x39 rig groups a hell of a lot better than my AKs. Then again, I've been shooting the cheapest ammo out of the cheapest upper possible. I expect my AR-15 Performance upper will group better, and paying more than $.15 a round would give me even better performance.

Here's a pic of my rigs.



I've had good luck with the C-Products mags, but have tended to shoot mostly from the 10 rounder.

My 6.8 is still my hunter of choice, but the 7.62x39s are great plinkers. Hell, they'd wreak havoc on medium-sized game too.

I plan on dragging the new rig to the range, and blasting another 200 or so rounds, this weekend. I'll be sure to post a range report.

[constructor]

The new CP mags seem to feed fine especially with M4 ramps on the barrel, I haven't had any issues and all I run is Wolf 123 HPs.
Accuracy is right around 1.5" at 100 which is fine for deer hunting out to 200yds.
It's cheap and could do the job so whats not to like, I am building myself a 5.45x39 right now so I can shoot more for less money.

[mliann22]

I suggest a complete new rifle but I don't think you would lose either way. By the time you buy the upper approximately $550 and up you could have a nice ak. Although you won't be able to practice like its an ar15(hope that made sense).

I just bought an arsenal slg-20 in 7.62x39 for $700. It has a Russian Saiga receiver, but is made with US Bulgarian parts and features the 74 break over the slant and has enough US parts to allow it to use the foreign magazines without violating 922. I have enjoyed the two hundred rounds I have put through it so far and can't wait to try out the new pk-a red dot and Midwest Industries rail system. I added the rail because the hand guard got pretty hot, so hopefully the rail will allow more air and with rail panels(not pictured) should help insulate my hand from the heat.

[Big Bore]

ARP (AR Performance) has their 7.62 x 39 16 inch mid length gassed nitro carborized barrel and Super Bolt on sale for $279.00. That with CP mags and you are good to go. My son and I shot over 300 rounds of Wolf lacquer metal cased ammo through mine in just an hour or so and with about 1,000 rounds through it it has yet to have a malfunction of any kind. And the ARP superbolt is set up to give you the proper firing pin protrusion for the deeper primed Wolf ammo. Other than the caliber of the barrel and the CP mags it is the same as any other build. ARP also sells the complete upper if you do not want to DIY.
And it is a hell of a lot more accurate than my VEPR II AK-47. When it comes to AKs, there are only two I would care to own, the VEPR II and the Arsenal Arms, AKs, likely the best AKs ever built. But dear God you will pay for the quality on either the Arsenal or the VEPR II.

[Boros]

Where's that sale? Can't find it on their site, but sounds like a deal.

ARP (AR Performance) has their 7.62 x 39 16 inch mid length gassed nitro carborized barrel and Super Bolt on sale for $279.00. That with CP mags and you are good to go. My son and I shot over 300 rounds of Wolf lacquer metal cased ammo through mine in just an hour or so and with about 1,000 rounds through it it has yet to have a malfunction of any kind. And the ARP superbolt is set up to give you the proper firing pin protrusion for the deeper primed Wolf ammo. Other than the caliber of the barrel and the CP mags it is the same as any other build. ARP also sells the complete upper if you do not want to DIY.
And it is a hell of a lot more accurate than my VEPR II AK-47. When it comes to AKs, there are only two I would care to own, the VEPR II and the Arsenal Arms, AKs, likely the best AKs ever built. But dear God you will pay for the quality on either the Arsenal or the VEPR II.

[Big Bore]

Here is the link.

It is hard to find, in fact, I was wanting to buy another but could not find it either and assumed he had sold out and I started something else. Then when the money was gone I stumbled into them still being for sale by accident. If he still has any left in a couple of months I will get another just for the heck of it. It really is a great barrel and I am glad I waited until someone did the barrel and bolt like it should be done without a lot of dickering around to make it run properly.

And don't hate me for having to sign for the barrel and bolt separately. I think I caused that because when my barrel and bolt shipped the barrel showed up, end of the tube open, and the barrel literally slide out of the tube when I picked the package up out of the package tub. UPS had destroyed the end of the tube and just slid the barrel back in the tube and left it. Since the bolt was lost ARP had to send me another and I noticed shortly after that that they started sending the barrels and bolts separately. Damned UPS...

[constructor]

You think that UPS deal was bad? We sent an upper to a guy, Ups checks their system and says that address does not exist so they made a new label and stuck it on our package then sent the $900 upper to who THEY think it should have been sent to. Now how do they know better than us where our packages should be sent? What a bunch of idiots! Luckily the guy waiting for his plastic mat to roll his office chair around on thought guns were illegal and was scared ****less called and wanted to get rid of it asap.
I think the guys that work in the distribution centers know what are in some of the packages and accidently loose them.
On the other hand the driver we have is a great guy.

[markd]

I tried a 7.62x 39 upper with the "good" mags. My very competent gunsmith who specializes in ARs told me that the 7.62x39 would NOT run reliably. Everybody else I knew who was supposedly "in the know" told me that the 7.62x39 would NOT run reliably. Well guess what??/ They were ALL CORRECT! It shot fine sighting in and for several rounds. Then it went to crap. Bottom line, I sold mine never EVER to own another or look in that direction again. If I cannot afford to shoot my 6.8s that run flawlessly, then I will just not shoot. My advice...AVOID the russian caliber in the AR platform.

[snoryder1]

I tried a 7.62x 39 upper with the "good" mags. My very competent gunsmith who specializes in ARs told me that the 7.62x39 would NOT run reliably. Everybody else I knew who was supposedly "in the know" told me that the 7.62x39 would NOT run reliably. Well guess what??/ They were ALL CORRECT! It shot fine sighting in and for several rounds. Then it went to crap. Bottom line, I sold mine never EVER to own another or look in that direction again. If I cannot afford to shoot my 6.8s that run flawlessly, then I will just not shoot. My advice...AVOID the russian caliber in the AR platform.

Ok, thanks for the comment. This is what I am afraid of.... my AR dealer gave me the same advice, he said that if I was going to shoot steel cased 7.62x39 ammo that an AK was the only reliable way to go. Yes he told me it would shoot 8" groups at 100yds... but it would run. I would really like to try an ARP 7.62x39 upper....?????

Thanks for everyone's comments thus far.... still pondering.