I was thinking today about AK 47 ammo, and why we really don't see any high performance ammo. I mean why no 90 grain loads or 100 grain loads to get a little more speed?
Printable View
I was thinking today about AK 47 ammo, and why we really don't see any high performance ammo. I mean why no 90 grain loads or 100 grain loads to get a little more speed?
I’m guessing that probably has to do with the unAmerican projectile diameter. Yeah, I know, some guns and some projectiles are .308, and some would certainly debate whether it matters. But, if I were in the market of making and selling high-end duty ammo, I would not touch 7.62x39. And it seems some that do, try to cut corners by using projectiles meant for larger cartridges.
I think x39 suffers the same problem US AKs have. People think they’re somehow super cheap to make in comparison to western stuff, because of all the stuff getting surplussed at the demise of the USSR. That’s only true if you cut corners, or you obtained it for near-free because near-anarchy.
Given that the main thing going for these weapons vs an M4 was price, the market has become built around garbage. Manufacturers seem to feel that the market doesn’t support the cost and effort of designing high-quality x39, and they’re probably right.
I of course have my AR platforms in 5.56, 6.5G, I also have a 6.5C rifle.
But I have 2 7.62x39 guns a PTR 32 and a Zastava, I wish it was possible to have a wider range of available ammo for these guns.
I am afraid you hit the nail on the head, for a variety of reasons AK's will stay right where they are and not see the advancement that the AR has.
In my book the performance ammo for X39 is Federal Fusion. Wish I could afford to have a stock of it. It's among the most accurate in my experience and the bullet is a performer. Anything Lapua is good too, but..... expensive and hard to find, over the years, over the decades. And now, total hen's teeth. Much of Lapua's production of X39 and X54R is said to be going to Ukraine. I'll bet Lapua's belted fodder-grade 7.62X54R is more accurate than almost anything else out there. I hate the thought of that primo ammo being hosed out of smooth-bore Maxim's and PKM's by the trainload!
The only reason anyone in the US ever cared about 7.62x39 was that it was basically free to shoot.
You tell people that the $5/box stuff is gone forever and what you can get, if you can even get any, is approaching $1/rd they are absolutely not interested. And that's FMJ crap. Anything "high performance" would have had limited audience even if blaster-crap was still cheap. Now...Forget it. Nobody's gonna make it because there's no market for $30/box x39.
What we need instead is a state-side plant shoveling shitty steel cased crap out the door as cheap as possible, but that's probably not gonna happen either.
I like this stuff too. I don't see it in Federal's catalog anymore...I wonder if they discontinued it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ned Christiansen
Wasn’t that stuff Nato flavored in weight, causing a low impact velocity? We know Fusion is capable of expanding as designed at some pretty shitty velocities, but that would be cutting it rather close for 7.62x39, no? I’m guessing ~2000fps ish at the muzzle?
This ^^. If i'm going to spend money on precision ammo, it sure won't ever be 7.62x39. I do have some Hornady 7.62x39 factory ammo in 123 AMAX and 123 SST that performs decently, but it's well over $1 per round now, which is absolutely ridiculous. The whole draw to the AK for most people (myself included) was a cheap rifle that shot cheap ammo. Unfortunately those days seem to be pretty much gone.Quote:
Originally Posted by kerplode
It was 123gr @ 2350fps per Federal. I never chrono'd any myself, however, but I'd expect it's in the neighborhood of 2200fps real-world.Quote:
Originally Posted by 1168
Kinda moot at this point, though, as it seems to be discontinued.
Looks like Hornday still catalogs their SST loading under the Black product-line. Still 123gr, however, and list is ~$2/rd.
Thanks. I’d have sworn it was 150gr like 5 years ago. I’m probably thinking of something else.Quote:
Originally Posted by kerplode
I've tried steel cased Hornady that used ballistic tip bullets I recall as 125 gr and having better accuracy than Russian fmj. I don't recall the diameter but probably .308. Low-flash powder, too.
I also tried Federal 125? Gr JSP. Brass cased. Accuracy was poor as they were .308 cal.
I think if you like 7.62x39 and want better accuracy and more bullet choices it's best to go with a .300 blk or .308 Win gun.
It would be nice if that improved .300 based on the .223 case caught on. .300 Hammer IIRC. It uses the same parent case & bullets as .300 but adds a few hundred fps to get 7.62x39 performance.
Oh, .300 Hamr doesn't work well from standard AR mags.
Forget that.
I have some 154gr Tula soft-points (I think it is Tula, don't quote me on that). While I haven't chono'd any of them, I have read that they yield around 2100fps from a 16" barrel.Quote:
Originally Posted by 1168