Why 7.62x39

[Makintrax73]

This quote from DocGKR pretty much sums up why you might want it:

Because of the larger permanent cavity and greater bullet mass, the 7.62 x 39 mm JSP’s offer somewhat better performance than the .223 bonded JSP’s, like the Trophy Bonded Bearclaw use in the Federal Tactical loads. These 7.62 x 39 mm JSP loads are a good choice for use against car windows and should also be outstanding for hunting deer and other similar size game.

Cheap blasting ammo and the potential for better terminal performance. If you wanted an AR for blasting and hunting it's pretty easy to see why a 7.62 is attractive.

[TXBob]

That cheap blaster ammo has crappy terminal ballistics.

Also in the AR system, the taper of the the case can cause feeding problems. The taper of the case is what causes the the unique shape of the AK-Magazine.

No commie ammo in my AR. better to go with 6.5, 6.8, 300BLK etc...

There are much better alternatives for the AR and if you goal is cheap plinking ammo, 5.56 is tough to beat. Sure you may find 7.62x39 cheaper but that's after you get the upper/mags/etc... And providing you don't get feeding problems.

Its all hype (for an AR).

Now in an AK? why not? System was designed for it.

[Dirtyboy333]

The ammo sites that i buy my ammo from show that comparable rounds (quality wise, steel/brass) of x39 and 556 really are ABOUT the same price.... I'm not sure of this but it seems that the cheap surplus x39 is starting to run out.

[skyugo]

The ammo sites that i buy my ammo from show that comparable rounds (quality wise, steel/brass) of x39 and 556 really are ABOUT the same price.... I'm not sure of this but it seems that the cheap surplus x39 is starting to run out.

yeah when 7.62x39 was 100 bucks a case it was pretty cool. it's been over 175 a case pretty much the whole time i've been into evil rifles.

223 can easily be reloaded for 15 cents a round. GOOD 223. that runs well in AR's.

[Dirtyboy333]

yeah when 7.62x39 was 100 bucks a case it was pretty cool. it's been over 175 a case pretty much the whole time i've been into evil rifles.

223 can easily be reloaded for 15 cents a round. GOOD 223. that runs well in AR's.

Yeah, i know what you mean. If you compare even the cheap steel cased Brown bear, Tula etc. in 223/556 to x39 the x39 is only like 20-30 cheaper a case. last i checked on ammotogo.com the 223 Silver Bear 62gr was on sale and slightly cheaper than the x39 Silver Bear.

I havent really looked at the prices of old x39 suplus in a few months but what is it now? around $200?

Reloading is something that has really sparked my interest lately probably bc i'm a hands on kinda guy. I havent ever reloaded (yet) but i know my granfather used to love it. I'm 27 so id say depending on income i would like to start reloading by 28 which will be in June. The good thing is that luckily i've always picked up my brass after shooting so i have a lil head start. I want to cook up some accurate loads soon. Theres so many machines/presses and stuff that i'm very confused on where i should even start learning to reload. Maybe ill buy a book or something to get a grasp on all the different offerings and what i will need. When you say its around 15 cents a round (thats cheap) that is not including the brass right? What i mean is that the 15 cents or so a round is using your saved brass right and not brass you bought in bulk. Right now i'm spending 40 cents a round for Federal 55gr bulk pack at Wal-mart. So i could probably get heavier bullets like OTM's and still save $.

[KBAR-04]

I do like the 7.62x39 as a carbine cartridge. Im more of a fan of the 7.62 NATO but...the Soviet cartridge performs well for its intended purpose. I prefer it in the AK platform though and have had good luck using quality weapons.

[TXBob]

heck yeah for an AK. The same logic applies for 7.62x39 in the AK as 5.56 in AR.

I don't want to start an AR vs AK thread, but I think the original cartridges work best with their respective rifles. There's a lot of wisdom in using 5.56 in the AR and 7.62x39 in the AK. Once you start looking at improved ammo, the platform really comes into play. That's why I'd feel better about AR "Derived" cartridges over 7.62x39 in an AR, but wouldn't dream on using 6.8 or 6.5 in an AK.

[LMTRocks]

Regarding feeding problems---they can be solved. I am fully aware of the tapered case design not being ideal for the AR magwell but there are a few things can be done to enhance feeding of that cartridge. Plus, I never shoot steel cased ammo. I've seen too many stuck cases in ARs to consider doing that. Sure the Yugo Milsurp is corrosive however gunscrubber and CLP fix that when I put the BCG thru my cleaning ritual. One thing I can attest to is extending the feedramps perhaps 1mm to allow a lower center for the fatter cartridge to feed up. And using an H or H2 buffer so that the BCG doesn't outrun the mag.

[eldogg]

they are cheap to shoot and surprisingly accurate. my feeding / extraction problems were resolved when i opened up the gas port. then again, i built a piston ar.
http://carolinashootersforum.com/showthread.php?t=83130