5.56X45 AKs in military service

[TOrrock]

@gillian_seed

I think you guys have effectively persuaded my away from a 5.56 AK.

MilitaryArms: First of all, I want to say that I highly respect your opinion and thoroughly enjoy your youtube videos (please keep em’ coming)! The fact that you don’t own any more 5.56 AKs speaks volumes to me.

CumbiaDude & calvin118: Sustainability really does seem like a valid problem with 5.56 AKs. The points both of you bring up make sense to me.

I think for now I’ll choose an AK in 7.62 or 5.45 (in one of Arsenal’s flavors) and maybe pick up a Beryl one day if they ever come to the states, just for a fun gun.

Finally, thanks again to everyone for posting such fantastic content. Before starting this thread I searched google for reliable information regarding the military fielding of the 5.56 AK. And this thread has answered all of my questions and given me very cool pictures to look at. I’m truly grateful!

Good to hear.

@BaronFitz

I figured I’d add my two cents…

I have an Arsenal SLR-106F (with the side-folding AK-100 series stock) that I’ve owned for a year and change now. I recently ran it through a Vickers AK operator course, and had very good results with it.

A few thoughts, in a semi-organized fashion:

– The recoil is quite mild compared to the 7.62 “original recipe”, and ammo is arguably pretty easy to come by. The barrel is 1/7 twist, chrome-lined, cold-hammer forged, which is what you would expect from a good M4 type. The muzzle brake smooths the already easy recoil even further (but doesn’t do much for flash when shooting full powered 5.56). It is exceedingly accurate if you do your part…probably moreso than the 7.62 version.

– Larry Vickers says to get a Galil or Valmet if you want a 5.56 AK, and with some justification. The 5.56 cartridge is much straighter and less tapered than either 7.62x39 or 5.45x39, and requires a decent feed ramp to chamber reliably. Early Arsenals (mine included) had no feed ramp to speak of. Mine failed to feed properly as a result. It took a trip back to Arsenal and a subsequent tune-up trip to VA Arms to get my feed ramp in 100% shape. After that, it’s been 100% reliable.

– Mags aren’t exactly cheap for 5.56 AKs. If you’re running an Arsenal (and that’s the only one you should consider really for a 5.56 gun) you’ll need to grab some Bulgarian Circle 10 mags from k-var.com or whoever happens to have them locally. You’re looking at ~ $30 per mag on average. The black mags are the way to go for reliability. The clear ones look really cool and have the added advantage of a quick visual on your round count, but aren’t as durable. Some of mine have developed cracks…I intend to run them until failure and replace with black mags.

– You mentioned that you want to reload. I’ve noticed that my 106 tends to ding and deform brass in one way or another, probably due to the feed geometry. Parts are also rather hard to come by… I have no spare firing pins or extractors on hand for the 106 at the moment, though I’m told that k-var has them if you call.

All that said, I’m holding onto my 106. Once I gutted it out through the feeding issues, it’s been a 100% reliable gun, and it’s a lot of fun. Having had time to wring it out, I’d trust it just as much as my BCM if I had to grab up a personal long gun to take into harm’s way. As long as you’re cognizant of the ups and downs of the 5.56 guns and know what you’re getting into, they can be quite nice.

Baron pretty much nailed it.

[TOrrock]

And just for grins, some pics of some Bulgarian milled AK’s in 5.56mm that made their way into the hands of Colombian paramilitaries…

[CumbiaDude]

@gillian_seed

I think for now I’ll choose an AK in 7.62 or 5.45 (in one of Arsenal’s flavors) and maybe pick up a Beryl one day if they ever come to the states, just for a fun gun.

5.45x39 is much closer to 5.56 than 7.62 is to 5.56. For that reason, I’d recommend the 5.45 if that’s what you want (though they’re both good calibers, I have one of each )

[decodeddiesel]

I think it would be a mistake to discount 5.56 AKs coming out of Izhevsk. A converted 5.56 Saiga is absolutely a viable weapon system.

I realize it is a sample of one and all, however I have been really impressed with my AK-101 clone. I purchased/built it before they were importing the 5.45 Saigas. I don’t regret it for one moment. It has been for all accounts “AK reliable” and very accurate when optics are used. I agree magazines are not P-mag cheap, but I have been able to come across Bulgarian and Polish magazines a good prices fairly regularly.

[CumbiaDude]

If you do it, that’s the right way to do it. Factory weapon, military magazines, minimum modifications.

I know there is more than one guy on this forum rockin’ a 5.56 AK.

[Moose-Knuckle]

Great thread gents!

Question, for anyone with experiance on the Bulgarian SBRs (especially 106 series) have you had any issues with the gas system?

A while back I conversed with a guy on YouTube of all places who claimed he use to be an engineer at Arsenal and told me that I would need to remove the grommet in the gas tube in order to have an SBRed 106 funtion properly. . .

Just making sure it this is legit or not as I do not want to spread error-net here-say.

[CumbiaDude]

@Moose-Knuckle

… told me that I would need to remove the grommet in the gas tube in order to have an SBRed 106 funtion properly. . .

Just making sure it this is legit or not as I do not want to spread error-net here-say.

This is correct. The civilian “krinks” with 16" barrels have the properly sized gas port, then they put in a little “donut” to choke it down because of the 16" barrel. If you cut the barrel to the proper length, you remove the donut so you have the larger gas port.

It’s a neat way of making a civilian weapon that works as it should while also making it very easy to modify to work how it should if you shorten the barrel. All the hard stuff is done for you.

[Moose-Knuckle]

@CumbiaDude

This is correct. The civilian “krinks” with 16" barrels have the properly sized gas port, then they put in a little “donut” to choke it down because of the 16" barrel. If you cut the barrel to the proper length, you remove the donut so you have the larger gas port.

It’s a neat way of making a civilian weapon that works as it should while also making it very easy to modify to work how it should if you shorten the barrel. All the hard stuff is done for you.

Excellent, thank you for the clarification sir.

[HK51Fan]

I’d be interested in seeing some photos of what you’re describing! As an owener of an Arsenal 106UR I do plan to SBR in the future and have heard mixed stories concerning the gas ports. I’ve read from more than a few that they’re weapons were good to go after the barrel was cut and crowned and muzzle break or FH was installed.

I do agree that Arsenal has made these weapons ready to go for SBR complete with the threads already on the barrel down where it needs to be cut. I currently have one of the Kvar faux suppressors threaded over the 16inch barrel and it throws the weight of alot. The thing is extremely front heavy, but it looks so silly without it! So I’m stuck for the time being.