I’m an avid hunter, and shooter. I own quite a few bolt actions and a few Browning Bars, but I’m new to the AR world. I just bought my first AR about a month ago and love it! Now I have the bug! I was thinking of getting an AR in 7.62X39. How many of you have one, and have you had any issues? This AR will primarily be used for plinking, and deer hunting. Any advice will be much appreciated.
If you are really itching for an AR in something other than 5.56/.223, get a .300 BLK.
That way you won’t have to deal with finnicky mags (due to straight mag well and a heavily tapered cartridge) and bolts with a short life span (less material on bolt as the 7.62x39 has a wider base).
From what I’ve read .300 blk was designed specifically to be surpressed. I wonder how it’d be for a hunting round, and what will ammo availability be 5-10 years from now.
Or get a sexy remington 700 in 300 aac blk
I’m sure I’ll be barred now, but I’m not a huge remington fan. I’d rather have a browning any day! Not saying that they don’t have quality firearms, but I’m a browning man all the way!
Personally, I would go 300BLK over 7.62x39 because of the interchangeability with 5.56/223. Literally, the ONLY difference is the barrel. Bolt, mags, etc. are all the same. It uses standard .30 cal bullets. The only drawback is ammo prices. ~$1 a shot for plinking ammo. I reload, so I don’t have to worry about that. I can load match ammo ~$.40/rd and plinking ammo ~$.25/rd. If you happen to get into this cartridge, I would highly advise getting into reloading if you’re not already.
300BLK is not solely for suppressed use. I have one and don’t see myself getting a suppressor any time soon. IMO, 300BLK is the perfect hunting round. I mainly use mine for hog hunting, but I do plan to use it for deer in the future once I figure out a nice shooting load.
Read up the 300BLK and you will be amazed how versatile this cartridge is.
Doing a 7.62x39 upper build/assemble right now myself. Do not have the time to reload (I do know how) and also have an AK, so ammo is already stockpiled. Proper mags and a bolt that can take abuse is an absolute for this creature, so I’ve been told by people who have successfully got ones running. Thought about 300BLK, they have been saying ammo is going to be affordable ever since it came out, it still isn’t (and I wasn’t real impressed with accuracy, do net searches https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?141877-About-ready-to-give-up-on-300blk ). With proper research and components a 762 range/hunting gun is possible. I do plan on getting a 300 down the road, because it is a cool little round with some POP, just not right now. If have time and/or $ then maybe 300BLK is for you, that’s up to you to decide.
Check out Cason Engineering http://shop.casoneng.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=58 from site-- •Patent Pending, optimized design for improved life expectancy
•Other manufactures take a .223 bolt and a .223 extractor and just machine away extra material to make room for the 7.62x39 cartridge, often leaving weak spots in the bolt and extractor geometry where failures can initiate
•We have re-engineered the bolt and the extractor geometry to add material where it’s needed, and trim it where it’s not
•You get an enhanced, optimized bolt and extractor that will outlast any competitor’s bolt/extractor
•Due to the redesigned geometries, our 7.62x39 bolt must be used with our 7.62x39 Extractor – they are designed to work together
•CNC machined from an ultra tough, aerospace grade stainless steel for improved life
•Dense chrome finish, Rockwell C hardness > 70, enhanced lubricity
7.62x39 AR isn’t an easy one, but not an impossible one either. Again, up to you to decide. I got hooked when tried to choke out a buddies x39, it didn’t and was I hooked (plus as mentioned, have a$$ load of ammo already). So I decided it might be for me. Maybe not the popular choice, but mine.
I have yet to see a well executed 7.62x39 in the standard AR platform.
To go to 7.62x39, you really need to make significant alterations to several key parts.
I would recommend one of 3 options:
1: Get some good 5.56 ammo. There are many solid choices for duty and hunting.
2: Go with .300 Blk. It is irrelevant if it was the foundation of a suppressed platform/concept, it does nicely at supersonic velocities and there are good options that preform well at the lower velocities.
3; Go with a .308/7.62x51. While this used to primarily be the playing ground of those with significant funds, there is now a plethora of offerings, and the effectiveness of .308 is without dispute.
I know of an Armalite M15 7.62x39 that runs. Mid-length gas system, 16 inch barrel. They run under $1000 right now if you can find one.
-Use ASC or Cproducts Defense magazines, they normally work fine, only load 28 rounds in them.
-to fire Russian ammo get a longer firing pin from Model 1 Sales or other maker of this pin, or modify a standard 5.56 firing pin, it isn’t hard.
-to fire Russian ammo get a Wolff extra power Ar15 hammer spring.
-Same rules for using steel case ammo in 5.56 Ar’s apply in 7.62x39 Ar’s. (i.e. Clean the chamber at least every 500 rounds, don’t fire steel after brass, don’t let a steel-cased round sit in a hot chamber)
-Like 5.56 AR’s, JHP’s and JSP’s don’t feed as well as FMJ and ballistic-tip ammo.
Now if you plan to use USmade brass-cased ammo and don’t care about mag capacity your in luck. You won’t need the firing pin or hammer mods! Just buy the rifle (or upper) and you can use regular 5.56 mags, too! (they usually will feed 4-6 rounds)
I was in this same predicament. I went with the 300 blk. I’m a reloader and already had tons of 308 bullets. I have a friend that has done lots of hunting with one and has had excellent results with Barnes 110 TTSX for hogs/deer and Nosler BT 125’s for deer. Hornady 110 A-max shoot under M.O.A. I’ve only got about 100 rounds thru mine so far and love it. I chose the 300 blk due to the bolt and mag issues, listed above, that seem to plague the AK ammo. Good luck with your decision.
My Colt 7.62X39 has run well on USA mags but that company is no longer producing them and may be out of business.
While most appreciate Remington for some variants over others this is not exactly blasphemy regardless. Pretty sure you’ll survive.
For optimal reliability with 7.62x39, get an AK. If you want something more AR-ish, I have heard that the recent Sig 556Rs are more reliable than earlier guns. If you are shooting past 200 yards, there are better choices than x39. But for a general purpose brush gun, an AK is hard to beat.
After much research and some very good advice, I’ve decided to go with the .300 blackout. Could care less about the ability to surpressed, but hey it the mood hits me I have that option. I like the .308 ar’s but there’s a huge difference in weight. I’m going to order my rifle tomorrow!
I would also choose a 300 BO as the magazine issue is the center of the “problems” with a 7.62 x 39 AR. No problems with the kit pictured, Colt 5 shot magazines and a working C products 25 round. Old metal 20 round GI mags normally run up to 7 rounds flawlessly.
.300 BLK does well in supersonic loadings as well, and plenty of hogs have been put down by this. Shot placement is more important tan caliber anyways.
Good point about ammo availability, but reloading .300 BLK is relatively easy, being a mix of .223/5.56 and .308 components.
For me, just looking at the the thin edges of a 7.62x39 AR bolt and the mag curvature abruptly coming to an end at the top of the magazine is enough to put me off the x39 AR idea.
For a long time, I was fascinated by the PWS 7.62x39 Diablo (and even the longer versions), and as well made as they are, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
300BLK ammo has been showing up for under $1/rd. I recently saw an online retailer sell them for $44/50rds.
Definitely go with the 300BLK AR. Ammo should become more available as things are calming down and ammo in every caliber is coming back. Reloading will help you in the long run also.
I was gonna say, if you really wanted a 7.62x39 rifle just get an AK, 556R, or LAR47.
Does not Rock River Arms offer an AR-15 style carbine in 7.62 x 39 that takes AK 47 magazines?
They’ve been advertising them for about a year now, but to my knowledge still haven’t shipped a single rifle to those who’ve pre-ordered them.
We wouldn’t have this problem if Knights would just release a Civvy SR-47.