5.45x39 AR Upper

[poak]

I've been toying w/ the idea of picking up a 5.45x39 AR upper (or even S&W's MP15R)... With ammo savings, it would probably pay for it self over time. Any thoughts on the cartridge, or it's performance on the AR platform?

I'm assuming 5.56 mage will work, right?

[Kevo]

I used to think that is was simply a 7.62 x39 necked down and assumed it was much better than 223. However it is not. For the price of an upper you could pick up a Tantal. How cheap is the ammo?

[poak]

How cheap is the ammo?

Here's one example: AIM Russian 5.45x39 53grn FMJ Russian 5.45x39 53grn FMJ

[R1100R]

I own one and love it. I bought ammo at 120.00 a can. Mine shoots as well as my other AR with standard military ammo.

You need to use C-products 5.45 mags. One comes with the upper.

you can use a standard .223 mag for up to 10 rounds. The OAL for both the rounds is about the same, But the 5.45 case is much shorter, its the long bullet that makes the difference.

I also own a Tantal and it in no way shoots as well as this AR. Plus my tantal does not keyhole.

The only difference is you have to add one step to the cleaning process if you use

surplus ammo. I love my S&W AR in this round.

Poak, I will be home on leave in October. You are more than welcome to shoot mine.

[poak]

I own one and love it. I bought ammo at 120.00 a can. Mine shoots as well as my other AR with standard military ammo.

You need to use C-products 5.45 mags. One comes with the upper.

you can use a standard .223 mag for up to 10 rounds. The OAL for both the rounds is about the same, But the 5.45 case is much shorter, its the long bullet that makes the difference.

I also own a Tantal and it in no way shoots as well as this AR. Plus my tantal does not keyhole.

The only difference is you have to add one step to the cleaning process if you use

surplus ammo. I love my S&W AR in this round.

Poak, I will be home on leave in October. You are more than welcome to shoot mine.

Awesome, thanks for the info.

Sounds like a worthwhile investment. With those kind of ammo prices, I'd imagine I would get a lot more range time in on my AR, and that's the ultimate goal.

I'll probably take you up on that offer

[Kevo]

Wow! That is cheap:)

[Trekbike]

I've been toying w/ the idea of picking up a 5.45x39 AR upper (or even S&W's MP15R)... With ammo savings, it would probably pay for it self over time. Any thoughts on the cartridge, or it's performance on the AR platform?

Yea, I've been thinking the same thing after I read the article in S&W's 2009 catalog on the M&P15R. Sounds like a winner.

The only thing I was worried about was I thought I heard some talk about trying to ban imported russian ammo. Not sure if this is true.

I know that everybody's always trying to ban something.

[R1100R]

All the Russian compaines are starting to release civilian ammo in this caliber. I have seen Barnul hunting ammo and silver bear in this caliber. you can already get reloading dies. Also the East German and Polish surplus has not made it onto the market yet.

[Guest Todd@CIS]

Here's one example: AIM Russian 5.45x39 53grn FMJ Russian 5.45x39 53grn FMJ

I have no experience with 5.45 AR15s, but I do wonder how corrosive ammo and the AR's gas system would mix? With an AK, its easy to clean out.

If I had one of these uppers, I might stick with commercial, non-corrosive 5.45.

[R1100R]

I can't speak for the other uppers but on the S&W it is all chrome lined and has a

stainless gas tube. You just run hot water/window cleaner through it and blow it out.

Then clean as normal. My tantal gets funkier with the surplus ammo because of the cheap steel. The tantal you have to clean immediately. Don't let it sit over night

The guys here have shot thousands of rounds of surplus with no issue. There are four

that I know of that shoot 5.45. From the rangemaster there are more. I am stationed at a BCT/AIT Fort. These people show up with all kinds of weird stuff. I know guys that complain about 7.62/39 AR's due to mag and feeding problems.

[poak]

I have no experience with 5.45 AR15s, but I do wonder how corrosive ammo and the AR's gas system would mix? With an AK, its easy to clean out.

If I had one of these uppers, I might stick with commercial, non-corrosive 5.45.

Good catch, I didn't know that was corrosive ammo.

I can't speak for the other uppers but on the S&W it is all chrome lined and has a

stainless gas tube. You just run hot water/window cleaner through it and blow it out.

Then clean as normal. My tantal gets funkier with the surplus ammo because of the cheap steel. The tantal you have to clean immediately. Don't let it sit over night

The guys here have shot thousands of rounds of surplus with no issue. There are four

that I know of that shoot 5.45. From the rangemaster there are more. I am stationed at a BCT/AIT Fort. These people show up with all kinds of weird stuff. I know guys that complain about 7.62/39 AR's due to mag and feeding problems.

Cool, sounds like they anticipated the use of corrosive ammo when designing it, eh?

Good to know the extra steps in cleaning aren't too bad.

How many rounds would you guess you've ran through yours? Would you say it's been generally trouble free?

[10Kilr]

LiveCloud Login

Here are some mags for sale if you go the 5.45 route.

[R1100R]

LiveCloud Login

Here are some mags for sale if you go the 5.45 route.

Why sign up for for another forum. You can just order them from the source that is making the mags just for about everybody else at half the price. Plus the the company is Veteran owned.

C Products Store

Poak, I have only got about three to four hundred flawless through mine. I just went home to pick it up. Thats in two trips to the ranges here at the Fort.

Edited September 3, 2009 by R1100R

[10Kilr]

He doesn't have to sign up. Dude is selling 9 C products mags for $90. If your interested Poak, let me know. I really don't care where he buys them, just trying to help a brother out.