[michiganfan]

What is the difference and are they interchangable. Looking to get a SAR 2 and want to know if these two rounds are interchangable

[natedog]

Not interchangable. The 5.45 is based on the 7.62x39mm case, I believe. It has a very long bullet. The ballistics are similar though.

[BigG]

No they are not interchangeable. The 5.45X39 is what the Russians made after they saw the 5.56X45 (.223 Rem) in action. It's a totally different cartridge.

[Harry Tuttle]

not the same

The russians were impressed enough with 5.56 performance
to design their own poison needle
5.45x39

heres a comparison
http://www.izhmash.udm.ru/arms/ak102.html

[Snowdog]

Michiganfan, though it's not the best picture, this photo I took a while back might give you a visual of the dimensional differences between the 5.56 and 5.45.

Right to left: 5.56x45, 5.45x39 and 7.62x39


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid101/p8072cf6c875b6fcfd584fdf638ebbfa0/f9d7a88c.jpg

[michiganfan]

Thanks for the repleis and the pics. Now follow up which chambering should I buy. i believe that i can buy an AK 74 for either round.

[TCD]

Typically, when you say AK47 its 7.62 X 39, AK 74 5.45 X 39


The SAR line, the SAR2 is the 5.45 the SAR3 is the 5.56


I would personally go with the 5.45 in an AK type rifle.

[Dave R]

Which to buy? Depends on whether you want to be authentic, or whether you want better ammo availability (with higher ammo prices.)

AK's in .223 are getting hard to come by. I have one and enjoy it. You can find .223 ammo pretty much anywhere, of course.

The Russian 5.45X39 round is widely available at gun shows and on the Internet, at lower prices than .223. But you will not find it in most sproting goods stores and definitely not at Wal-Mart.

The 5.45 is the current, official Russian round. So a 5.45 AK is authentic. .223 AKs were built mainly for export. I think the Israeli Galil is the only .223 AK design that has ever been fielded by an army.

Parts availability is better for 5.45 Aks than for .223 AKs.