Windham Weaponry 7.62x39

M1key said:

Did anyone mention that Windham was once called...Bushmaster...and made very good reliable ARs with 4150 steel chrome lined barrels (likely from day one).

I use the ASC mags exclusively (prefer 20s) and shoot brass ammo exclusively (factory and reloads) in my Colt upper/RRA lower. If you shoot steel alot you may eventually break a bolt, so buy a spare (Superbolt if you can find one).

Good luck

M

PS: a forum search will reveal plenty of threads on this subject

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Many of the same workers. Some reports say half of them as well as Bushmasters original owner. It's not the same tooling (Bushmaster moved that to NY). Same physical property, dude still owned it.

The thread you're talking about is this one.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ys-ar-in-7-62x39-for-784.774905/#post-9828436

Not a shot fired in that one or much of anything in the way of usable information by a Windham Weaponry owner that's actually in 7.62x39. So I much prefer this one already.

I'll bet even money anything on the Windham 7.62 is very serviceable and completely upgradeable if you don't like it. Having owned and shot three different ones from three different manufacturers (cheap builds and expensive Colts), they all shot the same, functioned the same, just like about a billion other AR-15 based weapons, and there probably isn't a dimes worth of difference in any of them for any practical sporting purpose, unless you are planning on parachuting into Fallujah anytime soon...and you don't want to go there.

BTW, there are many more threads dedicated to AR-15 in that caliber--I contributed to several of them.

OP: buy it if you want one and enjoy...

M

Walkalong said:

I just went and checked, and the two 20's I have are ASC mags ordered from J&G. They don't work with steel or brass. Better with brass, but still jam up and give me bolt over jams.

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Do you know of any mags that work with both brass and steel?

Walkalong said:

I just went and checked, and the two 20's I have are ASC mags ordered from J&G. They don't work with steel or brass. Better with brass, but still jam up and give me bolt over jams.

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Sounds more like you're undergassed than problem with mags. My Model 1 20 inch was famously so until I opened up the gas port incrementally until it cycled reliably. Calling M1 twice was no help at all, ("Our lead tech just stepped out", etc). The upper would run fine before only with Golden Tiger (which seems to run noticeably hotter than most other steel).

I went to the Colt carbine and nary a problem with any ammo brass or steel. Some guys skip the rifle gas and build custom 20 inch/mid-length ported barrels which also run fine, which is what the guy I sold the M1 barrel to eventually did. Plugged the port altogether and drilled himself a middie port. Now he hunts with it on a regular basis.

M

Walkalong said:

Gas has nothing to do with rounds hanging up in the mag and not being pushed up so the bolt can pick them up, which is what happens.

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Give ASC a call and ask to make them work right. ASC did buy out C-Products a while back maybe you got some of their older stock. Just saying. There are other makers out there. Heck maybe try another bolt?

Bolt failing to pick up next round was exactly the symptom I was having. I watched it from the side as someone else fired it and observed the bolt wasn't coming back far enough. I decided it was short stroking and needed more gas or hotter ammo which ultimately fixed the problem.

I haven't had problems with 10 or 20 rounders. A friend has used several of the 30s and says they worked fine for him with the factory spring as long as you don't load more than 25 or so. His bolt broke at 2800 rounds after running it quite hard in a short period of time with steel. But that's another problem.

Bernie said his 30s work fine with AK springs.

Obviously YMMV. Sorry if you are having problems.

M

I purchased a government model 20" (5.56) several months ago and only recently installed a Vortex Viper PST 1-4x24 scope sitting atop an ADM Recon. I only have a few hundred rounds through it. I'm very impressed with the quality. The iron sights are dead on. Out of the box I only moved the rear sight to the left a tiny bit at 100 meters. I consider myself an average shooter and to me, it shoots like a laser. A deputy friend of mine had never fired a rifle length AR so I told him to have at it. He was like a kid at Christmas and ordered one. That was pretty cool. The coolest part was after he became familiar with it that day (mine), he double-tapped at 50 meters and the second round overlayed the first round target hit by a solid 90+ %. We both laughed. Anyhow, I really like it. The primary reason I purchased it was due to having read the Company story. Had a few questions about it in regards to the new scope and communicated with one of their gunsmiths / tech support types named Erik Winter. Very knowledgeable and great guy. He can also be found at another forum helping WW owners ( https://www.ar15.com/forums/f_2/489_Windham-Weaponry.html ). I feel I made a great decision.

To me the main advantage of an AR in 7.62X39 is increased accuracy potential and solid optics mounting. I have overcome both these issues while still being able to use the proven reliable AK platform. I am shooting the Arsenal SLR 107. I have added the excellent KVAR SM13 mount and a Leupold VX-R patrol scope. With this setup, I can easily hit small targets to 200 meters. (With my poor eyes if I can do it anyone can) I like the inherent reliability of the Bulgarian chrome lined rifle and excellent mags.

All you have to do is go to Midways website and order the AR Stoner mags for 7.62 39 and you will be in business. I run 25 rounds in their 30 round mags with zero problems. BTW I ordered a complete rifle build kit from psa today, in 7.62 39, for 299.00 shipped. A 50 dollar stripped lower and I am in business. I could not help myself. I hate that company. lol.

I have an older windham bushmaster 5 shots at 100 yds 4 of then in one ragged hole the 5th was a flyer, This AR has allways performed 100% never a FTF or FTE, Ive put thousands of hand loads through it, It shoots 55 grn v-max with 25.3 grns of TAC like a laser, I would buy another WW in a heartbeat, To bad freedom group ruined such a fine rifle, Best of luck to WW a fine company