5.45x39 S&W AR15 Upper

I don't know what the poll is about but I would consider buying one if that is what your asking.

Wolf works fine in many guns, including mine, even with lacqued cases. I don't think that it will clog the gas tube, but I am relativly new to AR's though.

I'd assume that any reputable manufacturer making a 5.45x39mm upper would consider the issues of steel cases, steel jacketed bullets, lacquer coatings, and corrosive primers; and take measures compensate for them.

I'd expect it to have a chrome lined barrel and possibly a similarly treated bolt and carrier.

I don't see how a lacquer coated round is going to clog the gas tube. The lacquer isn't going to go down the bore, and if it did it couldn't clog the gas tube. I've never heard of anything clogging a gas tube except stuck pipe cleaners from people who think gas tubes need cleaning.

What does this poll mean??

im already saving up for one... if you clean your AR properly, you shouldnt have any problems

Lots of luck getting corrosive primer residue out of the FSB and gas tube.

BSW

You dont need luck, the Bulgarian ammo is barely corrosive. It is easy to clean out if you have an air compressor and some water anyway.

What's your question, nescante?

If the question is "What type of ammo would you use/avoid in a 5.45x39 AR-15?", my answer would be the most expensive stuff.

I've already started stockpiling 5.45x39 ammo while it's still cheap (been getting it for .08 cents per round...Bulgarian) in anticipation of this rifle/upper making it's way into my hands eventually.

I bought 20 cases this month (1080 rounds per case) and I plan on buying 20 cases next month.

That should keep me shooting for a long time!

BTW: I have no worries whether or not the ammo is corrosive. Corrosive ammo has been working fine, around the world, for over a hundred years. Just clean your gun. As for laquer clogging gas tubes??? Doubt that'll be an issue. On the off-chance it is, gas tubes are cheap.

There's a question here?

I am very interested in learning how the lacquer on a case melts, moves through the chamber, down the better part of the barrel, and then into the gas tube.

this poll does not make any sense, and you were told wrong.

I've never had a problem with lacquer cases in my ARs. The myth is the lacquer melts into the chamber, not that it clogs the gas tube. It's a non-issue assuming everything is in spec.

I'm sure the AR barrel will be chrome lined, just like the AK74's, so bi-metal will be a non-issue; assuming it even makes a difference.

Corrosive is not a problem either. Barrel will probably be chromed, gas tube is stainless, and the bolt carrier is chromed. Hoppes will take care of the corrosive power/residue of the Bulgarian 5.45 (even says it on the bottle "will remove corrosive residue..."). I've used it on my SAR-2 just like every other rifle I own. I do blast non-clor. brake cleaner into the gas port (this case gas tube) and blow out with an air compressor, just in case. If you must, my friend likes to use hot water instead and that works too.

The whole point of 5.45 is the surplus is cheap, well cheaper than anything else. If you're going to buy more expensive commerical ammo, just stick with .223.

Mags are going to be your biggest issue as I don't see how they're going to work well.

Lacquered cases

There have been events with using steel lacquered cases. The problem has nothing to do with the gas tube. It has to do with the lacquer building up in the chamber. This is not a myth, because I've seen it happen, but it was a full auto. The resulting complication is a stuck case. This requires a good deal of heat build up and extended use. In AR-15's this may be a concern as tolerances are tight. Would not recommend use of this ammo in full autos as heat build up occurs fast and will start to melt the lacquer and eventually result in a stuck case. This problem may have been addressed in the M&P. Most semi-autos will not see this unless you are not into weapons maintenance. The lacquer is to protect the chamber from undo wear from the steel case. If you use this ammo I would highly suggest buying broken shell extractor and carrying a cleaning rod.

Lacquered cases

There have been events with using steel lacquered cases. The problem has nothing to do with the gas tube. It has to do with the lacquer building up in the chamber. This is not a myth, because I've seen it happen, but it was a full auto. The resulting complication is a stuck case. This requires a good deal of heat build up and extended use. In AR-15's this may be a concern as tolerances are tight. Would not recommend use of this ammo in full autos as heat build up occurs fast and will start to melt the lacquer and eventually result in a stuck case. This problem may have been addressed in the M&P. Most semi-autos will not see this unless you are not into weapons maintenance. The lacquer is to protect the chamber from undo wear from the steel case. If you use this ammo I would highly suggest buying broken shell extractor and carrying a cleaning rod.

Look at the date of the last post.

Look at it this way: What's the diameter of an AR gas tube? Now reflect, what's the diameter of an AK-74 gas tube? Ever wonder why?

mljdeckard said:

Look at it this way: What's the diameter of an AR gas tube? Now reflect, what's the diameter of an AK-74 gas tube? Ever wonder why?

Click to expand...

Aside from the fact that the AK doesn't really have a gas tube, I'd say that the differences come from a lot of factors.

• Pressure curves of the ammo
• Mass of the bolt carriers
• Diameter of the gas piston/gas key
• Barrel lengths
• Desired cyclic rates

The whole point of these uppers is to utilize the cheap, cheap 5.45 surplus on the market. It's basically for cheap training, not serious use, so what does lacquer and corrosive ammo really matter?

I have tried steel cased Barnaul 5.56x45..

In my DPMS with less issues notably during cleaning than any brass ammo Ive ever tried.
Barnaul sells 5.45x39 thats non-corrosive, and is very clean, is also dirt cheap. The laquer coating is there to prevent the casing from rusting, thats all. The casings are very soft thin steel, in a few weeks after being fired they are rusted to dust anyways.
Besides, like suggested by others if you maintain your AR as you should, properly clean it like your life depends on it, no ammo will ever cause a problem with corrosion, dirt, carbon, etc.
Then again I know the average firearm owner fires a gun, wipes the outside off, squirts oil in and on it, then packs it away until next hunting season. Maybe its the fact that I was an infantryman who has been in combat and trained all over the world in all different climates, but maintaining a rifle properly and regularly is one of the most important things a rifle owner/shooter can do.
I have barnaul 5.56 on the way, and Im considering getting more and more soon.

I've got more than 500 rounds of surplus through my upper, no issues.

We have a complete 5.45 S&W MP rifle on the shelf that doesn't seem to get much excitement. I think most of my customers feel that the availability of cheap ammo doesn't justify paying well over a grand to shoot it. My biggest concern would be finding extra mags for your conversion upper. I'm quite sure you would be better served by buying an AK-74 style rifle for a lot less money that was designed from the git-go to fire the round and had a bunch of mags and accessories available for it.

There have been events with using steel lacquered cases. The problem has nothing to do with the gas tube. It has to do with the lacquer building up in the chamber. This is not a myth, because I've seen it happen, but it was a full auto. The resulting complication is a stuck case. This requires a good deal of heat build up and extended use.

Click to expand...

The build up in the chamber is not lacquer. In fact the lacquer has nothing to do with the jamming issue. It is a biproduct of using a steel casing. The steel casings do not expand as brass does and therefore, they let more carbon back into the chamber. This has been tested and it will happen if you shoot about 200 rounds of whatever steel cased ammo you find and then try shooting a brass round. It will stick almost 50% percent of the time. It is the carbon build up and not the lacquer that causes this. I can't remember where I saw this test. It may have been on BOX O TRUTH.

What mags do these uppers use?

I really don't see a future for 5.45 X 39 caliber rifles. I love the caliber but only the Russians use it any longer. Stick with .223/5.56.