7.62 Ar

Well before this thread is locked, do you have a 5.56/.223 sized lower, or a 7.62/.308..That makes a big difference on what upper you put on it....They each can only accept a certain sized round--mainly due to their mag well size..

The issue with 7.62x39 AR's is the magazines; they aren't the most available or reliable, or so it seems. Honestly, I would stick to the good, ol' 5.56. It may be a different story if Magpul decides to make a 7.62x39 PMAG, but don't hold your breath on that one.

I can think of a few reasons this could get locked.....

Ok now back to your question,
1. Got one. I like it just fine.
2. The upper runs great, but as mentioned mags are tricky I tried 4 or 5 before I got one that worked, well sorta worked.
3. Get whatever you think you will enjoy the most. This really is a preference. But then again, perhaps you should just get both. Then once that is no longer a problem, you will also need to pick up ARs in 6.5 Grendel, 9MM, 50 Beowulf, 300Whisper, and perhaps a 450Bushmaster.

First, there is some confusion on what you want - stating the bullet caliber doesn't tell us what cartridge your using - 7.62 x 39 or 7.62 x 54. Since it appears you have the AR15 lower, the larger one obviously won't fit. 7.62 x 54 uppers are a couple of inches longer, and a budget build on one is a real trick.

Assuming you meant 7.62 x 39 - the Russian AK round - again, budget build is a nice goal, but the caliber won't help much. There aren't a lot of suppliers in that caliber. Magazines aren't plentiful, the bolt is a specialty, and the barrel is had by a few - which has put you at the mercy of the few suppliers. All for the sake of cheap ammo.

Be careful there, historically low prices on ammo are that - a bubble in time. .308 used to be cheap, no longer. Blasting a lot of cheap ammo really isn't, and you get exactly that, performance based on milsurp or import, not the latest developments.

Bang for the buck means downrange performance to me. The 7.62 x 39 is a large, slow, blooper round seen on the range, with more than a few feet of drop at 300 yards. It's not a flat shooter, it's relatively slow for a cartridge, and guessing bullet drop at various ranges is a challenge. It's usually loaded in military rounds - not hollowpoint, so it will penetrate, but not expand.

The best comparison is that the 7.62 x 39 is just a rimless .30-30. After all the work and effort of building an AR, you won't get any better performance downrange than some old guy with a corduroy hat shooting his Winchester lever action on the next lane.

As said, a different caliber would give you different results. 5.56 would give you much flatter trajectories, 6.8 would give you 400 yard range and good lethality in a 16" barrel, 6.5 would give you 600 yard paper punching accuracy in a 20" barrel, and so on.

With the number of options out there, the build will turn out ok pretty much whatever you do. A good long look at what you'll really be doing with it, what caliber gets that job done, and how much you can spend leaves you using the 5.56 for the best bang for the buck. After that, everything is more expensive, and that means looking at what ammo costs are going to be like in the next ten years - not today.

Again, study the ballistics of each cartridge to match what you want in downrange performance, then build to that. It's not how cool the tool, it's what the results are.

First, there is some confusion on what you want - stating the bullet caliber doesn't tell us what cartridge your using - 7.62 x 39 or 7.62 x 54. Since it appears you have the AR15 lower, the larger one obviously won't fit. 7.62 x 54 uppers are a couple of inches longer, and a budget build on one is a real trick.

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Tirod, I believe you meant 7.62x51, not 7.62x54 (the Mosin Nagant round).

When I first saw the original post I thought the OP meant .308/7.62x51 also. This would require a special lower receiver. 7.62x39 (the AK/SKS round) would not.

The issue with 7.62x39 AR's is the magazines; they aren't the most available or reliable, or so it seems. Honestly, I would stick to the good, ol' 5.56. It may be a different story if Magpul decides to make a 7.62x39 PMAG, but don't hold your breath on that one.

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C-Products makes 7.62x39 mags.

http://www.cproductsllc.com/shop/index.php?cPath=22_36&osCsid=db6794d89572a135f7f079b5b1cebee1

I like my 7.62x39 AR15. No problems with it. But I prefer my 5.56 rifles for the reasons Tirod mentioned.

AR47 is an option if you can find one.

Yes C-Products makes mags. They don't work. If they did work I would still have a 7.62 upper instead of trading it in for a Mini-30.

For some reason I get the 51 and 54 mixed up. But your clarification just underscores the problem. There's another 7.62 - which also includes the .30-30 in whatever nomenclature.

As an admission of proponency, I'm building a 6.8. Seems like a good combination of improved lethality with the handiness of the AR, since my lever action .30-30 kicks a bit - metal butt plate and old cranky action.

No, that's not a self description. I think.

Hmmmmmm...Olympic Arms. I would pass on that one. Spotty record, IMO.

Order your upper from Model 1 Sales for $505. http://www.model1sales.com/item-det...u16carpre7.gif&CFID=60440898&CFTOKEN=32569194

I prefer the 20 inch barrel myself. C-Products mags work--10 rounders anyway. Even standard 5.56 mags work with about 5-7 rounds. For best results handload with brass cases. My Colt would put five rounds into an inch at 100 yards. YMMV.

If you want high-capacity 30 round mags, forget the AR and just get an AK.

Yes C-Products makes mags. They don't work.

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I've been able to get mine to work by using real AK mag springs. Only one of 12 has worked as delivered

The situation with Mini-30 mags was worse until Ruger came out with the factory 20 rounders.

--wally.

Russian steel case 7.62x39 ammo has harder military-type primers and in U.S. made firearms with lighter hammer springs, you get occasional failures to fire. A minor problem that is easily remedied by using softer-primered U.S. manufactured ammo or installing a heavier hammer spring.

Here is what I don't get your first AR15 should be a 5.56, why would you want your first AR to be a complicated, hard to find parts for proprietary caliber? First AR should be an AR15 in 5.56 or a AR10 in 7.62 (7.62 is the military term for 7.62 x 51 and officially recognized as such) It should not be a 6.8, 6.5, 7.62x39, 50 Beowulf or any other oddball chamberings.

Martialartsblackbelt, What do you really want to do with this rifle (besides killing zombies) and how much do you want to spend?

an ar10 in 7.62x39? not .308?

I think mags meant to say 7.62x51. That's the chambering for the AR-10.

Thats what I was thinking as well...

although I had a "veteran" (likely fraud) adamantly correct me that the m14 is not chambered in .308, but 7.62, LOL

Yup my mistake all the mentions of x54,x51, and x39 got me all mixed up in my ranting.