5.45x39 vs 5.56

[xxxleafybugxxx]

What are your guys thoughts on this comparison? The two rounds are different. Just let me hear some thoughts on your comparisons. I will eventually have guns that shoot both rounds.

DO NOT MAKE THIS A M4 VS AK74 THREAD. STRICTLY CARTRIDGE VS CARTRIDGE.

 

[JustinJ]

Military issue vs military issue i believe its fairly even. However, there is a far wider selection of 5.56 so it has an advantage in expanding bullets. Also, there are higher quality and heavier 5.56 rounds available so with such it has an advantage at farther ranges. At home defense ranges both are devestating.

 

[Quick Shot xMLx]

What are you going to use the round for? Personally if I had to choose between the two I would go with the 5.45 just because of the price. $130ish for 1080 rounds is just ridiculous. That said all I ever do is shoot paper/plinking at a max of 100 yards.

 

[nathan]

Since i have the AK 74 its so fun to shoot. If fact the 74 is getting very popular now bec of high ammo cost. Arsenal SGL 31 are selling like hotcakes , and they aint cheap too like $ 800, almost par with an M 4.

The 5.45 is a great round. Forget about the comparison , the ammo tumbles like crazy and wound channel is devastationg. From reports in Afghanistan the Russian created fear amongt the Mujahedeens with the cartridge wounding capacity. But accdg to most vets the Taliban uses the old 7.62 x 39 as they use AK 47s.

 

[mortablunt]

I side with the 5.45 The round tumbles in one large peice instead of fragmenting into little bits. It only tumlbes quite quickly in flesh, even if you are using military FMJ.

 

[TurtlePhish]

The nose of surplus 5.45 is hollow, so when it hits it tends to crush randomly and do nasty spinny things inside the target... the military's 5.56 still packs a wallop, though. All else being equal, the two cartridges are very close in characteristics.

 

[trueg50]

Price

5.45x39 milsurp (pre-shipping): $.13 per round
5.56x45 (pre-shipping): ~$.22 or $.26 per round (it varies)

5.56 has the better selection of bullets, but the 5.45 is so cheap it is hard to resist.

 

[xxxleafybugxxx]

Another interesting fact about this round is this...
People say that the only ammo you can buy is foreign milsurp, and once this dries up, it will be an issue. Those people don't seem to realize that hornady manufactures ammo for this caliber.
Also, those who say it is an inferior round to the 5.56 is typical AR fanboyism.
While the round has a few less hundred ft lbs energy, that is not the point of the round. This round tumbles almost directly on impact, causing major tissue damage. If ft lbs is the key, then those same fanboys must admit the 7.62x39 is superior to the 5.56... but they never will.. (thats not the point)
In my opinion, a VERY effective round.

 

[Robert]

Meh, I'll stick with 5.56 thanks. Works great for what I do and the Praire Dogs will never know the difference. But then I am an AR fanboy so what do I know...

 

[proven]

leafybug, what is the point of your thread? it seems you already have your mind made up about not only the rounds but those who feel one is better than the other. so is the point just to garner support for a decision you've already made?

 

[Sam Cade]

Also, those who say it is an inferior round to the 5.56 is typical AR fanboyism.

...or they are people who have actually looked at non-anecdotal data.


Surplus 5.45 is fine for plinking but its terminal capabilities are vastly inferior to any number of commonly available non-military 5.56 loadings.

Those people don't seem to realize that hornady manufactures ammo for this caliber.

...Russian cases with a V-max bullet. Less than 10" of penetration in gel. It would be pretty decisive against an enraged jackrabbit.

 

[xxxleafybugxxx]

I think the v-max 5.45 would be an amazing HD round.
When I think of the 5.45, it almost makes me think of a effective 5.56 cartridge

 

[snakeman]

The 5.56 lends itself to excellent accuracy. I haven't heard the same for the 5.45x39

 

[fatcat4620]

Sam, I think facts you present shoot down your own argument.

 

[mortablunt]

@snakeman
I guess you haven't ever bothered to look at the specs for the AK-74 then? Its effective range is given as 615 Meters.

 

[Sam Cade]

Sam, I think facts you present shoot down your own argument.

eh? How you figure that?

from the abstract:

Since the bullet does not fragment, the tissue disruption surrounding the bullet pathway is limited to the stretching effect of temporary cavitation. We present evidence indicating that the energy used during temporary cavity formation causes limited permanent tissue disruption in the more elastic soft tissues (muscle, bowel wall, lung); the same insult in the relatively nonelastic liver, however, causes multiple fractures and massive permanent disruption. We conclude that the AK-74, despite its rather high velocity and marked tendency to yaw soon after penetration, causes relatively nondramatic wounds due to its nonfragmenting behavior.

 

[mshootnit]

5.45 shoots well and is about half the cost of 5.56. What more do you need to know?

 

[d2wing]

So far facts have been not been effective in diluting the AK Kool aid they serve here. The 5.45 is about 200fps slower and less accurate than a 5.56 NATO. Hand loads in a AR or bolt gun might make a nice prairie dog set up.

 

[mortablunt]

Let's cool down the fighting words before this thread gets locked.

 

[allaroundhunter]

Another interesting fact about this round is this...
People say that the only ammo you can buy is foreign milsurp, and once this dries up, it will be an issue. Those people don't seem to realize that hornady manufactures ammo for this caliber.
Also, those who say it is an inferior round to the 5.56 is typical AR fanboyism.
While the round has a few less hundred ft lbs energy, that is not the point of the round. This round tumbles almost directly on impact, causing major tissue damage. If ft lbs is the key, then those same fanboys must admit the 7.62x39 is superior to the 5.56... but they never will.. (thats not the point)
In my opinion, a VERY effective round.

It seems like you already have your mind made up? And it is yourself that is making this an AK vs. AR thread......

It seems like this is what you were wanting to say from the get-go, you just wanted to test the waters first. We played by your rules and then you go and try to pull "this is superior to that"....

I think the v-max 5.45 would be an amazing HD round.
When I think of the 5.45, it almost makes me think of a effective 5.56 cartridge

Combining this with your other quote and you are just coming across as an Anti-AR "fanboy"


And fwiw, the ft-lbs of energy aren't the main damaging proponent of the 5.56 either...

Both are effective rounds, there really isn't much left to be said that hasn't already been said in this and other threads

 

[xxxleafybugxxx]

Im not anti or pro 5.56. Nor am I anti or pro 5.45. Im not intending to come across as hypocritical either, I was just offering ny opinion as well as asking for others. I don't necessarily favor one rd over the other (yet) but I can't really say anything about the 5.45's prices other than awesome. I like both rds, and the guns that go along with them. In fact, my next gun purchase is a rifle chambere d in 5.56. I suppose I was playing some devils advocate because im sure this forum is primarilly favored for 5.56. There's always two sides to an argument

 

[proven]

playing devils advocate? you think most people here lean towards 5.56 so you make a couple of inflammatory statements and call it asking for an opinion? sounds like trolling.

judging by your comments in previous posts and this one, you have a bit to learn about when to make statements and when to ask questions.

to me these rounds are fairly (with maybe the exception of accuracy) equal. choose the platform, and the round chooses itself.

 

[zeos]

from a consumer standpoint 5.45 = ~13¢/shot 5.56 = ~25¢/shot

 

[jrdolall]

I have both. My 11 yr old daughter can shoot my AK74 with no problem and I had a 7 year old shooting it earlier this year when all he had ever shot was a bolt action .22. Both have a certain "cool" factor. I paid $279 for the AK which is why I bought it and I have been very happy with it. I also love my AR. I do not shoot either enough to buy 1080 rounds at a time so I buy 10-12 boxes either online or at Academy if they are on sale. May buy the AK 1080 rounds at that price though. Who has that?

 

[firesky101]

I want both nuff said.