7.62x39 Ruger American

Status
Not open for further replies.

lobo9er

Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2009
Messages
3,457
Location
Earth, Currently
Anyone make an inexpensive 7.62x39 bolt action? I would think there maybe a niche market there, I would like a Ruger American in x39 anyways. I was thinking of buying another 308 and installing one of those Mace adapters... just thinking
 
if they would make a ruger american in 7.62x39 it would be a crapstorm of people wanting them! i would buy 2! i do not think they could make enough of them and they know it.
 
why ruger american and not one that takes AR or AK magazines?
Also the CZ seems a pretty good rifle to me. It is available in that caliber and it is a proven action vs. the relatively new Ruger.
http://cz-usa.com/product/cz-527-carbine-223-rem/

Also look for a zastaba m85 and ruger 77 in gun broker.
I have the CZ 527 and it is very accurate with Wolf Poly Performance ammo.


steve
 
I have the CZ in that caliber. It's called their mini-Mauser action. I think it weighs about 6 # or less. Great rifle with a great trigger.
 
There was also the savage 10 scout. look in gun broker.
Anyway, for budget rifle get any savage axis for $240 bucks. Ptg has the bolt heads and swap the barrels and presto!
Even some of the Tupperware stocks in the savage 10s are easier to improve vs a R700, Ruger and others that have to go straight into the trash.
Easy to get a budget, go beat the bushes type of ranch rifle and accurate too.
It so easy a caveman could do it. Just need the barrel wrench.
 
I handload for the 7.62 39. You could come up with some great hunting combos with a bolt gun. Most 308 diameter hunting bullets work fine as far as accuracy is concerned. I think you give up 30-50 fps because little more room for gas leaking by. My ar's in 7.62 do real well with 150g rem corelok bullets.
 
I knew I wouldn't be the only one :) Theres really only 2 options the cz and zastaba. Good options none the less. I don't think savage still makes the 10 in 7.62x39
 
It's not much cheaper than the CZ rifles but check out the fairly new Howa Mini Action rifles. They're about $115 cheaper than the CZ 527. Pillar bedded, a trigger pull around 2lbs, and 5 and 10 shot detachable magazines are available. http://grabagun.com/legacy-215.html

I like 1stmarine's idea or re-barreling an Axis but by the time you buy the rifle, new bolt head, and new barrel, you're into it for about as much as the Howa. And as much as I like the Axis for being so cheap and accurate....the magazines suck and why use a .30-06 length action for a x39 length cartridge. Plus the advantages of the Howa I mentioned above. But if I could convert an Axis and be into it for $400 total I probably would, then take that $100 saved and put it towards a scope or a Rifle Basix trigger.
 
I have a CZ 527 in 7.62x39, it's a quality rifle. I may buy a Howa mini (available in 7.62x39) chambered in 6.5 Grendel as my go to deer rifle. I have a Weatherby Vanguard S2 in 308, made by Howa, and I also like it.

If you like two stage triggers and plastic stocks the Howa is a no-brainer. The CZ 527 weighs less, has a decent walnut stock, and has a nice single stage trigger with set trigger option. I like that the CZ is CRF, which allows me to control how far I throw my empties at the range. My Weatherby (Howa) is more accurate than my CZ (both using match ammo), but both are fine for any range you would reasonbly shoot with a 7.62x39.
 
If you like two stage triggers and plastic stocks the Howa is a no-brainer. The CZ 527 weighs less, has a decent walnut stock, and has a nice single stage trigger with set trigger option.

The lightweight version of the Howa Mini weighs 5.7lbs vs the 5.94lbs of the 527 carbine. The standard weight Mini is pretty much a wash with the 527 carbine weight wise, and the heavy barrel version is a bit more.
 
Cz, howas, and the Zastava (rebadged as a Remington 799, Charles Daly, century m85 mini mauser or interarms mini mauser

And I'd buy them in that order. I haven't really been that impressed with the Zastava action. It works, and it's accurate, bit the action is stiff and sloppy.
 
I have the cz527 as well, and it is a dream to shoot. But i would be ALL OVER a ruger American in 7.62x39, especially in the predator model. As Jackal said above, what a great suppressor host! And also a great platform for a low power optic. Im thinkin hog gun....
 
I think the advantage with the savage is that you can find the proper bolt head and then you can sell the original barrel unfired (and bolt head if you want)
and end up with your own carbine / scout creation.
I like to work with the most popular time tested actions also because of the availability of parts and unmatched aftermarket support / options.

Same with the R700 SA. Although the Rem700 barrel retrofits use a different thread for the barrel nut, they use the same savage wrench.
They are calling them now remages or something like that, like if it was something new. The issue with the R700 is the bolt but one could also
work with the 783 that has exchangable bolt heads. They now follow savage methods and directives like the marlin and several others.
I believe that ptg has a 'budget' exchangeable bolt head retrofit for the R700 but that drives the cost of add-ons out of the budget build category.
 
Check on gunbroker for used M77 MK II in 7.62x39 rifles they were made in limited runs by Ruger for Davidson's in both blued and stainless. I have one in blue the only thing I had to do to it was replace the firing pin spring as I was getting misfires with surplus and some factory ammo.
 
Last edited:
IMO the CZ is worth a lot more than the 100+ dollar difference vs the howa.
Anyone familiar with the mauser or minimauser knows how well these are made.
The M77 another good one. And while in Gunbroker see if you find a savage 10 scout in 7.62x39 at the moment discontinued on this caliber.
 
IMO the CZ is worth a lot more than the 100+ dollar difference vs the howa.
Anyone familiar with the mauser or minimauser knows how well these are made.
The M77 another good one. And while in Gunbroker see if you find a savage 10 scout in 7.62x39 at the moment discontinued on this caliber.

Depends on which particular mini-mausers, the 527 is nice, but the Rem 799 (Zastava, also a mini mauser) I had was clunky junk. I would bet that the 7.62 Howa will be available in the $450s at Whittaker's, like the 6.5 G's are once more of the 7.62's start shipping.
 
I saw the 223 version of the howa, they are a great little rifle, but i had to have the cz wood and set trigger. I may get a howa in the future also. So many guns, so little time...
 
I saw the 223 version of the howa, they are a great little rifle, but i had to have the cz wood and set trigger. I may get a howa in the future also. So many guns, so little time...

Boyds makes stocks for the Howa mini (laminate only AFAIK), and you can buy barreled actions from Brownell's.
 
I handload for the 7.62 39. You could come up with some great hunting combos with a bolt gun. Most 308 diameter hunting bullets work fine as far as accuracy is concerned. I think you give up 30-50 fps because little more room for gas leaking by. My ar's in 7.62 do real well with 150g rem corelok bullets.

I was lucky enough to find a Savage 10 scout in 7.62x39. The rifle has been a ton of fun for me since I've owned it. It shoots everything I feed it into tidy little groups at 100, and 200, and 300 yards. I am handloading for mine, and have found that if you use .308 sized Hornady FTX 160's (intended for their 30-30 LeverEvolution ammo) you can easily achieve sub-MOA groups in that rifle using RL-7 powder. I crank mine out at just over 2200 fps. which keeps me over 1000 ft.lbs. of energy at 200 yards. Last time at the range, I managed a 2" group at 300 with that gun. It's just a great shooter.

But yea, the OP is spot-on about a Ruger American in this caliber. It would sell like crazy. Just look at the sales of the .300 BO, and the "ancient" 7.62x39 is cheaper to shoot AND a better hunting round.

I had intended on buying a CZ, but the deal fell through at the gun shop (they discovered it was on layaway after I made the 1 hr. drive through traffic to get there) and it was a blessing in disguise. I like the CZ but I'll never get rid of the Savage 10.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top