Fate says I must buy a 5.45 AK!

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Ian

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I just got an order of AK mags from Sportsman's Guide (squeezed in just before they ran out :cool: ), and had a bit of a surprise when I unpacked them. One of the mags was not a 7.62 mag at all, but instead a Polish 5.45 AK mag.

Obviously, the Universe is telling to go buy a 5.45mm AK and a big stack of surplus ammo! :evil:
 
After having a chance to shoot some rounds through an MPiK-74N (or whatever the East Germans called their AK-74s), I was inspired to pick up a Tantal from Krebs Customs. Very much a favorite of mine now.
 
I bought a couple six packs over the last few months. I just pulled them out to soak them in mineral spirits as they were covered in grease.

If it is an actual polish, it might be worth a little more than the normal mag.
 
Just remember that all the ammo made for the AK-74 is produced overseas. Try an AK in 5.56 X 45. Not much of a difference in recoil but a heck of a lot easier to get ammo.
 
Just remember that all the ammo made for the AK-74 is produced overseas. Try an AK in 5.56 X 45. Not much of a difference in recoil but a heck of a lot easier to get ammo.
Click to expand...

I don't know. Right now 5.45x39 is some of the cheapest rifle ammo around, and seems to be much easier to find (for plinking prices) than .223. In fact, the good deals on 5.45 ammo have me considering an AK in 5.45.
 
All told, I think I got a several dozen of the 6-packs. At $6 or $7 per mag, how couldn't I? Shoot, you could almost double your money without even unpacking them.

I never did get anything really rare, though. Some Bosnian 2-rib mags, and one Fleur-de-Lis in mediocre shape. And this mag...which is definitely a steel Polish 5.45. It has the vertical grooves in the lip reinforcing plates and everything.

Anyway, I wish I had the cash to spare on another AK at the moment. But sadly...:(
 
223 being easier to get than 5.45mm is only true when you consider brass cased 223. Since most shoot steel cased ammo through their AK's, 5.45mm is just as available and cheap as steel cased 223. At least here in MI at the Gibraltar Trade center gun show, I see TONS of it being sold. And guess what? I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT SURPLUS! I'm talking about wolf, bear, barnual, whatever, it's all over the place. So I don't know why some say "it's hard to get".
 
Right now, 5.45 is a lot cheeper than what I can find 5.56 for.

While I have just acquired a galil and a m95 yugo in 5.56, i have yet to fire those (but neither of these have the recoil brake of the '74 or tantals). The tantals I have are sweet, though I can't help but think the 5.45 is a lightweight--guess it depends on what you'll use it for. It's 10 kinds of fun though.
 
In the last couple of months, I've bought a wee bit of milsurp 5.45x39 (53gr) in the issue spam cans. My last case (2000 rounds) was $269 delivered to my door. Guys - that's about as cheap as it gets these days. And at $6/each for Romanian polymer magazines, stocking up on stuff for the 5.45 doesn't break the bank, either.

I do prefer 5.56NATO for reloadin', though - nobody makes soft point 5.45 ammo or components yet.
 
When buying 'strange' caliber weapons remember that Hillary could shut off ALL foreign ammo with the stroke of a pen. If you can't get ammo made by a few domestic companies you may be in for a shock in a few years.
 
Hi Bernie,

The Left can't/won't try to void the Second Amendment, it is too hot a issue. There is however NOTHING in the Constitution that says they can't stop foreign ammo from being imported. No ammo, higher prices, will accomplish the same thing for them.
 
Rbernie, the same way they cut off all Norinco imports.
 
I have a Polish Tantal with an ArmoryUSA receiver. The mag lips are bit tighter than the WASR 2. It seems that those orange bakelite mags work best. So I buy those whenever I see a deal. I guess the questions is always "How many mags is too many mags." Probably the same answer as when asking about ammo. Depends on money and storage space. :)
 
Getting back to the issue at hand: Who makes a good 5.45 AK for a reasonable price these days? The Arsenals I see these days are way overpriced, and I have never seen a Saiga 5.45 import.

I like my Polish Tantal, but it is mag sensitive and works only with the narrower mags. The WASR 2 is great, but it is also mag sensitive as it's magwell is too wide and only the thicker polymer coated mags will feed reliably. Not sure I want another rifle right now, but I am curious who else out there makes a good one.
 
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