Probably a colossally dumb question

[kingpin008]

But how easy is it to convert a 7.62x39 AR to .223/9mm/etc? what about the other way around?

The reason I ask, is because I currently have an SKS, which (obviously) takes 7.62x39. I keep trying to decide between an AK and an AR for my "main" rifle. I can't do both, because I barely have the resources to shoot the calibers I already have, and adding another caliber isn't an option right now. I love that the AR is so modular, and would allow me to utilize other calibers with just a swap-out of the upper. I wonder if there's a way to keep the little bit of 7.62x39 I have, and use it in an AR, so I don't have to go the AK route. The versatility of an AR is a HUGE plus for me, but I just don't know enough about them to know if the ability to switch between .223 and 7.62x39 is doable or not.

Any advice/ideas/suggestions? I can definetly afford a new upper or two for the different calibers I may shoot much easier than maintaining/justifying having dedicated rifles in each of the two main calibers.

Thanks!

 

[rino451]

Google "mgi ar"

 

[jlpskydive]

You need an upper chambered for the caliber that you choose, a bolt for the caiber you choose and a magazine for the caliber you choose. The carriers are all the same. I have heard that the 7.62 mags are very suspect on their reliability. Check out http://www.model1sales.com/index.cfm

Mid line stuff that works well and not that expensive. I had one of their uppers in 6.8 and it worked very well.

 

[KenRocks]

As you stated previously, all you need to alter the chambering of an AR is a new complete upper in the desired caliber...pop two pins, swap the uppers, and pop them back in and you're done.

This is, of course, within reason...for example, the magwell of an AR-15 is too short to accommodate a longer round such as a .308...this would require an AR-10 lower.

Magazines are where this starts to get awful.

If you end up going with a 9mm, most magazines I have seen are sten gun mags with extra metal welded onto the top to make them large enough to seat in the magwell. Each one will cost you the cost of the magazine (likely alot), plus the cost of someone "converting" it...I dont have a huge amount of experience in pricing this conversion, but I recall someone quoting me $30 apiece. You may do better or worse.

If you simply want to shoot 7.62, I have heard that you can pull it off by only loading 5 or so into a standard 30-round .223 magazine. The two rounds are not the same size, but I've heard this is not a critical problem...so long as you never load more than 5-6, this will likely require some experimentation on your part to determine how many you can safely fit. I believe low-cap magazines designed to feed 7.62 into an AR arent too hard to find...I do, however, think theyre relatively pricey off the top of my head.

I have heard rumors of actual dedicated 30-round 7.62 magazines coming out sometime in the next month or two (at long last). I don't remember the manufacture or really any of the details. Seeings as how they havent been released and I dont know anyone who's touched one, I can't testify to their reliability.

To bypass this whole mess, there does exist a modular lower that has a removable magwell. You can buy one that is configured like an AK magwell and slide that in instead of the standard one...that way it will take all regular AK mags. I recall it being around $400-$500 for the lower alone. This is really, really expensive, if you have not done any price shopping.

This is pretty much all drawn from the experience of building my first AR recently and reading a few forums. As you can see, a little information is a dangerous thing...feel free to jump in if I messed anything up

 

[Jim Watson]

Get a .223 AR. That is what the platform is designed for.

Shoot 7.62 in your SKS.

What is hard about that? You can support your old SKS cheaper than multiple uppers for an AR, that might not work well anyhow.

 

[Onmilo]

Colt probably produces the best AR 7.62X39 upper assembly
The Olympic 7.62X39 is fairly decent.
Pick a lower, doesn't matter they will all work fine if you can get the upper to fit and the magazine to fit.
Precision Reflex Inc. produces all steel magazines for 6.8 Rem and 7.62X39 caliber AR/M16 rifles that are top notch in every way and priced accordingly.

 

[MAX100]

The hybrid 7.62x39 30 round AR15 made by USA Magazine, they are constructed from a .223 top end, and an AK bottom end they are very reliable. I have two and they never jam or cause a FTF in my 7.62x39 AR15. You can find some for sale on GunBroker. Put in the search words "USA Magazine".


GC

 

[strat81]

I wonder if there's a way to keep the little bit of 7.62x39 I have, and use it in an AR,

All this to save a little bit of ammo? Just sell the ammo and buy a 223.

 

[dstorm1911]

if your looking at cost limitations ya can actually buy a different AK in each caliber for what it will cost for the uppers, bolts etc... to use the multicaliber options....... or simply get a Saiga in each caliber ya are intrested in at around $250 per.......... swapping the uppers will cost ya enough more that ya could buy the AK/Saiga AND ammo for each caliber too...... and don't forget not only could ya have a new rifle in each caliber but...... they don't make a 12 gauge upper for the AR but ya can get a 12 gauge Saiga as well as .308 etc...