Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles 7.62x39 revisited

I know that this has been posted before a long while back, but, today, I saw an upper in 7.62x39 at a local gun store for $499. It has no markings on it whatsoever, it's new, and the barrel is freefloated and not chromed. I think this would be a cheap, more powerful, round to shoot. AND, if it shoots like my regular .223 barrel, very accurate. However, I have two concerns. Who made it, and magazines. I was told by the store owner that most used regular .223 mags, but couldn't load as many since the round is of quite a different taper.

Any advice? Or, should I just sink my teeth into a 6.8? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />

Yea, the mags are the special trick to that round, from what I hear.

Let me know if you get a 6.8, I 've been contemplating the same....

Perhaps the taper of the 7.62X39 is one reason the cheap rifles chanbered in this round tend to be very reliable when dirty/muddy/dry and rusty......a streight walled case is more likly to stick either going in or coming out.....

I'm beginning to think that if I want a 7.62x39, I should just get an SKS or AK. They'll cost less than just the upper for the AR and will have NO feeding/magazine problems. I was just looking for more accuracy than they offer.

However, I AM interested in the 6.8 SPC round. I'm seeing on reloading sites that they are comparing it to the 300 Savage ballistically, with less recoil and better trajectory. The 300 Savage is an excellent deer round. This may be the round to go with. I just wonder when they will come out with cheaper, surplus ammo <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

to all, I have a semi-custom mini-mauser in 7.62x39 for sale, pm for details. jim

I think that the 6.8 SPC is being compared to the 250-3000 Savage, not the 300 Savage.

Jeff

All,

The taper of the 7.62X39 creates a conflict with the magazine well of the AR when it comes to magazine design.

We all know that the magazine is the Achilles heel of any semi-auto platform.

One company alone has seen fit to address the issue.
Vulcan arms.

I cannot vouchfor their quality and consistency but they have seen the problem and made things right to accomodate the 7.62X39 on an AR.

The AK magazine is a beautifull thing.

Very much like a K-98 Mauser magazine.

The Vulcan arms lower accepts the AK mag.
Feed problems dissapear.

Other problems pertaining to Build quality, fire controls etc are still outstanding however.

Vulcan has adjusted in an elegant manner concerning the 7.62X39.

I just wish they had their crap together for the other details!!!!!!!!!!

And for the record......

The 6.8 answer is still without "Peer review".

Untill the average shooter can run the thing every other weekend for fun or competition, it is but a promise.

In a month or so, a Major manufacturer will announce 6.8 ammo as being in production at good volumes.

Now the AR platform will have to adjust to accomodate.

Springs, Gas tubes, cyclic rate tweaks, extractor mods,propellent evolution, and in general the whole nine yards.

When so many folks are clammoring for a middle ground cartridge, the easy answer is making the common platform adapt to the latest offering.

I and some others are of the mindset that the platform and cartridge should be mated from the onset.

The 6.8 has a good future thanks to some folks taking the chance.

E4E

So, E4E, aren't you basically saying that it is actuallty better to use the .223 round with better (heavier) bullets to get performance since the AR is already time tested and proven with that round?

I know this is a little late, but the upper is probably a DPMS. And standard .223 magazines will not work, at least for more than a couple of rounds.

I had this upper and finally sold it. reasons were:
Unable to fire the cheap imported ammo. The hit on the hard primers was just too light.

Unreliable feeding, even with the magazines shipped with the rifle. The best one I used was an cheap USA Magazine cob job that was an actual AK-47 magazine grafted to an AR-15 magazine body. Uglier than the devil but good functioning.

I had feed issues too when using spitzer bullets in my reloads. All in all, I was disappointed in the rifle. It was a great idea that just didn't pan out.

Other swear by theirs. I swore at mine. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />)

Duramags, by C Products are your huckleberry, with 7.62x39 in the AR. I like the 28-rounders.

I've got uppers in 10.5", 16", and 20". They all run just fine.



20-round ASC mags have been fine for me also,













Of course if you try to use 5.56 magazines, it's going to be a goatfuck. The magazine angles and feed lips are both wrong for the x39 round.

Very old thread, but good info. I bet those mags would also work well in the RAR ranch rifles that use the AR mags. Any experience with those? My buddies 6.5 grendal RAR would also probably function better with those mags..

Too bad we can’t still buy that Golden Tiger ammo.

I have a RAR in 300BO that uses the AR magazines, but it uses the STANAG 5.56 magazine for the 300BO.

SG Ammo still lists it, but it's 'out of stock'.

Thanks for the info I’ll check that out.

The last case that I bought was from SG Ammo but as far as I know it isn’t being imported anymore unless they found another supplier.

PSA probably has uppers. I've seen BCA uppers give or take 200 dollars with a bolt carrier... FWIW.

I have a AR 7.62x39 for a few years. A psa hybrid unit made in 2017???
Have not had any issues with it, very accurate.
I also have 2 6.8 rifles, great round. Have used it for several years.

Wow….old thread.

I’ve got 6.8 and 7.62x39 ARs. They overlap a little, but the 6.8 is a more accurate general hunting setup and the 7.62x39 does short range thumping a bit better and short barrels about the same. I’ve killed a lot of stuff with the 6.8. I can stockpile a lot of ammo for the 7.62x39 and the 223/5.56.

Define x39 kills better than the 6.8.

I used to think that the case. Yet found over the years there is not much difference between most rounds.

The trick to the 6.8 and heavier bullets for hinting is the twist rate the 11.25 that ARP makes is good for 90s, The 1-8 by others will stabilize 130s.
The 7.62x39 needs a diffrent mag and bolt. The setup I prefer is the .308 barrels with 1-10 twist chambered in the x39 round. It offers a wide selection of bullets. And the 150s are much better than the 123s at .311-.312.

SOTA Arms sells such a 7.62x39 barrel in .308 1-10 on occasion, on sale, with mags and the knurled aluminum free float forearm tubes.

??

Didn’t see that posted.

Your quote. Does short range thumping a bit better. Just curious why you feel that way.

There is no way I would spend that on a AR upper in 7.62x39... Over Christmas, I bought a radical arms 7.62x39 AR and I have been stunned by it... i bought it for 420 for the full gun. Have not had the first malfunction yet and it shoots inch groups all day long at 100 yards... The only thing I think I am going to do with it is replace the trigger... I would look for a Radical arms one on sale if you want one in that caliber.

I just picked up a BCA x39 upper for just under $300 shipped.

Gunna test it out soon.

Because it’s a fact, regardless of any feelings different.
Because 154gr and .311 ARE more ‘thump’ than 90-110 .277s, at short range from short barrels, when it comes to all around use, penetration, etc.

I’m a huge 6.8spc proponent, but once you get short on barrels, the larger bore and heavier bullets have physics on their side, when it comes to maintaining efficiency longer. Therefore, I run a RD and a stubby 7.62x39 for short stuff. I run a LPV and 6.8 for short to much longer stuff. Some overlap. Some not.

Gotcha. Some feel that way. Even though lots of energy can be lost going out the other side. One of the most amazing things to me is how well 223 with 40 vmax in the ribs kill pigs up to about 150 pounds or so. Evidently it dumps all its energy right there quickly. While the 6.5 Grendel pigs run further most of the time.

Its all a good thought. More of this or that on paper. I was just wondering if you saw it with your eyes and what difference it was.

I’m not real sure why you’re trying to conflate simple physics with some ascribed ‘feeling’, or moving the goal post from a common game bullet criteria to an energy dump theory with some anecdotal stuff thrown in?….but I’ve seen my share of stuff shot with a lot of different combos. I’m not even referring to any of that. That’d be anecdotal. Inside 100-150 yards, the 7.62x39 and factory ammo will work as well as a lot of other choices….hogs or deer. The 6.8 (and a lot of other stuff) will eclipse it after that. Nothing in a bore smaller than 308 has 150+ grain factory fodder for an AR. Exits are a thing.

As well yes. But you said thumps harder.

That was my simple original question as to what you saw that made you feel that way.

As for factory, have rarely shot factory in probably the last 30 years so we play with whatever we want. It does limit folks though.

Personally I like the X39 round. I've seen a lot shot with it but own only a couple chambered as such. I think with it there was no reason for the 300/221 to come back to life.

Regardless not much goes very far when shot in the correct place with the correct bullet for caliber.

FWIW the only rounds on game, and most of that is big game, that I"ve seen that you see a reaction every last time is 40 caliber and a above. Not pistol rounds. But rifle calibers and not small ones.

Thanks for the conversation and your time.

FWIW, the reference was with regards to short, pistol length barrels. With the inherent velocity loss, ALL lose effectiveness vs their 16”+ performance. We can argue how much, and how much it matters, but the physics are: the larger the bore vs the case capacity, the less velocity loss in shorter barrels, AND more bullet weight is more bullet weight….long barrel or short, slow or fast. So, (at short range) the best the 6.8 can do in barrels much shorter than 16” is to roughly equal the 154, x39 in energy, with less bullet weight….and usually, the x39 is gonna exceed it. That’s just the numbers. Then there’s the energy dump ‘theory’.

The way I see it, the 6.8 and 7.62x39 are far more similar than different.

If one isn't up to a task, the other probably isn't what you are looking for either.

Thousands of people tried to kill me with the 7.62x39. They never hit me, even at close range. Most paid for their stupidity with their lives. -Hint-

Good thing they did not know how to shoot for chidt. No flies on the 7.62x39 in the accuracy department, nor it's lethality. Be thankful those gooks don't practice their marksmanship like Americans do.



That rifle doesn't shoot like my AR's, but it's not bad. Was shooting it last year at a steel yote set at 400 yards, and making consistent hits on it, with irons.. And to my eyes, that yote looks like a black blob at 400 yards!!

To hell with the 7.62x39

I'm grateful for the 7.62x39,if only as a source for the GOOD stuff. Hint...............

I’ll take them…. Others can take the commie case as original

Ruger Mini-30 100 yards

Oh please don't use that thing. .. hint.. please.

I agree there. Especially if you compare apples to apples. IE both 7.5 inch barrel or 10 or 16 or 20...

Frankly it just doesn't take much to kill a pig or a deer. I would not hesitate to hunt with a 22lr for deer if legal. Do it all the time on pigs..

Whiskey might be right. In a 6.8 bolt gun 22" can run the 110's at 2800 fps with a long mag. Comparing same case necked up to .30 and same barrel length, should be able to run the 150's at 2300 fps with H322 the same powder. The 150's have better SD, more weight, more diameter, but go a lot slower. I think up close the 150's from a .30 caliber might be better. The 7.62 x 39 and 6.8 SPC have similar case capacity.

The Duramags work very well in the american ranch once you swap the mini 30 magwell for the ar magwell.

A some point I thought about buying a PTR-32. It uses AK mags.

Shot placement on pigs? I’ve seen several deer shot with the .22 mag head or neck. Know if a couple killed with the -17 hmr shot in the ribs, which surprised me even though they were 50-75 lb. One reportedly flinched and went back to eating then fell over. But curious about the .22 and assuming solids?

Had several SKS, a MAK90 couple of AR15 uppers in 7.62x39. Shot up all the cheap stuff I could find when it was really cheap and sold out all connected paraphernalia. Can't knock the round, seemed pretty accurate out of the AR's. The MAK90 was the heaviest of the three, shot the poorest but was reliable. Too many better rounds available on the same basic case presently.

Depends on size. Bigger ones. 100 and 150 plus I'm generally going to put it in the ear socket. Thats usually a subsonic solid.

But years before suppressors and doing lots of hunting I shot probably close to 50 plus with a MK1 bull barrel 5.5 inch ruger. Appx bbl length anyway. Blued old gun but the heavy barrel. Maybe it was a Mk2. Anyway within about 50 yards I would drop a cci mini mag HP into the lungs and they go a ways and die. Just give em a bit of time. Knew a couple older guys talked about their dads shooting deer in the hill country when they first showed up. 22 short or long. Solid. In the lungs. Leave em alone. Roll a cigarette and smoke. Eat an apple or whatever. Then go get em. Its what they had and it worked. Then they stepped up to large rounds like 25-20 and 32-20. I've shot enough in the ribs with a 32-20 to know it kills well enough.

I"ve shot a few in the ribs with a 10-22 suppressed. CCI Subs prefragmented but those can be iffy at times. I've never had an issue but I"ve seen where they barely got a hole into the other lung. They work great on coons and the like though.

I mean after all I've killed deer with 9mm and 380 and no issues out of handguns too. Just prefer a nice close range shot like a bow at an un knowing animal.

Ear socket sounds like the place to be. Lots of times killing is a lot easier than finding and a .22 don’t leave much of a drain hole. If there’s open ground around might not matter. In a southern jungle oh boy. You’ve probably crawled through a few thornyvine thickets youself. But if it works it works. The folk shooting deer in the lung with a 29 gr long had good eyes.