AR-15 fun for less than .18¢ a round

[DD214]

...in 5.45x39 that is.

My son and I just put this together with an LWRC M6AK upper. 5.45 is cheap and plentiful and I already have a few thousand rounds for my AK-74. Seemed like a no-brainer in today's overpriced and unavailable ammo climate.

 

[guthook]

Nice.

When you going to shoot it? I'd like to see that in action.

 

[joppaj]

Where did you find mags?

 

[DD214]

Where did you find mags?

Gunbroker. Had my sister order them to her house in VA. $20 each which seemed reasonable in the current environment. From what I've read online the only weak link in these 5.45 ARs is the mags. The newer ASC mags are supposed to function flawlessly. We shall see. Also, many online are reporting that PMags work great if loaded to no more than 25 rounds.

 

[joppaj]

Availability of mags has kept me away so far. Glad to see you're enjoying it.

 

[DD214]

Availability of mags has kept me away so far. Glad to see you're enjoying it.

Here's 50 of them available right now, although a bit pricey: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=331486240

 

[jimbobborg]

I have two spam cans like that, and no rifle to use them. That should be rectified soon, but only after the panic ends. Feh.

 

[erwos]

I haven't had any problems with either the ASC or the C-Products 5.45x39 magazines. They used to be easier to get than -74 mags before things went insane.

And, yes, 5.45x39 is awesome for the price. Don't get too caught up about cleaning corrosive, either... dump some generic windex down the bore, maybe into the gas block and bolt face, and call it a day. You've got a piston gun, your gas tube isn't going to get eaten up or anything.

 

[Bootknife]

Try ecop Supply for mags!

 

[aquaman]

I remember when 5.45 was 12cents per rd. Then these kinds of uppers came out....

Buy the ammo up now, the surplus isnt going to last

 

[AnonymousShooter]

Which optic is that? Really nice looking build!

 

[DD214]

Which optic is that? Really nice looking build!

Aimpoint Pro. Thanks, she is a looker.

 

[AnonymousShooter]

Thanks! I'm building pretty much the same build. Just don't have a lower at this point. Have pretty much all the same MagPul gear just in black. Have you fired it at all yet?

 

[DD214]

Thanks! I'm building pretty much the same build. Just don't have a lower at this point. Have pretty much all the same MagPul gear just in black. Have you fired it at all yet?

I have not fired it yet. We just finished it. I'm hoping to get it to the range sometime later this week. If you haven't found it already, this is the best deal that I have found on in-stock 5.45 at the moment. AimSurplus sells it cheaper but they are sold out. http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=6974&dir=18|830|851

 

[DD214]

Thanks! I'm building pretty much the same build. Just don't have a lower at this point. Have pretty much all the same MagPul gear just in black. Have you fired it at all yet?

Oh, and if you have the LWRC upper I would not get the ladder rail covers that I have in the pic. You have to remove them to get to the piston for cleaning. If you don't mind doing that then you're okay, but they are a bit tough to take off/install so I ended up ordering some LaRue index clips.

 

[AnonymousShooter]

Thanks for the insight! Can't wait to get one of the 5 lowers I've ordered.

 

[erwos]

I remember when 5.45 was 12cents per rd. Then these kinds of uppers came out....

I was buying it for 13c a round barely six months ago. The uppers are not the problem, it's the nutty panic buying.

I also don't think we're running out any time soon... we're seeing only starting to see early 80's milsurp, which means there's at least another ten years to go before the Soviet stuff runs out. It's also commercially loaded, too... I really don't spend a lot of time worrying I won't be able to feed my 5.45x39 guns.

 

[johnnyb2]

Wow...I wish I would have seen those mags on Gunbroker , as I bought upper, a brand new S & W..sitting all by itself at Continental arms...for only $475 about a month to 6 wks ago....I had stopped in after meeting someone in Towson to buy .223 ammo!!!! hahahahaha..imagine my surprise when I walked into the store...about 20 people in there...NONE were looking at this thing...so I said...BACK....GET BACK....ITS MINE...ALLL MINE...actually...no one even came over to see what I was drooling at..hahhaha just a little make believe drama here...:-)

...I could not find any mags anywhere..for over a month....it was driving me nuts...guy on here said he could get some...had to get them to a friend in PA...but would not quote me a price and turned down $50 so....not sure how much he really wanted .every store was sold out...but a friend in Pa ended up buying a couple from a guy selling a whole rifle in 5.45x39. He was giving 1 mag with the rifle..and my buddy emailed him to see if he had amy more...which he DID..for $40 a piece...but hey....I will save that in ammo the first day I shoot!!! ..Good thinking on my friends part....so..just got them, and about 300-400 rounds but have not shot it yet either..can't wait to shoot, as I just test fired my AR with a Spikes Tactical H2 Buffer, Superior Shooting flat buffer spring, and the Mucculek Muzzle brake and there was absolutely NO muzzle rise,, and about a 40-50% reduction in the recoil impulse.....I could not believe it...So I had heard that the 5.45 has even less recoil that a 5.56/.223...any comment on that from someone who has shot both??? Would be interested to hear...

 

[jimbobborg]

When I had an Arsenal in this caliber, very little muzzle rise with the AK-74 brake on it. You can use .222 brass to reload it if you know how to do that. Bullets for .223 can be resized to work with the caliber with an appropriate tool. Tulammo and Hornady also have loads for it. Hornady has a polymer tipped bullet that's okay to use at ranges that don't allow steel core ammo.

 

[Windsors]

Very nice looking rifle.

Interested in one of these uppers. Not too familiar with the surplus ammo.

Is this ammo from Wideners pretty typical of what you get ?

http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=6974&dir=18|830|851

Is all of the surplus ammo corrosive ?

Is that a big deal if you clean the weapon after each use ?

Is most of the surplus steel cased ?

Thanks