First AR In Progress

[H&R Glock]

Mr. Spazzy, I'm rather new at this AR game and have but two so far. What do you do for a magazine with the 7.62x39 upper. Does the 5.56 mag follower have to be changed or will the 5.56 work with the bigger ammo?

 

[spazzy]

Mr. Spazzy, I'm rather new at this AR game and have but two so far. What do you do for a magazine with the 7.62x39 upper. Does the 5.56 mag follower have to be changed or will the 5.56 work with the bigger ammo?

From what I'm seeing online a regular 5.56 mag will work, but only if you load a few cartridges (2-3) in the magazine. This is due to the shape and taper of 7.62x39 vs much straighter cartridge 5.56. Thus why ak magazines have much more curve than 5.56 ar magazines.

There are specific 7.62x39 ar magazines. And they are a bit more expensive than standard 5.56 mags. I payed $12 for the 5 round and $14 for the 20 rounders.

The 30 rounders have much more curve and from what I am reading can be hit or miss as far as reliability. Both those reasons are why I went with the 20 rounders.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Well, CBC ended up being out of stock before i could pull the trigger. I pended things to the cart and forgot to push send, DOH! But by happenstance bear creek ended up being in stock again. I jumped on it and ordered asap tonight. I also ordered scope/mount, and 1x5 round mag, and 2x20 round mags. I will post some pics when everything is here and assembled.

So, I'm not the only one that forgets to place his orders once the cart has been filled.

 

[H&R Glock]

From what I'm seeing online a regular 5.56 mag will work, but only if you load a few cartridges (2-3) in the magazine. This is due to the shape and taper of 7.62x39 vs much straighter cartridge 5.56. Thus why ak magazines have much more curve than 5.56 ar magazines.

There are specific 7.62x39 ar magazines. And they are a bit more expensive than standard 5.56 mags. I payed $12 for the 5 round and $14 for the 20 rounders.

The 30 rounders have much more curve and from what I am reading can be hit or miss as far as reliability. Both those reasons are why I went with the 20 rounders.

Thanks Spazzy. BY loading a few carts. I assume you mean empty 5.56 brass befoire loading the 7.62 ammo in the mag.
The price you paid for the 7.62 mags is not bad at all. I will probably get the new mags when I get the upper. BTW- what buffer will be used with the 7.62? Do I need a heavier buffer if I put the upper on a 5.56 lower?? Thanks

 

[spazzy]

Thanks Spazzy. BY loading a few carts. I assume you mean empty 5.56 brass befoire loading the 7.62 ammo in the mag.
The price you paid for the 7.62 mags is not bad at all. I will probably get the new mags when I get the upper. BTW- what buffer will be used with the 7.62? Do I need a heavier buffer if I put the upper on a 5.56 lower?? Thanks

I'm sorry I wasn't clear, we can use 7.62 in 5.56 magazines. we can load a few 7.62 in 5.56 mags before having problems due to the taper of the 7.62 round. Too many (from what I've read 4-5 rounds is too many) 7.62 in a 5.56 mag This is mitigated if we use 7.62 mags.

As far as buffers I've seen lots if recommendations, I'm going to try the standard buffer first and may have to put a heavier one on

 

[spazzy]

Well I've been busy with work and other things but the upper has arrived and man is it sweet! Way better quality than I was expecting. Flash hider and hand guard are different than described online but I much prefer these versions. The muzzle brake/flash hider is way cooler than the standard birdcage! I will mount and bore sight scope this week and try to get out shooting on Friday.

 

[spazzy]

Well had it out shooting for the first time today. Thankfully it warmed up to about 10. (It had been -35 to -40 for lows all week). I had fun and rifle functioned great. I'm not a great rifle shot so I'm still working on consistancy. I shot it off a pack filled with clothes, pretty stable but not as good as a real rest. I put 40 rounds through it. Best group was a bit bigger than 3/4 of an inch. Worst was 2.5-3 inches but I was shooting rapid fire as fast as I could re-center the scope. Super fun day!

 

[illinoisburt]

If that was standard steel cased fodder, puts the old AKs to shame. Very nice!

** looks like a fiocchi box in your pic. Glad to see your Bear Creek upper is accurate and operates correctly.

 

[Macwhiskey]

All very good tips listed in here! I would encourage others that are researching their build to create a list of parts that you need for your build. Research each part thoroughly and rank your top three options for each part. Then as funds become available seek out those coveted parts and find the best deals possible. Search Armslist for parts, you’ll find many lightly used there at half of retail cost. I’m no expert, but I just finished my first build after six months of research and deal sifting and am very pleased with my first AR build. It’s a healthy upgraded homage of my M-16A2 service rifle.

 

[spazzy]

If that was standard steel cased fodder, puts the old AKs to shame. Very nice!

** looks like a fiocchi box in your pic. Glad to see your Bear Creek upper is accurate and operates correctly.

It was pmc brass cased, way exceeded my expectations. My local shop had a few boxes on clearance for $9/box. I bought them all

I bought some monarch and tulammo steel cased. I'll try then out next time I hit the range.