I have a sar-1 one right now, maybe 300 rds through it and not really advertising but I have about 6 30rd magazines, 1 40rd magazines and 1 seventy five rd drum and about 800rds left as well , I like it but don't shoot it often enough and the ammo has gone up since I bought it, I have read a little about the 5.45 or ak 74 variants but the ammo appears a lot cheaper and the ergonomics would be identical. Is selling the sar-1 worth it to get a 5.45 variant, for something different, what are the pros and cons of each caliber, what could I get for my sar one and accessories and ammo?
Switching from 7.62x39 to 5.45x 39
- Thread starter datruth
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just remmember, 5.45 will not be cheap for ever. it to will surcome to the ever higthening ammo prices. that said, they are to unick rounds. the 5.45 will closly mimick the 5.56 ball round. the russian ammo is made with a "air" pocket in the tip to try to make it disrupt its flight path more quickly when entering a "target" thus creating a bad wound channel. the 7.63x39 cartridge has been around for a long time and has proven to be better at defeating barriers than the lightweight 5,45 and 5.56 ball ammo. but at the cost of accuracy and terminal performance at distance. that said, both are great for plinking and shooting up stuff at the range. the 7.62 can be reloaded, as long as you can find the brass to do so. the 5.45 can probably be reloaded, but there is a large lack of reloading componets for this cartridge. all in all, get what you want, if you want to go with the 5.45, my suggestion would be to try to keep the 7.62 and get another rifle in 5.45 so to have both rifles. then just buy and stock up on ammo. i have herd many a story of one trying to afford another rifle by selling one they already have, just to be upset that the new rifle is not all it was craked up to be. just my opinion. brian.
Ignition Override
Member
You might ask the members at 'AK--' or 'Gunandgame' about the AK-74.
I've read numerous comments on a few websites where disappointed owners describe many Polish Tantal 74s making 'keyholes' in paper targets at maybe 100 yards (?).
The Tantal is a really attractive gun. Do you know anybody who has one? Maybe a gun store can furnish somebody's cell phone number, or give your number and ask an owner to call you, but one of those websites might be much quicker via their e-mail.
As brian stated, that caliber is very unique, much more so than the British .303 or 8mm Mauser. If any future problems happen between us and Russia etc, that ammo might almost totally disappear in the US at the "sneeze" of our new presidential Cabinet.
I've never heard of Anybody who has one, though am still a relative novice with guns, but know a dozen middle-aged guys who have owned various types of semi-auto rifles. Even a guy who has a very large collection of semis does not yet have a 74, from what I remember, and he has two 'AK-47 clones' plus various SKS, SVT......
I've read numerous comments on a few websites where disappointed owners describe many Polish Tantal 74s making 'keyholes' in paper targets at maybe 100 yards (?).
The Tantal is a really attractive gun. Do you know anybody who has one? Maybe a gun store can furnish somebody's cell phone number, or give your number and ask an owner to call you, but one of those websites might be much quicker via their e-mail.
As brian stated, that caliber is very unique, much more so than the British .303 or 8mm Mauser. If any future problems happen between us and Russia etc, that ammo might almost totally disappear in the US at the "sneeze" of our new presidential Cabinet.
I've never heard of Anybody who has one, though am still a relative novice with guns, but know a dozen middle-aged guys who have owned various types of semi-auto rifles. Even a guy who has a very large collection of semis does not yet have a 74, from what I remember, and he has two 'AK-47 clones' plus various SKS, SVT......
SharpsDressedMan
member
At $300 or so per case of 2160, this stuff is still less than 15 cents a round, pretty attractive at the moment. No, it won't stay low forever, but there are WAY fewer guns in 5.45 than 7.62x39, so demand is not high yet. If you have $1500 to spend, you can get 10K of ammo, and who cares if you ever get any more? Right now that might buy 3K of factory .223. I have an AK-74 assembled on a US made receiver, from what was a new cond matching parts kit. Performance & accuracy is generally better than the 7.62x39. For alternative shooting, for way less money, the 5.45x39 is hard to beat, and you can just add a S&W upper to you AR platform, if you have that rifle.
nalioth
Member
Please don't paint all Tantals with Century's brush.Ignition Override said:
They used the wrong caliber barrel on a few (off by .01") and this is what caused the keyholing.
I've built a Tantal and it is just as reliable and accurate as any other (non-century-built) rifle.
sefus
Member
Just like not all tantals suck, there are many other 74's that arent tantals. My constant reply to this switch to 5.45 topic is that you should get into 5.45 because you like the round, not because of price. It wont last.
I personally chose the 5.45 for my light caliber because it is a more consistant round with its characteristics staying the same (realitively) no matter what bullet weight, barrel twist and/or length or target distance it is fired from unlike the 5.56. WIth all that being said, it is a light caliber, not a mid weight like the 7.62.
I agree with keeping both the 5.45 and 7.62 at least untill you get some trigger time under the 5.45 and know it will meet your needs.
-Sefus
I personally chose the 5.45 for my light caliber because it is a more consistant round with its characteristics staying the same (realitively) no matter what bullet weight, barrel twist and/or length or target distance it is fired from unlike the 5.56. WIth all that being said, it is a light caliber, not a mid weight like the 7.62.
I agree with keeping both the 5.45 and 7.62 at least untill you get some trigger time under the 5.45 and know it will meet your needs.
-Sefus
SimpleIsGood229
Member
Definitely keep your 7.62 for the above-stated reasons. Also keep in mind that the mil-surp 5.45 ammo is all corrosive.
HorseSoldier
Member
My Tantal was built by Krebs and includes the original Polish barrel. Doesn't have keyholing problems. The issue is shoddy manufacturing here in the US by one manufacturer, as was noted by an earlier post.
There are enough 5.45mm AKs floating around the US that if Obama or whoever cut off all imports of 5.45mm ammo, someone would start domestic production to meet the needs of the market. The days of dirt cheap 5.45 would be over, but 5.45 rifles would not turn into pointless wall hangers and paperweights.
The 74 is a very nice fighting gun -- the round plus the standard brake the Russians etc put on them makes for a fast handling, fast firing weapon that outperforms a 7.62x39 AK for time at combat ranges.
You do get less bullet weight downrange, but 5.45 is down around 5.56mm weights and contrary to what duh intraweb claims, 5.56mm has been killing folks handily for decades.
longdayjake
Member
If you have any brass I would be more than happy to take it off your hands. I would even pay you for them.
yongxingfreesty
Member
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def get it, i love them 74s
got one more im expecting at FFL tomorrow.
got one more im expecting at FFL tomorrow.
rangerruck
Member
the 74's are a sweet ride, almost no kick , and usually pretty accurate, with some better ballistics than the 223. i would do it for the reason listed above; get a ton of ammo for the money right now, and for the foreseeable future. I do not see the market for this ammo going up, until for some reason, the 223 and 762 market start drastically going down, and the demand for this round going up... I just don't see that happening.
Ignition Override
Member
nalioth:
Sorry about that. Had forgotten what the reported source of the main problem was.
I have also considered the AK-74.
Sorry about that. Had forgotten what the reported source of the main problem was.
I have also considered the AK-74.
yongxingfreesty
Member
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that top 74 was build in nalioth's garage. my favorite rifle!
SharpsDressedMan
member
AK-74 with Reflex sight. Functions beautifully, currently 12-13 cents a shot. ........................................................
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MisterPX
Member
I did teh 5.45 thing a few years ago, when mags were $3, and ammo was $200 per case.
However, even today, it'll depend on how much you shoot. If you only shoot 300 rounds a year, it's not worth it, but after buying a 5.45 wasr, and 10 mags, shoot 5-6K rounds compared to even 7.62x39, and your rifle and mags are "free".
However, even today, it'll depend on how much you shoot. If you only shoot 300 rounds a year, it's not worth it, but after buying a 5.45 wasr, and 10 mags, shoot 5-6K rounds compared to even 7.62x39, and your rifle and mags are "free".
frisbee2421
Member
i have a bulgarian ak74 which is slick. i also have a cai polish tantal that isn't so slick at the moment. both gas block and front sight are canted. the front sight post was parkerized into the threads and wouldn't budge. i muscled it out, yeah, that didn't work out so nice. not to highjack the thread, but does anyone know what serial #'s had the wrong barrel? i have one that starts with TTL and i heard that was what the bad ones started with.
frisbee2421
Member
and yes i just saw how old this thread was...
Prince Yamato
Member
The AK-74 is a pretty sweet rifle. I have a WASR-2. It's all the fun of an AK with the recoil of an electric typewriter.
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