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AR-15 Rifle in 7.62x39

75K views 47 replies 20 participants last post by  pathdoc 
#1 ·
I was looking up some AR-15 companies and came across a manufaturers web site I think it was DPMS and there was an AR-15 chambered in 7.62x39. I was thinking of getting a M4 carbine, but I am not a real big fan of the 5.56 round. Does anyone know if the legendary accuracy of the AR style rifle is compromised by being chambered in 7.62x39. Or am I better off looking at the AR 10 in .308. I am thinking long term in that the 7.62x39 is much cheeper to shoot than .308.
 
#2 ·
It will be more accurate than an AK or SKS, but not as accurate as a 5.56/223. I've never had one, but have heard probably 80% negative feedback on this chambering in an AR platform. Something about the bolt/extractor not being too great for this caliber...

Anyway, I'm sure that from a reputable company it would work, but just relaying what I've read...

Other than price of ammo, why not go 6.8?
 
#3 ·
There are a lot of problems with the AR in 7.62x.39. One of the main problems is the faulty mags. There are two styles and the one that works is hard to find, expensive, and easily worn. 6.8 and .308 are two far better choices, but if you are lucky enough to get a rig that is accurate and reliable then role with it. For your .39 needs you might look into DPMS and RRA, but again, 6.8 and .308 are better choices if you going to use the AR platform.
 
#5 ·
It will be more accurate than an AK or SKS, but not as accurate as a 5.56/223. I've never had one, but have heard probably 80% negative feedback on this chambering in an AR platform. Something about the bolt/extractor not being too great for this caliber...

Anyway, I'm sure that from a reputable company it would work, but just relaying what I've read...

Other than price of ammo, why not go 6.8?

Personally... I believe this to be an ammunition problem. The extractors are breaking due to the steel cased ammunition. The AR's are meant for brass, not steel.

Again, this is just my opinion... as I know a lot of people here use Wolf ammunition.

Azguy ... DPMS has a lot of other caliber availabilities... maybe look around to something different than the 7.62 x 39. If I were you ... maybe look into the 6.5 Grendel?
 
#6 ·
Larry got me thinking about the Grendel round. Compare the 6.8 ballistics with the Grendel....game over. My next chambering will be the Grendel.
 
#7 ·
Larry got me thinking about the Grendel round. Compare the 6.8 ballistics with the Grendel....game over. My next chambering will be the Grendel.

comparing the 6.5 and 6.8 is like comparing a .45acp SMG to a .30 cal sniper riffle the 2 rnds are made to do different jobs the 6.8 is meant to be a mid range round fore room clearing out to 500mtrs that is y it is known as a special prepuce round the 6.8 SPC is built to have max terminal affect.
Now on the other hand you have the 6.5 the 6.5 is a long very long bullet giving it a big BC the 6.5 is meant for long range shooting 300-900 mtrs and has far wears terminal effect then the 6.8 but the 5.5 is a lot more accurate at long ranges . So you cannot compare the 2 rounds scents there jobs are soooo much different
 
#8 ·
comparing the 6.5 and 6.8 is like comparing a .45acp SMG to a .30 cal sniper riffle the 2 rnds are made to do different jobs the 6.8 is meant to be a mid range round fore room clearing out to 500mtrs that is y it is known as a special prepuce round the 6.8 SPC is built to have max terminal affect.
Now on the other hand you have the 6.5 the 6.5 is a long very long bullet giving it a big BC the 6.5 is meant for long range shooting 300-900 mtrs and has far wears terminal effect then the 6.8 but the 5.5 is a lot more accurate at long ranges . So you cannot compare the 2 rounds scents there jobs are soooo much different

I am not comparing them. Actually, never have. They are two different bullets for two different applications. As you've also stated, they are meant for different applications. I know this... military personnel developed the 6.8SPC to (hopefully) replace the 5.56... not the Grendel to replace the 5.56. There is a large need for a larger, better bullet to replace the 5.56... as it is not up to the task.


The 6.8SPC is basically a short .270, meant to have a better knock down power in closer ranges, to be able to shoot through things the 5.56 cannot. This is definitely a more powerful cartridge up close and personal.

The Grendel is meant for longer ranges, more stable, more accurate and a flat shooter, whereas the 6.8 is not meant for that. This is meant for extreme accuracy... more as a sharpshooter application.

Apples and oranges... just depends on the shooters' needs... an up close and personal gun or a longer range shooter, their choice.
 
#11 ·
Engineering

The basic AR-15 design has been adapted to a large number of cartridges over the years.

Yet the bottom line is the quality of engineering which can make or break the success of the matchup. If you are going to chamber a 7.62x39 or any other non-original cartridge the total gun must be able to handle the cartridge.

Trying to go cheap and "let's hope we can adapt" to this or that cartridge just invites problems.

Best advice - talk to people who have the gun you want in the cartridge you want to learn from them if the matchup is working well.
 
#12 ·
I've been looking into building an AR-15 in 7.62x39 for a while now. From what I can tell the mag problem has been taken care of. C Products offers high cap mags that seem to have had the kinks worked out of them. The next thing is you have to modify the firing pin or the bolt in order for it to work with Wolf ammo/surplus ammo. MGI makes a bolt/firing pin combo optimized for that ammo



 
#14 ·
I had been researching both the 6.8 and 6.5 for a very long time. They are both very good cartridges for their intended purposes. That said the Grendel has an advantage in the high BC bullets. You can get your near 308 performance out of the Grendel and still have the lighter weight ar-15 platform. The disadvantage of the Grendel is the inital up front cost. But there is now a lower budget builder that uses ER Shaw barrels and bolts from Alexander Arms that are about $100 - $200 cheaper than purchasing lower end model from Alexander Arms. The one good thing about the Grendel is that you can form the brass out of the 7.62X39 brass with a little work and save yourself alot of money from buying the Lapua brass that is commonly out of stock and nearly a $1.00 a piece unloaded. I have recently bought the Grendel and couldn't be happier with it. Here is the link to the Manufacturer that is selling the lower priced uppers.

Centerfire Systems - AR Parts & Accessories
 
#16 · (Edited)
Larry got me thinking about the Grendel round. Compare the 6.8 ballistics with the Grendel....game over. My next chambering will be the Grendel.
i was not talking about you i was peeking on texnmidwest
by that quote he used he was comparing them so do not say he were not even in his words "Compare the 6.8 ballistics with the Grendel" so before you start mouthing off make shore someone is talking about you or is it your little angle on your shoulder =P was bothering you because you were comparing them =P
and you told someone looking at a short range 7.62mm round to look at the extremely long range round someone looking at 7.62x39 would be more looking at the 6.8 then the 6.5 sens if he is looking at a 7.62x39 he is looking for short range stopping power not shooting things 1km out:hitwithrock:
 
#18 ·
anytime Swede.

Dark1 the 6.5 will do anything the others will do at short rage and things they can't do at longer range. I'm not saying this because I now have one. If you search and read the ballistics you will see for yourself
 
#19 · (Edited)
wow, i love how some people just won't stick to saying facts, but will add lil comments about "before you start mouthing off make shore someone is talking about you or is it your little angle on your shoulder was bothering you because you were comparing them"....Marinevet1010 comes to mind....anyone remember seeing that drama series? it was funnier than anything I've ever saw....too bad the season ended so early, with only what, like 8episodes? -sighs- the good days....
 
#20 ·
and no the 6.5 dos not do the same thing the 6.5 has a huge over penetration problem while in a CQB environment in a fmj like the army has to use. i have seen both rounds tested at the mountain warfare training center
at normal CQB ranges the 6.5 will over penetrate and even pass threw a wall behind the target have seen this first hand when we were testing some new uppers that a vender was trying to sell the MTN infantry unit for there SDM's.

we had simulator dummies set up in a sim building set up on the training range and did some shots from 2-20 mtrs away the 6.5 over penetrated 90% of the time that is even weirs then the 5.56 the 6.8 usually stopped inside the body of the target . for you that doesn’t know much about CQB over penetration is bad not just do to beaus of civilians but also when you are doing raids you may have another team from your own unit behind that wall and if rnd passes threw your intended target gess what it might hit yes your own men. so it is not well suited for CQB and you rely do not wanto be carrying around 2 uppers one fore if you are forced to enter a room and a different one fore your long shots so for a m-16 stile rifle 6.8 is a nice setup to do both jobs.

if i wanted to shoot long range i would have the sniper team that I being assigned to infantry units now take the shot with there .50 or use the m-14/sr25 that I carry thenm-16 is still a flawed weapon system and just building new rounds to fit in its mag well is not rely the ancer . and that is y the army has announced they will be replacing the m-16/m4 the competition is next summer and they want the new gun fielded by 2012 lots of people at Natick labs and the MTN warfare center are hearing roomers it will be a 308 because they have bin testing new 308 ammo and ammo pouches and so on in the extreme cold..


[FONT=&quot]o well it is late at night and i need to get to bed so i talk from practical experience not just poking holes in paper and reading books[/FONT]



o well it is late at night and i need to get to bed
 
#21 ·
Dark1- What you just described is just another instance of the Army hunting/hoping for a quick fix !! Just because they test something does not mean it will be fielded/adopted. You have to know that they've been searching for a replacement weapon/caliber for many years. As you stated, there isn't ONE perfect caliber for the multitude of situations a weapon may be deployed in. Factor in the high cost of rearming the Army and it becomes obvious why it is taking so long. Then you must consider the politics of the whole thing. The rumor mill has everyone jumping all over themselves, including you. Now for the facts. The Army is not looking for a 6.8 caliber weapon. The Army is hoping to field a completely new "modular" weapon system that can adapt to the task at hand. SPECOPS have tested a variety of platforms towards that end. None were caliber specific. Finally, CRTC isn't testing anything in 7.62 at the moment, and EVERYTHING the Army adopts spends time there !! Just because you were a joe involved in a single test does not qualify you as a SME.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Thanks for the read Larry.
Defense Review is a much better source than speculative people. These are the people "in the know".

My last base (Eglin AFB) is the Air Force Development and Test Center for weaponry... and I certainly will not say I know what is new or even out there... and I am certainly no SME either... even as a witness to some of the testing.

I am also certain that these types of tests (even small arms) are conducted secretly with higher classifications than most of us here even have.

We'll just have to wait to see what happens... but I think we can at least all agree that the 5.56 will not continue as the main small arms rifle cartridge very much longer.

Larry O
 
#25 · (Edited)
if they are not testing 7.62 in what do you call the SCAR heavy setup Sf is using .... it is definitely 7.62 and and all our testing you are right was unit lvl testing our unit is some what special so we get to get a lot of our toys from the civ side of the house you saw the pix of my SPR i posted 70% of that gun was not army stranded . and as for stuff you are seeing in Iraq today i just left from there about a month ago and there are us soldiers running around with DSA FAL's and SCAR's both in 7.62
the army is weird atm a lot of units are given check books and told to get want equipment they think they may need like atm the 3id is starting to replace there 249 saws with a MK48 MOD 0 7.62mm Lightweight Machine Gun i have seen a few of thees in line units popping up in the last fue months so they are testing lots of 7.62 stuff lately

o ya hand i am a regular on defense revue and Janes defense but most of my xp is from seeing and using the tools of war in the field

yah i was righting in a rush had to get back out the spelling should be fixed now =)
 
#26 ·
Dark1 ... please ... use a spell check. I'm not ripping on ya... it will help make your comments much easier to read.

While I agree about the various 7.62 platforms in the field, these are experimental, not common issue. There is another thread that talks of this in the M14 area.
 
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