I've been selling off much my collection for health/financial reasons, and I parted with my Mini-14 and Mini-30.  The Mini-14 didn't bother me, as I have my light weight STAG-15 AR-15 featureless 5.56 6.25 lb. M4gery build with a 2x7 tactical scope  I hated selling the Mini-30, though.  I really like the 7.62x39 round, especially my 123 Nosler hand loads.

I opted on getting a 7.62x39 upper for my upper.  At 66 and on retirement mode, I am not a brand snob.  Midway USA had complete AR Stoner uppers in 7.62x39 for $399.00 with BCG and charging handle.   I figured I would pick one up to use with the AR lower I kept.  Well, by the time I finally got around to ordering, they had a mondo good sale going, and I got the entire 7.62x39 AR Stoner build kit for $359!  That inspired me to trade some +p 9mm I had to my buddy at the gunshop for another lower (another STAG-15) for this build.

I built the 7.62x39 carbine, replacing the stock and handguard with Magpul MOE stuff I had. Since I am in Commiefornia, I used a Sparrow Dynamics featureless grip, replaced the flash hider with a compact Tridelta comp, and pinned the stock to make it "fixed." I topped it off with Bushnell TRS-32 red dot I had in the cabinet, and picked up a couple ASC stainless steel 10 rounders.

I took it to the range today to sight her in. I fed it 100 rounds EACH of my Nosler 123 grain Varmagedon .310" brass cased handloads with 24.5 grains of 4198, and Tulammo Ulyanovsk 8M3 134 HPs steel case.  All 200 rounds fired  without a single failure.

First I did a battle sight with the TRS-32 at 25 yards where I confirmed both my handloads and the 8M3 had approximately the same POA/POI.  I then put 10 rounds rapid fire into a 1.5" circle at 25 yards with the Tulammo.  After that I began shooting clay pigeons at 100 yards, and finally assorted baseball and softball sized targets at 200 yards,  still using the TRS-32.  It was dead nuts on!

You all can spend the high dollar to drink the fancy weapon Kool-Aid, but my $450 7.62x39 AR Stoner/STAG15 build is good enough for me.I'd rather spend the money on the Grandkids and my wife!  It will do as my ranch/home defense carbine and even whack the coyotes prowling our acreage out to 200 yards.

Wtf happen to the grip?

He’s in Cali. No pistol grips allowed

Nice.  The grip isn't as obnoxious as several I have seen. 

I have been blasting through some 7.62x39 training ammo that I bought on the cheap. 

Luckily I can still see the irons, so no fancy stuff on my A2 carbine.

I actually prefer irons to red dot up to about 75-100 yards.  Maybe because I learned to shoot on irons 60 years ago!  Most of the coyote shots on my property are about 125+ yards, so I have the red dot on the 7.62x39 and the 2x6 tactical on the 5.56 with MK262 MOD1 77s in it.

I see your SASS logo.  I have been in SASS since 1994, and have been a staff writer for the chronicle for most of 20 years, alias:  Tuolumne Lawman!

That's a good price for the upper. I like the Mini 30 too. Just haven't taken it out of the safe to shoot for years.

How does that grip work for you? Can you wrap your thumb around or is it too far of a reach?
Notice you have an ambi safety that's needed with the fin type grip and the reason for the question.

Not many 200yd ranges in CA. What range are you at?

Edit: Never mind, sound like your on your own property...

Actually our Nevada County Sportsman's club (member only) has 200 yard rifle range.  We had a nice 12" gong there, until the tree hugging, Birkenstock wearing, Tofu eating flower children complained about lead contamination!

I REALLY like the Sparrow Dynamics grip the best.  Almost no difference from a standard pistol grip..  I have exile Machine Hammerhead, MMG, and Solar Tactical paddles, but none offer the comfort of the Sparrow.  I don't even bother changing it when I go to Nevada or Oregon to shoot.  I have since taken off the ambi safety.  You can almost reach it now, as the grip is over the top.

Thanks for the information. I'll order one and see how it works out.

Midway drops the price on the AR-Stoner 7.62x39 to $299 for very brief periods couple times a year, sometimes 1-day sale, sometimes a little longer.  the one with the cheapest ribbed handguards, A2 FSB (not F-marked).  I bought one, I suspect it's a rebranded BCA.  shoots good.  The BCG doesn't have the enhanced firing pin, but no biggie, $10 from Red X.

I had just missed the last time they had the complete upper for $299, but was tickled to get the complete kit for $359 with free shipping.  Sure, it doesn't have a chrome lined chamber and bore, but I doubt if I shoot much of my Chinese steel core through it, except to check for function.  I'll just scrub the piss out of it with windex or Moose Milk (Ballistol and water), like when I shoot BP in my cowboy guns.

I Went out into the woods with the AR Stoner 7.62x39 and did another 100 rounds of Tulammo 8M3. Function was flawless.  Even though I had 100% reliability out of the box, this time I had replaced the hammer spring with a Wolff heavy one, and the firing pin with an enhanced 7.62x39 one from Black Rifle Armory.

Much better firing pin indentations in the steel case, but it wasn't locking the bolt open after the last round about 50% of the time now.  I think the extra power hammer spring is slowing it a little.  It is noticeably stiffer when pulling the charging handle to the rear to cycle the action. The bolt was going back far enough to cycle, but not always enough to go behind the bolt stop.  Since I have the enhanced Firing Pin, I will try it with a standard hammer spring again.

I tried two different ASC 10 rounders and three different ASC stainless 20 rounders and they were all flawless.  I REALLY like the feel and handling with the 20 rounders.  The ASC 30 rounder, however, did not like the steel cased.  In the past, they have worked with brass case ammo, though. A 30 round 7.62x39 magazines on a 6.25 pound AR15 Carbine is like a Thompson "C" drum on a 1928 Tommy Gun. Really cool firepower, but too heavy and ungainly to be practical.

Congratulations/sorry?

I got a kit from CBC for about $400 a couple years ago and a complete Radical upper from AIM last year for $300.  Moving outside 5.56 inspired me to go a little further and I got the LaRue 6.5G kit last year (that caliber and what I use it for was worth being a brand snob).  I don't shoot my AKs nearly as often now.  All 3 I mentioned have performed flawlessly (CPD x39 mags used for all and Elander as well for the 6.5).

Like you, I have different types of optic depending on their role - cheap rds, lpvo, hpvo.

LOL!

Update:  Went to the range to check function and accuracy of my new load: 24.5 grains IMR 4198, WLR primer, and a 123 grain Hornady Z-Max bullet in assorted brass cases.  The Z-Max has a thicker jacket than the Nosler Varmagedon, which might do for coyote, but would probably be too light for mountain lion or two legged varmints.  I also switched from the Magpul furniture to some light weight retro CAR-15 furniture to save 13 oz. 100 rounds, with zero malfunctions.  I use a 25 yard POA = POI for roughly a 200 yard zero.

25 yard (red dot is 1") 30 rounds, rapid fire - about 3 shots a minute, at 25 yards off hand, using a Busnell 1X TRS-32 red dot, co-witnessed with BUIS.  The red circle in the middle of the target was 1".  I also broke clay pigeons at100 yards from a casual rest, and hit a 6" pine cone at 200 yards.



500 rounds of whoop @ss!



The 7.62x39 with CAR-15 retro furniture



I absolutely love this little7.62x39 Carbine.  It has replaced my 5.56 build (with MK 262 MOD1) for my ranch.home defensive carbine.  The 5.56 with MK262 MOD1 with its 2x6 scope will do the longer range stuff.  On the ranch, 125 yards is about the tops for a shot.

Personally, I don't care for 30 rounders in either an AR15 or Mini-30 in 7.62x39, but 20 rounders are perfect.  The 7.62x39 30s are too long and catch on things.  I know from personal experience the ASC 20 round 7.62x39 AR15 mags functioned 100% with both Tulammo 8M3 124 HPs, and both Nosler 123 and Hornady 123 reloads.

In fact even on my 5,56 AR, I prefer 20s.  Back when I used AR15s or Mini-14s as LEO patrol carbines, I almost always used 20s in the weapon.

My pair of ARs:  My 7.62x39 on the bottom and my 5.56 on the top..  California "Featureless" legal, with pinned stock, Sparrow Dynamocs non-pistol grip, and muzzle brakes.

Classic firearms has the whole BCA 16" carbine for $359 right now.

$359 and $10 shipping direct from bca.
Just saw this this morning. Darn tempting, but I just ordered an upper last week.

$359 for the whole kit seems to be the standard "sale price" from Midway USA AR Stoner/BCA for the 7.62x39.  Heck I had an extra lower, so I had a new rifle for $359 (I got free shipping).  I absolutely LOVE the 7,63x39 AR.  Hitting clay pigeons at 100 yards and 6 inch pine cones at 200 yards with the TRS-32 Bushnell red dot is certainly "Minute of Zombie/Goblin/Troll/Criminal Maladroits/Raving Insurrectionist"

Certainly good enough for Coyote out to 200 yards with the Hornady 123 grain Zombie Max bullet at 2450 fps MV!  I was watching Youtube with gelatin results for the 7.62x39 123 grain Zombie Max bullet, and it has NASTY terminal ballistics!  It is about as nasty as my 8M3 ammo, but more accurate.

I do have to confess, however, that I just DROSed a new Ruger PCC9 carbine.  My Glock 19 is my EDC concealed carry piece (retired LEO), and I have lots of Glock mags from when I was an LEO and carried this same Glock 19 as my duty weapon.  Should be pretty neat with my Federal 115 grain +P+ 9BPLE rounds.  They give about 1400 fps from the Glock, so I expect about 1500 or 1550 from the carbine.  That will be my backup HD carbine to the 7.62x39 AR15.

How much did the lower originally cost? I pieced together another build for less actually:
EP Armory had 3 lowers for $40, so that's $13.33 each.
Classic firearms had the upper for $199
A m4 stock for $25
And an Anderson lpk for $35.
That's a grand total of $274. I don't know how much the shipping was.

I traded a couple 50 round boxes of Speer 124+P Gold Dots for the lower ($60) so the total for my build was $419...still cheap.

$300 today, I couldn't pass it up!

I made mine when PA had a flash sale, side charger with bcg for $100.  I bought a franklin armory 16" heavy  barrel here (new) for $60, used a psa lower (65 with nics etc), AP lpk ($40), had a Ace stock set up lying around, bought a bolt and swapped the 5.56 out for $40 here, $5 dollar brake that I absolutely love from ebay (don't laugh, couldn't find the right threads and they had for 9mm), matrix keymod 15" rail for $40 and boom I've got a complete x39 for 350
shoots like a dream, love it and a real blast, one of my favorite ARs.  If I could post pics I would

I enjoy shooting my 7.62x39 AR.  It's nice not having to chase brass, just let the steel cases fly.

I have pulled bullets on Wolf and some old Chinese steel core that I have and replaced the bullet with a 123 gr Hornady SST.  Shoots great and would do fine for deer/hog hunting.

That is exactly what it is.  Several places run sales on the complete 7.62x39 upper for $200 a few times a year.

I got mine from Classic that way

OK I saw the complete build kit minus lower and free shipping for $303....I could not resist.  Found a local FFL with Andersen lowers for 59 each.

I cant get the handguards off is there a trick to it on a Stoner??  The coller at rear pulls all the way back but it does not want to come out of the front bracket at sight.

Anybody know what rear sight would match the front?  Will the carry handle one from my Colt AR15A4 fit it??

Complete gat be $359 right now.

They're just normal m4 handguards. You pull the delta ring back and start by separating the handguards at the rear and after you lift the rear of one handguard away from the barrel nut it just pulls out of the front retainer.
Any rear sight for an ar15 should work.

Found a F stamped on front site base ..is that a standard height?

you are right they are just very tight

That's what every flat top AR should have. I've bought several of these uppers. I've got usgi carry handles, matech buis, Troy fixed battle sight. Any legit rear sight designed for an AR15 should work.

I have a 2017 Colt ar15a4 and the front sight s not F marked

correct, that was changed a while back, forget the year

Didn't somebody research that recently and found that the current Colt sights are the "F marked" height but the just don't stamp them "F" any more because they only use one height? I think I read that recently. Either way, technically either sight will work. The sight post may be screwed up or down more than normal, but it will work.

Midway just posted back up the sale of their Stoner 7.62x39 uppers for $299 with free shipping. No telling how long this will last.

Bird

I know it’s not chrome lined, but what is the barrel finish?

Was a .308 or .311/.312 diameter bore used?  I had heard that some 7.62x39 manufacturers were using a .308 bore, and I wouldn't think that would be a good thing.

The one I got from them a couple years ago is a .310 bore. Several thousand rounds through it with zero issues so far and fairly accurate.

Bird

Nice...that is what I was hoping to hear.  .310 is the correct bore, I'm glad they didn't try and use the 308 bores.  That is probably why people are having such good accuracy with them.  I'll bet with some judicious handloading, those uppers could be even more accurate.

PSA now has their 7.52x39 carbine uppers on sale for $229 with free shipping - heck of a deal...……

PSA 7.62x39 deal

Bird-

Attached File

build your own, even if you mess up, it will still be better than psa...lol

seriously however, with prices what they are, why wouldn't you build one?????????????

I’ve had a PSA for a couple years and it agreat. I’ve been shooting the wolf stuff, I assume is .310. Will that damage the barrel, or should I only shoot .308?

You are Good either way...

And those are nitride, not phosphate. I have 2 PSA uppers they are midlength gas. Swapping to a heavier buffer is a good thing. H2 or heavier. Supposedly I am running a 6.1oz buffer in one of mine. I don't have a scale. I bought them from an Ebay seller who is no longer on E-Bay. I did a slow-mo video with a 3.0 buffer and got no bolt bounce. I am sure it is hard on the internals.  It really called the felt recoil on the Tula. Then I went to shooting the Wolf HP mil-spec stuff and the recoil stepped up again!

I have 2 of each of these big lug bolts. He has been out of stock for a while.  https://thebuffalo.us/shop/7-62x39-mp-bolt-head/ https://thebuffalo.us/shop/7-62x39-chrome-bolt-head/