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Posted: 2/26/2003 7:53:48 PM EDT
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I know Special Weapons gets some bad mouthing from time to time, but I found this posting at HK54 that Todd at SW posted on his new AR47 set up he is gonna be selling. Maybe good, or maybe a waist of money...you decide: Well I think you will like this!!! The new AR47, we took and make a new AL Ar receiver that takes standard AK 47 mag and AK 47 drum mags. You can use the Colt or DPMS upper with a slight mod for the width of the AK mag but other then that it is the most cost effective AR around... We will be shooting the first one over the weekend and will post pics of the gun with both the drum and curved mags in place. All standard Ar lower parts work. Cost est about $199, there are billet parts NOT castings made from 7075 AL. We have one more big AR suprise in about 2 weeks stay tune. Receivers will be available for sale in about 2 weeks final pricing next week and Tactical Weapons will be selling them. This is not like the Knight gun that is a 1" longer reciever and will not work with the Colt and DPMS uppers. Ours works with both COLT and DPMS uppers and uses unmodifed AK47 mags and drums, just what the DR. ordered!!!! |
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From what I understand about the concept and testing of a 7.62X39 AR-15 or M-16, they will be full of function related problems. I think this will have something to do with the AR gas system as compared to the cleaner running AK gas piston system (keeping the gas blowback off the bolt). Using cheap russian ammo will gum up your AR bolt so fast that you'll be lucky to get through two high cap mags before things stop working properly. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea however, I think I'll be one of the people who will wait till all the bugs are worked out and reliability is established before I plink down the cash for a 7.62 AR. |
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I live in Vegas so I went to the Shot Show last year and talked to the guys at Knights regarding their AK mag version. I didn't hear about any function problems, but it was definately an engineering experience. To allow the AK mag to rock into place, the receiver is marginally longer than the standard. Obviously, the upper has to be longer as well. So we are talking about completely new uppers & lowers. Because DOD specified that our guys wanted the same controls as the M4/M16, the magazine release had to be the push button and the mag had to drop free. They did this by angling the catch so that it would clear the tab at the rear of the magazine (I can't describe it properly) and adding a plunger that would push the rear of the magazine down when the magazine release was pushed. It would use standard AK magazines. They didn't talk about the gas system, but that one has already been engineered. It dates me, but 20 years ago, Rhino offered a gas piston conversion for the AR/M16. That would eliminate the fouling problem and also a lot of heat in the chamber/receiver. I would have to say, it seems like a lot of work just to use AK mags. I think our guys are smart enough to learn how to operate a different weapon. If I wanted to supply sophisticated 7.62x39 rifles for special purposes, I'd buy up a bunch of the Israeli Galil's and rebarrel them in 7.62. Change the bolt and you should be good. I know a 7.62 mag will fit, cause I've inserted one before. Bottom line, I agree with those who think a standard AR in 7.62 (using dirty ammo and AK mags) is a bad idea. |
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The Rhino gas system faded away due to lack of sales. It was a product that fulfilled a mostly non-existant need. The early ammo problems with 5.56mm were a result of incompentance, greed, and neglect. With modern ammo, the Rhino really wasn't needed and it also tended to be really hard on bolt carriers. Any AR that uses AK mags would be of interest to civilians mostly since the US military can just order well made 7.62x39mm hi-caps from someone like Colt and just slap a 7.62x39mm upper on a military M-16/M-4 lower. For a well made 7.62x39mm weapon that uses AK mags, just get a Valmet or an AK-100 series rifle. The Chinese made PolyTechs were also usually a very good rifle. The Saiga hunting rifle is actually based upon the updated AK-100 series rifles and Krebs Custom is doing an excellent job of turning them back into a military style weapon. A 7.62x39mm AK-103k is only 6.5lbs unloaded. |
| On the opposite end of the spectrum is the Daewoo AR-100 type rifles. AK gas system, otherwise the features of the AR. They work pretty well. Only downside is lack of spare parts. I have yet to see an AR type rifle that can take AK mags that actually works. It will be interesting if SW succeeds. |
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Quoted: Using cheap russian ammo will gum up your AR bolt so fast that you'll be lucky to get through two high cap mags before things stop working properly. I'm not a SW fan, but your above statement is all wet. I've put 500 rnds of Wolf through this at a sitting without problem. In fact, it's never had anything but Wolf shot in it. The gas system doesn't get any dirtier than a .223 AR [img]http://photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/IG_LoadImage.asp?iImageUnq=784[/img] |
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