Well, tomorrow I am picking up part of my AR.  Getting a Olympic Arms lower.

What I'm wondering is, should I get a .223 upper or 7.62X39 upper?

I'm kinda intrigued by the 7.62 because I already have a AK47 and 1K rounds of ammo.  Sure would be nice to start with one caliber, and upgrade to two when I can afford more ammo.

Is the 7.62 upper good, or should I stick with the original .223?

Look forward to your responses.

Steve

Stick with the .223 as your primary upper. You can always add a 7.62X39 or pistol cal upper later.

It allready sounds like you have one caliber 7.62/39, now it is time to upgrade, my friend to 5.56/45 aka (223). don't worry you will find money to practice with both........

I was once in the same position as your are (only I had 2-3K of 7.63x39).  I thought it would make things easier - WRONG!

7.62x39 ARs are not meant for real heavy use or extended use in the field.  The lack of chrome lining does hurt reliability when things get dirty.  And the lack of decent magazines.  USGI will only feed 7-8 rounds reliably (put any more in and you'll jam the magazine).  Most of the aftermarket magazines are junk - many don't even have the stop (raised are below the magazine catch hole) to prevent overinsertion (which will jam your rifle BAD).

The best 7.62 magazines are the hybrid AR/AK ones which are getting tough to find.  The MWG plastic magazines (5 & 10 round capacity) are fine for hunting (but they don't lock the bolt back).

The 5.56 is more pleasent to shoot, shoots flatter, is actually easier to find in stores, and in proper military form causes more dammage.  Best of all you can do CHEAP practice with a .22 conversion kit.

7.62x39 uppers should be left to hunting in states where 5.56 isn't allowed.