Was wondering what people thought of the effectiveness of the 7.62x39 chambered AR..  What does the AR do for that 7.62 that the AK doesn't?

The advantages of the AR x39 would be (properly modified to to fire surplus/commercial steel cased ammo, if needed) :

Quality of components vs the AK.
Overall accuracy is almost always better than the AK.
Better selection of quality parts/availability.
Availability of 16", 18", or 20" barrel lengths.
Ability to add/configure many tactical parts to the rifle.

These are what come to mind when doing a comparison of the two platforms...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_9GqbLF1kw&feature=plcp

http://illirianengineeringc.ipage.com/

While more accurate then people give it credit for, my AR is definitely more accurate than my AK. I decided to merge the two and came out with a 300 blackout, which I find to be punishing on hogs, accurate, and lightweight. I just can't warm up to my AK no matter how hard I try. Guess that is attributable to all my years in the military!

I would say that nails it.
Same cheap ammo in a better platform

I added 2 more in red.  I own fourteen AKs and enjoy them immensely, but reality is what it is.  I love my x39 ARs.



 

At 100 yards I'm not seeing any great difference in accuracy in the 7.62x39 for range use vs 5.56. Surprisingly, there's not much of a cost difference between the two platforms either, in my area a good midrange AK is about $700-$800, I've got less than that in my AR with all new parts including optics. All the info you need is on this board, do your homework and you'll have a 100% reliable platform.

can you elaborate on what 'modified' areas you are talking about please...thx

By that I mean either modifying the firing pin and/or bolt "tail" to fire/Ignite surplus/commercial steel cased ammo or buying a firing pin like
a Model 1 Sales firing pin if the Complete Upper or Rifle does not already have one Installed in it...Most all modern complete uppers/rifles
already come with matching M4 style feedramps with the barrel extension and upper receiver, so there is not much else you
need to do...

The best thing about an AR in 762x39 is when you go Short Barrel

2100fps + and 123gr = 20% slower than 5.56 but twice the bullet of a 62gr

Can we say FPEs?

I much prefer the ergnomics of the AR due to modularity of parts and being able to cut barrels for suppressors in just a couple weeks from ADCO.
How many SOPMOD stocks do you see on a 47?

Plus ARs can be tuned with various buffer weights to control the cyclic rate and do not have to be as front heavy as an AK.

gotcha thanks

Very few, but it's a matter of taste and/or preference and not feasibility.  You can put a SOPMOD stock on an AK easily enough if you so desire.




 
 

First I would say that it depends on what you want it to do. I have both Ak's in 7.62x39 and an AR in 7/62x39 No I spent a little extra and bout the Yankee Hill Rifle Carbine with there "smoothy" Forearm  and folding sights and 9.5 twist. First out of the box it eats everything  and holds slightly tighter groups than my Arsenal  ans is easier to mount optics on. On top of that I have 4 ARs of Different Calibers all with he same forearms trigger an and Pistol grips In essence I have the same rifle in different Calibers So when I practice in my front yard with my Tac Sol AR22 I am getting the same sight picture and trigger pull as when I grab the the 300 blackout , the 7.62x39 ot the 223. A blit lazy and self indulgent but it works of rme. That said I love AKs I have brought Bambi tot he BBQ Nailed squirrel. crows  and other light game with my kit built 74 so I would say honestly the pro's of the AR platform is Depth of the Aftermarket, and  ease of Optics After that  its all about what you like and I like them both!

YHM does x39 ARs right.  My YHM x39 upper is the best AR money I have ever spent.  Ran like a raped ape right out of the box on everything I fed it.  Great stuff.



 

Bolt Hold Open alone makes the AR better 7.62x39 weapon system for me; add everything else, better safeties, straight load/drop free mags, better sight options, better optics mounting, better accuracy, lighter weight, makes it a clear winner. IMO the only downside is magazines: AK mags are rock solid and last forever; AR mags are hit/miss; and bolt design. While the improved bolts on the market seem to be holding their own, if they made an 7.62x39 bolt/magazine adapter for the AR10 all the bolt breakage issues would go away.

I have the same set up and I love it and had the same out of the box experience as both of the users quoted above.

I just love having my saiga ak and PSA ar15 that use the same ammo. Plus in my opinion, 5.56 just isnt  the barrier penetrating round I want . x39 gives me the perfect mass projectile, cheap ammo, and it's still a manageable round as far as recoil goes.

My guess is that 7.62x39 would be the second most popular caliber if someone else would produce nice functional magazines, like pmag.