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Posted: 9/18/2004 12:43:38 PM EDT
[#1]
7.62X39 is definitely more available and will continue to be so. 5.45X39 was always just a Warsaw Pact round and even there it did not completely supercede the 7.62X39. Even in Russia there are units that still use the AKM. The PRC, PRK, Yugoslavia and all of the Arab and African countries never adopted the 5.45.
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Posted: 9/19/2004 1:52:28 PM EDT
[#2]
Many online ammo dealers carry both. At gunshows it is harder to find 5.45, but it's no big deal. I stocked up from one dealer and next show he brought a lot more of it. They will carry what sells. I like the Barnaul FMJ best. The standard 750rd box fits right inside a 50 cal ammo box for better storage in the rainy state. |
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Posted: 9/19/2004 5:54:52 PM EDT
[#3]
The 7.62 is really everywhere, but the best deals are from the big volume dealers where you can also get 5.45. 7.62 is about 2 cents cheaper a shot, and 500 rnds of that is about 1/2lb away from 750 rnds of 5.45 (both about 18lbs by off-the-cuff) so shipping fees may wash out the difference. I buy a few cases of 5.45 at a time, which rides out any suppply bumps quite easily. Unless you live in BFE and need ammo at the corner store, just get the round you wish to shoot for your target's purposes.
dansammo is an aggressive bargain shipper, and Gulf Coast Ammunition may be cheaper since they start in TX vs Dans in PA. |
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Posted: 9/19/2004 8:09:32 PM EDT
[#4]
Thanks for the replies. I'll probably opt for the 7.62 as my first AK. If I like the platform enough I'll buy a more expensive rifle later in 5.45. Will probably get a SAR to get it goin'.
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Posted: 9/26/2004 10:36:49 PM EDT
[#5]
Also, keep in mind... that for the longest time... I thought that the Russian military was going away from 7.62x39mm and toward the 5.45x39. Well, I was wrong. Guys down in the Kavkaz mountains in Chechnya prefer the 7.62x39 round over the 5.45x39. Most if not all the OMON troops that I see around Russia are carrying 7.62x39 rifles (AK of course)...
You could not go wrong with a 7.62x39 AK as your first AK... But, I still love my several 5.45x39 ones too... Y- |
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Posted: 9/27/2004 7:48:53 AM EDT
[#6]
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Posted: 9/27/2004 5:11:00 PM EDT
[#7]
I have to say, in all honesty, get both.
They both have their advantages. I like them both with a slight preference for the 5.45 due to its' lack of recoil and ease in handling. I really don't think the 5.45 will overtake the 7.62 version. Most people know what an AK-47 is, most have no idea what an AK-74 is. I don't think the 5.45 will ever reach the popularity of the 7.62. |
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Posted: 9/27/2004 10:36:28 PM EDT
[#8]
I think most people outside the gun world think you're making a mistake when talking about an ak-74. "dude, you don't know what you're talking about - it's an ak-47, not ak-74!" |
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Posted: 9/27/2004 11:05:39 PM EDT
[#9]
FAPP, 5.45 is the better round...
Between NATO, the ex-Pact, and now China, everyone major has or is leaving .30cal for a 5.xx mm round (5.45, 5.56, 5.8)... 7.62x39 will stay popular in the various backwater countries, but that's about it... OTOH, 7.62x39 is cheaper... |
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Posted: 9/28/2004 8:08:47 PM EDT
[#10]
I was wondering about China. Did they adopt the 5.45?
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Posted: 9/28/2004 8:28:23 PM EDT
[#11]
5.8MM Chinese, and they are abandoning the AK for a home-grown design... |
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Posted: 9/29/2004 12:56:49 PM EDT
[#12]
Ya gotta have both! 7.62x39 first, because it is the original...then the 5.45, because it is even better...IMO, of course!
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Posted: 9/29/2004 6:35:20 PM EDT
[#13]
Sadly, I'm going with the AK because I can only get one and can't afford an AR.
 If I could afford it, I wouldn't be talkin' to you guys. I'd just go buy them both and try it myself. I am leaning towards the 7.62 though. And it comes down to the availability of ammo. I want to be able to buy in less than 500 at a time. Not saying I'm gonna do that but the option is there to go to the local 'mart' and get a box or two.Of course, when I'm at the shop tomorrow and they have a SAR-2 that just feels right... 
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