APOD Firearms

7.62X39 AR Completed

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  • Luv2Hunt

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    I got the idea that I needed a 7.62x39 rifle in the house. I like the AR platform and dislike the "Russian" style guns. This is my personal preference and no disrespect to the "Russian" styles or those who love them. I just don't.
    I did some research and decided to jump in.
    I decided to try a side charger because I do use scopes and do not like fighting the scope/receiver/stock to get my fat fingers around the charging handle of a standard upper charging handle. I then fell for a New Frontier lower billet and used a DEZ barrel because I liked their web page/advertising. I also liked the idea of an adjustable gas block (which proved to be not needed due to the barrel design). Yankee Hill muzzle brake, C Products magazine, Rise Armament 3.5 match trigger, Ace Skeleton stock, and a Hogue forend grip. I am also trying the JP Enterprises silent captured spring buffer system that is excellent. I am doing my own reloads with brass cases. I have not tried any of the steel cases known for hard primers but on my reloads I had 100% fired and extracted as expected. The scope is a gun show special osprey compact. The jury is still out on the scope. I could not be happier with the setup, the first trip to the range ended up with .831 group at about 81 yards. Quite a bit higher end rifle than I anticipated but I love it.
     

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    SAWMAN

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    PLEASE . . . don't put any steel cased ammo thru that gun. NONE . . . !! Why would you need to.
    Great build. Good chambering. A semi-auto 30-30Win (kinda). --- SAWMAN
     

    Luv2Hunt

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    Thanks Sawman! And thanks for the help with the load in the reloading section. By the way, you were surely right about the part " lots of money tied up in the rifle!" I'm sure pleased with it. I'm thinking about adding some color to the barrel fluting and receiver. We'll see how things go!
     

    SAWMAN

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    BTW . . . you will fall in love with the side charge AND that JP silent captured recoil spring. IMO it should be included in any "better than normal" build. Also glad you got a good trigger. I have seen guys spend $400 on a premium bbl then leave the milspec trigger in the gun.
    Any more info you need from the Load Data site . . . just let me know. Remember if you choose to try the heavier bullets you can use the 303British bullets also. However from my expierance I have found,like the 300BLK,flat base bullets will give you more room for powder.
    Good Shootin' --- SAWMAN
     
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    Luv2Hunt

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    Once again you were right Sawman, I just ordered two more side chargers and a new barrel from Bear Creek. Going to take awhile to finish these two though. And a LOT more conservative on the builds.
     

    Dan1612

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    Great looking rifle!
    May I ask why you went for x39 vs 300blk (super)


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    Luv2Hunt

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    Great looking rifle!
    May I ask why you went for x39 vs 300blk (super)


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    Thanks for the compliment Sir,

    I am geared more towards hunting and personal protection, cost of ammo, and availability of ammo.
    During the ammo crunches it seemed that the 7.62x39 was consistently readily available.
    I am a fan of the round (7.62x39) and wanted to stay with the AR platform.
    I wanted to have a rifle that would shoot the 7.62x39 round in case that is all that is available one day.
    My Wife and I have a small lease where the max yardage is about 80-100 yards and I wanted a rifle that would be good for hunting at that range that would be more forgiving than our 556/223s.
    I have seen several new calibers come on strong with wild popularity and eventually fade out. I wanted to stick with something that I believe has and will stand the test of time. This is my personal reasons and do not want to offend anyone.
     

    Dan1612

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    I can understand that.
    What bullet do you use for hunting with x39?
     
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    Luv2Hunt

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    I got some of the brass from a member here for sale in the ammo/reloading section and use the Hornady sst 123g bullet. The bore on the DEZ barrel is .311/.312 so I use the 7.62x39 bullet which I think is .310.
     

    Dan1612

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    That seems to be the best bullet in the market.
    I'd be curious to see if steel or lacquer cases get stuck, but brass should be good to go.



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    SAWMAN

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    Like the 30-30Win,the 7.62X39 case has quite a bit of taper to it. These cases were designed like this for reliability.
    IMO,the bigger worry for me in using non dry brass cases was what would all that laquor do to the gas system. Also,what would be the longivity of the extractor claw and the ejector plunger from the steel.
    Think about how the AK's and SKS's were/are made vs the modern day AR. To me,steel cases do not belong in a AR unless it is a $400 beater AR.
    The above is not necessarily FACT . . . . it is simply OPINION. --- SAWMAN
     

    Luv2Hunt

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    I would like to be able to shoot any 7.62x39 out there,,,,just in case,,,, so I will end up getting some and testing it. I don't know if the firing pin is enhanced already or if I'll have to get one. I am also concerned about the drop in trigger having the umph to fire the harder primers even with the enhanced firing pin. It sure shoots those hornandys well with the Lapua cases. I have been using the SST with other hunting rifles and have witnessed some devastating results, so I'm pretty devoted to them. As long as I do my part they do theirs!

    Sawman you give me good food for thought about the gas system. Maybe is education time, but I thought the AK and SKS were gas operated weapons?....... Food for thought.... I have a couple of bridges to cross yet and will adjust as necessary.
    Simple fact for me is this, I plan to always use my own brass cased reloads whenever possible,, but I also want to be able to use whatever whenever if the situation dictates.
     

    Luv2Hunt

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    Turtle, I had to put a scope riser on it. I don't like them much but the benefits outweighed the desire to not have one. Thanks for the compliment.
     

    SAWMAN

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    What I tried to convey is,the AK and SKS are cheaply made guns. They were/are designed and fabricated with parts INTENDED to work with the hardest of cases and primers. ( Never heard of one of them needing a enhansed firing pin did ya ??) The chambers are oversized because they really don't care if the steel case swells or not. They understand that it will never be reloaded anyway. If a primer is blown these guns will extract and eject. Same with split necks and sand deformed brass.
    Remember . . . what ammo was the AR designed to use ?? Remember . . . all the parts were designed to use this ammo also. Same with the bore diameter vs the gas systems. The AR op system was not/is not designed to shoot a 7.62X39 or most any of the 30+ chamberings that they can be had in nowadays.
    The really good news is . . . the AR is easily adaptable. With a few extra or different parts and some judicious "tweaking " it will shoot most anything within reason.
    Wern't we lucky that Eugene Stoner came along. --- SAWMAN
    Added: May I please ask why you had to put a scope riser on your weapon ?? --- SAWMAN
     
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    Dan1612

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    If the primers are a problem, that's a 5 minute fix, you could even keep spare trigger parts in the grip, if you're the prepper type. If steel or lacquer cases get stuck, you'll need a chrome lined barrel, or a restricted diet. Easy enough.

    AR shoots 300blk just fine.
     
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    SAWMAN

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    I believe that it does . . . unless there is a mag compatability problem seeing the X39 mags are curved. --- SAWMAN
     
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