7.62x39 AR accuracy or other issues?

moonshine44

moonshine44

Well-known member
So my PC lower is waiting for me at my FFL, planning to get there after the holiday to pick it up, and I'm saving my pennies for an upper. I bought the lower now because I got impatient (What can I say?), and I had the bucks in hand to buy one...

Meanwhile, my wife's cousin, who is also a good friend of mine, has an Olympic Arms upper and some mags in 7.62x39 that he's going to send me to play with while I'm working on the bucks for an upper of my own. That is if he can get his other gun safe dug out of the mess in his basement
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What kind of accuracy can I expect with a 7.62 upper? I realize that the answer to this question is to a certain extent going to depend on ammo. I do handload, and I've got some Hornady VMax and some Hornady JSP, both 7.62 sized, and I'll be loading some of each for testing.

Has anyone seen any major issues, such as feeding, etc. in a 7.62 AR? I will eventually buy a 5.56 or 6x45 upper, but for now this will get me in the game and give me something to think about regarding caliber. What say, guys and gals?
 
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As with any other AR you should be able to get less than 1" with the right load. I have heard that the 7.62 uppers are prone to problems. I cannot remember what the problem was that I read about though. I believe it is a feeding problem.
 
The big 7.62 Russian issue I can recall was a feeding problem.
It was caused by the much more extreme taper of the 'Russian case vs. the 5.56. If you remember, the older Colt mags for AR's were actually straight. Every AR mag ends up transitioning to straight where it enters the magwell. 5.56+AR= likes a nearly straight magazine.
Now check out an AK/SKS; they have much more drastically curved magazines. That's in order to work right with the 7.62's tapered case.
Those two needs seem to be at odds to work together in the same rifle, but you don't really hear about the problem any more and builders still offer uppers in the 'Russian, so somebody over the years must've got it figured out.
 
I have a carbine setup that is a very light and makes an ideal gun for walking the swamp looking for pigs. Accuracy, with an eotech, is very good, generally about 3" at 100 yds with steel cased ammo. This is as well as I can do without magnification. I've never had a scope on it.
I have a c-products steel mag and 2 mwi polymer mags that all feed with no problems. Loading 4-5 rounds at a time into a 223 mag also works well for me.
My barrel is an AR Perfomance with m4 ramps.
This is the one ar I'd pick if I had to pick one. Although my 300 blk may take that place soon
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Mags have been sorted out for the most part. I don't know about Oly Arms, but I know that most who say their's is GTG are using Model 1 Sales, and ARPerformance. Bolts not having enough meat, and mags, as well as firing pins were issues. Model 1 Sales seems to have the bases covered with all but the mags, and ASC has the mags covered. What length AR are you looking for? I am halfway convinced to sell my 20" M1S upper. Shoots good enough for me, and PO had it sub-MOA with handloads. I want to move on to the 6.5G, and will be picking up a M1S 11.5" upper when the 20" gets sold or traded off.
 
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Moonshine - have you had a chance to shoot that 7.62x39 Olympic Arms upper? Have any magazine/feeding issues? I'm in the market for a 7.62x39 upper to slap on my Colt for some .30 cal plinking action.
 
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