5.45x39
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Rlg#17
US Veteran
Can you be a little more specific please? And for sure, if you are looking for value and such, pictures would be most helpful to you and us both.
Condition is just about everything, along with boxes, manuals, etc.
Regards, Rick Gibbs
Condition is just about everything, along with boxes, manuals, etc.
Regards, Rick Gibbs
Welcome aboard!
I didn’t know S&W made the M&P15 chambered in 5.45x39, but obviously they did. Seems they called it the M&P15R. That’s a Soviet cartridge that isn’t very popular in the US. The vast majority of M&P-15’s are chambered in 5.56 NATO/.223.
Here’s one that sold about 12 years ago at auction:
Smith & Wesson M&P-15 Rifle 5.45x39 mm | Rock Island Auction
Here’s the S&W Spec sheet:
ARCHIVE: Model M&P15R Rifle | Smith & Wesson
One of them sold a few months ago for $1200 at auction.
Gunbroker - Smith & Wesson M&P15R 5.45 x 39 FACTORY MADE! Rare! M&P15R Sport II
I didn’t know S&W made the M&P15 chambered in 5.45x39, but obviously they did. Seems they called it the M&P15R. That’s a Soviet cartridge that isn’t very popular in the US. The vast majority of M&P-15’s are chambered in 5.56 NATO/.223.
Here’s one that sold about 12 years ago at auction:
Smith & Wesson M&P-15 Rifle 5.45x39 mm | Rock Island Auction
Here’s the S&W Spec sheet:
ARCHIVE: Model M&P15R Rifle | Smith & Wesson
One of them sold a few months ago for $1200 at auction.
Gunbroker - Smith & Wesson M&P15R 5.45 x 39 FACTORY MADE! Rare! M&P15R Sport II
3rdgeargrndrr
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Way back before this imported ammo was banned, 545 was very cheap, reliable and accurate for Combloc ammo. Price has gone thru the roof. Due to the narrow selection of guns that will shoot it and the odd bullet size manufacturers have not picked up making it in mass quantities.
I remember looking at that M&p back in 2012 but it was a pass back then for me as it didnt have a gas piston setup. An AK variant was still much cheaper.
I remember looking at that M&p back in 2012 but it was a pass back then for me as it didnt have a gas piston setup. An AK variant was still much cheaper.
I have one with six magazines and ammo from back in the day. For me it's cheap to operate and fun to shoot. Since most folks have ammo included in a sale, $1000 and up.
I will try to load pics. I don’t have the box or manual. I bought it new about 10ish years ago. I’ve only put 200-300 rds through it. Have 8 or 10 20+ round mags and several thousand rounds, including several boxes of hornady red box and black box.
The Mighty S&W
Member
It’s the ammo that would make your upper a desirable thing for someone to purchase, particularly if the ammo you have happens to be the old Russian surplus 7n6 variety that came in spam cans of 1,080 rounds and two spam cans to a wooden crate. It’s been a while since I checked, but at last glance, a spam can of that stuff was selling for between $500, and $600 per spam can.
The main reason why the upper receiver you have became popular for a short time is that around the time when it was produced, there was a ton of the Russian 7n6 ammo being brought into the USA and it was being sold extremely cheap. I believe the first crate of it that I ordered came from AIM Surplus and was priced under $300 at the time. That’s for 2,160 rounds of rifle ammo! As such, a lot of AK shooters bought rifles in 5.45x39mm to take advantage of the cheap ammo, and that left the door wide open for Smith & Wesson to jump in with a decent AR15 upper for all of the AR shooters to save on ammo as well.
Unfortunately, the land of the free turned out to be just some words in a song, as the good ole government decided that they couldn’t have people arming up with a bunch of cheap Russian surplus, and they arbitrarily banned importation of the 7n6 surplus without a whimper from the so called gun rights groups. Almost overnight, people began abandoning the 5.45x39mm cartridge altogether (myself included), and the once popular AR uppers chambered for it became next to worthless.
Now, with ammo prices being what they are, a good stash of 5.45 ammunition would be the motivation needed for a guy to invest in one of those uppers. I don’t know how many thousands of rounds you have for yours but I would say currently that they’re worth around a grand per crate (two tins), and if you had at least a couple of crates worth it would be enough to entice someone to buy into the caliber. My best estimate for a price that would be fair to you, yet move the package rather quickly would be around $400.00 per tin of 7n6 plus $500.00 for your upper and magazines. I would advertise it on AK specific forums as well as gunbroker to maximize your audience.
The main reason why the upper receiver you have became popular for a short time is that around the time when it was produced, there was a ton of the Russian 7n6 ammo being brought into the USA and it was being sold extremely cheap. I believe the first crate of it that I ordered came from AIM Surplus and was priced under $300 at the time. That’s for 2,160 rounds of rifle ammo! As such, a lot of AK shooters bought rifles in 5.45x39mm to take advantage of the cheap ammo, and that left the door wide open for Smith & Wesson to jump in with a decent AR15 upper for all of the AR shooters to save on ammo as well.
Unfortunately, the land of the free turned out to be just some words in a song, as the good ole government decided that they couldn’t have people arming up with a bunch of cheap Russian surplus, and they arbitrarily banned importation of the 7n6 surplus without a whimper from the so called gun rights groups. Almost overnight, people began abandoning the 5.45x39mm cartridge altogether (myself included), and the once popular AR uppers chambered for it became next to worthless.
Now, with ammo prices being what they are, a good stash of 5.45 ammunition would be the motivation needed for a guy to invest in one of those uppers. I don’t know how many thousands of rounds you have for yours but I would say currently that they’re worth around a grand per crate (two tins), and if you had at least a couple of crates worth it would be enough to entice someone to buy into the caliber. My best estimate for a price that would be fair to you, yet move the package rather quickly would be around $400.00 per tin of 7n6 plus $500.00 for your upper and magazines. I would advertise it on AK specific forums as well as gunbroker to maximize your audience.
bob in texas
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5.45 ammo
Just got an email ad for 5.45 ammo $9.95 per 20 round box.
Just got an email ad for 5.45 ammo $9.95 per 20 round box.
The Mighty S&W
Member
When you figure that works out to $500 per thousand rounds, and that’s for modern production commercial loads which are less expensive and desirable than the now verboten surplus 7n6... I’d say that the OP could easily value his ammo at $500-$600 per thousand, and if a quick sale is desired, a bit less than that would move it in a hurry.
RufusG
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There is a 545 upper on gunbroker at the moment priced in the mid to upper $500 range (iirc) that is attracting no bids. I don't recall if it's an m&p though.
Oldsalt66
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The original attraction of the 5.45 x39 ARs was the availability of extraordinarily inexpensive ammunition but that’s no longer the case.
When the current stock of Russian ammunition is depleted, finding 5.45 x39 to shoot is going to be problematic as well as expensive.
S&W produced those rifles to take advantage of dirt cheap ammo, but that bloom is off the rose these days.
When the current stock of Russian ammunition is depleted, finding 5.45 x39 to shoot is going to be problematic as well as expensive.
S&W produced those rifles to take advantage of dirt cheap ammo, but that bloom is off the rose these days.
