Why 5.56 over 7.62?

[Texas Star]

I have two ar's, one in 5.56 and the other in 7.62x39. Both are as accurate as I am. The 5.56 sport a nice scope and is highly accurate out to 600, the longest range in the area off a bench it can ring a gong all day long. My 7.62 sports an eotech and ring the 300 yard gong just as effectively, but with a non-magnified optic I am not able to hit with any regularity further out. I cannot say for sure that the 7.62 is less accurate but I can tell you that the bullet drops much more rapidly as the range increases. While it is nice to have both calipers, if I was forced to choose only one I would keep the 7.62. The 7.62 has proven to be a great deer drive gun over the years. I have never hunted with the 5.56 because I just to not trust the caliper.

I've never owned a pair of calipers. Do yours not measure tolerances well? (I presume that you are really trying to spell "caliber.")

 

[shipwreck2]

Scope mounting was an issue for me as well. I picked up the Texas Weapons System Dog leg scope rail & peep sight. I let you know how it works.

 

[BigBill]

With the Saiga when it's new the action is rough. I lubed the action with moly, on the rotating bolt, bolt carrier, the receiver rails, the gas piston and reconcile spring and on the sear. After some cycling by hand to burnish the moly into the pores of the metal till it loosened up. The Saiga feels like it's a more expensive gun now. The action and trigger sear feels awesome.

 

[usmcar15]

I'm just used to the AR platform since the military. Just my preference.

 

[andyo5]

There is no way to scope a sks. Yugoslavs did it by adding a rail to the side of the receiver.


There is no law that restricts what you can do to these rifles.

Regulation 18 U.S.C. Section 922(r) requires that if you modify your imported semiautomatic rifle or shotgun from its original imported configutation, you must have no more than 10 imported parts from their list of 20 parts. The remainder must be USA made. That list can be found here:

TAPCO - Section 922r Compliance

So either leave it as-imported, modify and follow these restrictions, or modify and have an illegal firearm. Your choice.

 

[amazingflapjack]

Hmmmmmmm, a long range 5.56 that is better than a .308

 

[Neumann]

Because someone produced a "pistol" which fires 7.62x39mm ammunition, ammunition with steel core bullets can no longer be imported. They are classed as "armor piercing". Steel cored M855 (green tip) for 5.56x45mm is still legal, because .22 bullets are exempted.

That's an Obama decision, because in the past, ammunition commonly used for both rifles and handguns was considered "rifle" ammunition.

 

[Rick_A]

Out to a few hundred yards 5.56 ideal. With the right ammunition that stretches to several hundred yards. Almost any commercial or military ammunition fragments at close range.

7.62x39 is a better brush and barrier buster but loses energy quickly and has terrible terminal ballistics for most ammo found off the shelf.

At anything at close to medium ranges 7.62x51 is just more weight and recoil.

My personal choice in a thirty cal is a semi-auto 7.62x54R, but 5.56/.223 is just a versatile, practical round.

 

[Arik]

Regulation 18 U.S.C. Section 922(r) requires that if you modify your imported semiautomatic rifle or shotgun from its original imported configutation, you must have no more than 10 imported parts from their list of 20 parts. The remainder must be USA made. That list can be found here:

TAPCO - Section 922r Compliance

So either leave it as-imported, modify and follow these restrictions, or modify and have an illegal firearm. Your choice.

Yes I know 922 but it doesn't limit anything. All the Arsenal AKs you see are all 922 compliant. So are all Century. If you're buying a factory one it's compliant. All you need is 6 US made parts, which is simple. 5 parts if it's a milled receiver.

1 piston
3 fire control group
1 handguard
1 pistol grip

That's 6 right there. But you can go even further

1 butt stock
1 receiver
1 barrel
1 mag body
1 floor plate
1 follower
1 muzzle attachment

You are not limited to Tapco junk. There are just as many AK parts makers in the US as there are AR. It's not like there's only one or two companies that make a run of parts sometimes and you have to be lucky to catch them when they do. You can have a all traditional looking AK or all tactical or all spaced out and still be 922 compliant.

 

[Arik]

Because someone produced a "pistol" which fires 7.62x39mm ammunition, ammunition with steel core bullets can no longer be imported. They are classed as "armor piercing". Steel cored M855 (green tip) for 5.56x45mm is still legal, because .22 bullets are exempted.

That's an Obama decision, because in the past, ammunition commonly used for both rifles and handguns was considered "rifle" ammunition.

That's false about 22 being exampt. The law states EITHER armour piercing OR larger than 22. They just banned 5.45x39 surplus because someone made a pistol even though it's 22.

Obama banned 5.45 not 7.62. That was banned in 1994

556 hasn't been banned. ...yet.....because it's domestic

 

[BigBill]

My saigas are in there orginal condition I wanted sporting rifles.
But I wanted the ultimate, flawless in operation, Russian ak/akm receiver in a sporter version. Plus it has a quality Russian chromed line bore and chamber. Plus its brand new.

 

[Arik]

Nothing wrong with leaving it as is if that's your thing. I had a 308 converted but ultimately I believe that a FAL was better, at least when it came to mags

 

[-db-]

The correct answer is get both.

 

[wbraswell]

Looks to me that the Ruskys thought the 5.45 was better than the 7.62. That has nothing to do with a sporting rifle, though.

 

[Arik]

Looks to me that the Ruskys thought the 5.45 was better than the 7.62. That has nothing to do with a sporting rifle, though.

That can be argued both ways. M. Kalashnikov was not a fan of the 5.45. He thought that the original 7.62 ball could be improved upon with more R&D. The powers that be didn't think so. In all honesty it really could have. The Yugo M67 7.62 ball was a improved design. While being fmj it had superior wound ballistics to the avg 7.62 fmj. It tumbled in flesh.

7.62 is still used along side with 5.45 in special forces units. For its penetration in thick vegetation.

 

[BigBill]

The Saiga sporter semi auto is being purchased for converting them to the military configuration. There moving the trigger forward and adding a pistol grip with the ak/akm stocks. That's ok too.

I was slow at purchasing an ak47 for decades. I remember seeing cases of the Russian ak's, Russian sks's, and Chinese norinco sks's for sale. By the time I was interested my state banned the ak47. Then while going to purchase a new m1a I passed a full rack of brand new Russian Izmash Saiga rifles in 308win with 16" barrels marked $289 with two mags. I purchased it and took it to my hunting camp. After the hunt we fired it up. I never shot an ak before. This rifle is awesome. When we arrived home I went back to get another Saiga in 308 and they were sold old and the rack was filled with the new saigas in 223 priced at $259 with two mags. I was never fond of the expensive AR nor the 223 round but the brand new Saiga in 223 for $259 I'd be crazy to pass it up. I feel the 223 is a good varmit to tote gun.

 

[CatSnipah]

I have both and like both. As FunkyPertwee mentioned they have different strengths.

Me too. I like both platforms and enjoy the differences in them.

 

[BigBill]

That can be argued both ways. M. Kalashnikov was not a fan of the 5.45. He thought that the original 7.62 ball could be improved upon with more R&D. The powers that be didn't think so. In all honesty it really could have. The Yugo M67 7.62 ball was a improved design. While being fmj it had superior wound ballistics to the avg 7.62 fmj. It tumbled in flesh.

7.62 is still used along side with 5.45 in special forces units. For its penetration in thick vegetation.

The Russian powers to be really wanted to copy us with the 223/5,56 and they developed there 5,45x39.

Now after the 223/5,56 failed as a stopping round the US is looking for something bigger, more powerful, with more range and accuracy. Right now the m14 is being reissued to work along side the m16's. They used different rifles and calibers in every war why did they go to one caliber that can't do it all.

 

[Arik]

Well they have all that. The avg grunt gets a 5.45. For more penetration 7.62 is used. For long range 7.62x54 sniper rifle. For a nice umpf on the receiving end a suppressed 9 x39 is excellent out to 300 yards

 

[Vulcan Bob]

I have em in .30 M1/M2 (30-06), 7.62 NATO, 7.62X39 and 5.56 NATO. They all have their place in the grand scheme of things. I do try to maximize each caliber by using soft nose ammo in all, this does increase terminal ballistics on soft targets. I do have ball and AP for not so soft targets as well. It was with some surprise that my M1 Garand's, one in 30-06 and one in 7.62 NATO, all three AK-47's and both my AR-15's run just fine with soft nose and plastic tip bullets.

As for the original question I think that in lean and difficult times the 5.56 NATO and 7.62 NATO just might be a bit more available due to our military's use of them.