Is anyone shooting 5.45 in their Ars? I am thinking about purchasing a match upper for 3-gun in this caliber because I can get pallets of ammo for the price of a few thousand 5.56. Does it require a dedicated magazine or do the 5.66 magazines work? Does it require a different bolt and/or carrier? Any real info would be appreciated.
From what I know the ammo that is out there is Corrosive stuff so get a Chrome lined barrel... I have other calibers but that since I was told this ammo is not being made anymore and whats out there is it...
Wolf and other Russian manufacturers currently produces new ammo in this caliber. It's priced in the same range as 7.62 x 39mm. FMJ : Ammunition To Go
A salesman I talked with said that the 5.45x39 mags work much better than the standard AR-15 magazine (feeding from an AR-15 lower, of course). I'm going to have to visit ar15.com and check it out a little closer. 2160 rounds in spam cans for about $250. I could shoot a lot of sage rats...
I understand that it is necessary to use a heavier hammer spring when shooting the Russian surplus stuff because they have a hard primer and need a stouter hammer strike to get reliable ignition. I think a stainless barrel or a chrome lined one is the way to go.
Link to 5.45 FAQ at AR15.com 5.45 FAQ Add your information & tricks here!! - AR15.COM A lot of answers to questions: What kind of lower is required for my 5.45x39 upper? Will my current buffer work? Where can I get a bolt carrier for it? How many rounds will fire from my Std AR15 mag? How do I deal with corrosive ammo? There's more. It's intriguing.
I built one last year by buying a complete S&W M&P upper and mated it with a AR lower. The upper came with the CH and BCG as well as an orange colored hammer spring that is stronger to addess the hard primers on the milsurp ammo. I love it everytime I run through 500 rounds without sweating the ammo cost. The bore, barrel, and bolt are all chromed, and I clean it after training with it. I wanted it to use in training the womenfolk in my family for familiarization to the AR platform. The 53 gr milsurp Russian has a FMJ look but has a 5mm hollow core at the tip of the spitzer. I have read that it will reliably yaw/fragment out to 350 meters after 2 1/2" of soft tissue penetration. The wound cavity is impressive for such a light weight bullet. It has been reliable through the first case and a half, and I feel it was money well spent. It shoots around 1 1/2' with milsurp and I plan to try to find what Ineed to do some reloading. Not sure about dies, brass, or projectiles yet. Maybe Wolf makes it in their Gold line. That should give me the brass. The Afghanis called it the devil's bullet and the poison pill when Russia invaded and were using thrie AK74's. There were reports of arms and legs being amputated with single hits from this round. No saw necessary. I stocked up on ammo as one never knows when or if it may dry up. At $270 per 2,160 rounds shipped to my door, it's nit hard to load up. Storage does become an issue so I spread it around and add extra floor joists.
