7.62 vs 5.45

[Redrum4u 125]

I figure I'd ask the pros.

Pros and cons.

I know there is endless subject matter on you tube.

Shtf situation. I'm thinking 7.62 back me up. Lol

[Sim_Player 1,939]

I don't want any bullets going through me.

 

Does that answer your question?

[thebuns1 4,323]

They both have pros and cons. 5.45 for range and accuracy, but 7.62 for barriers. Both will leave a nasty wound inside of 300yds. You can carry more 5.45, but in SHTF, its going to be much harder to come by than 7.62.

 

Learn the strengths of the weapon, while respecting its weakness and you can make either of them perform very well.

[Redrum4u 125]

Your right, through not ideal,

I have no experience with 5.45 is there a big recoil difference?

Is it much easier for a small woman/ young man to handle?

Edited January 20, 2014 by Redrum4u

[mancat 2,368]

5.45 feels almost identical to 5.56 - like a really hot .22lr.

[thebuns1 4,323]

Your right, through not ideal,

I have no experience with 5.45 is there a big recoil difference?

Is it much easier for a small woman/ young man to handle?

Yeah 5.45 is a tad milder than .223/5.56. I taught my buddies 8yr. old son to use my '74. He picked it up within minutes, and had a blast doing it. The biggest issue is the noise while running a '74 style brake.

 

You'll also get flatter trajectory with the 5.45 vs. the 7.62, but you will get more knock down power with the 7.62. So its more or less a trade off. Both will suite you well as an all around weapon so long as you capitalize on their strengths and try not to run them past their limitations.

[VR762Shooter 838]

Price per round the 5.45 has it right now with a large amount of surplus still coming around. This will likely change soon if it dries up so making a decision may be based on time-frame as well. Right now with cheap ammo to plink with the 5.45 and 7.62 could be neck and neck. In a few years though if you don't have a supply of ammo stocked up you may be stuck with a gun and no economical ammo. Gotta hope the American manufacturers start pumping out 5.45 in quantity

[BpS12 512]

Keep in mind that many states don't allow big game hunting(deer, pig, elk, etc) with anything much under .30. I think the 5.56 may be making headway though. Not sure of 5.45. I do believe there is more domestic production of the 7.62 which just adds to an already highly available round. Esp if you want to eventually reload.

[Arik 565]

Price per round the 5.45 has it right now with a large amount of surplus still coming around. This will likely change soon if it dries up so making a decision may be based on time-frame as well. Right now with cheap ammo to plink with the 5.45 and 7.62 could be neck and neck. In a few years though if you don't have a supply of ammo stocked up you may be stuck with a gun and no economical ammo. Gotta hope the American manufacturers start pumping out 5.45 in quantity

 

If you are worried about the availability of 5.45 due to import problems then you have to worry about 7.62 as well. No one really makes it here and not much is sold in any quantity. Who actually makes x39 domestically? Winchester? American Eagle? UMC?  I have yet to see battle packs or 500-1000 round boxes of any of those. Usually its a few boxes for sale here or there and most of them are hunting rounds not range and practice ammo. And when it is FMJ ammo its still too expansive to stock up on. Everything else is import.

 

If imports dry up for whatever reason 223/556 is your best bet, not x39

[Rhodes1968 1,638]

There are several makers of x39 in the US.

Hornady and Remington prob lead in this and its far better ammo than either surplus or Russian. Far more expensive also. 

 

It would depend more on whom is to use the rifle, smaller person would be more comfortable with 5.45.

 

Either way you would be wise to buy a large supply of ammo, right now both are reasonable.

[Ruffian72 548]

Mass produce domestic, yes on cost. 7.62x39 domestic runs same as domestic non-surplus 308. A round, except for scare can find in about any store in center America. As popular as 308 or 223. 5.45 is very rare, comes with lack of use or demand. 223 is most popular plinking round and law/military use it. New production of x39, 308 and 223 in FMJ, is not cheap. Gun show on Sat. Had venders with mass quantities/cases of new brass production x39, 308 and 223. Just a butt hurt to shoot brass.

[Rhodes1968 1,638]

Reloading brass and casting lead bullets would take care of a lot of the expense and give another source of ammo.

In a pinch for sure.

 

Due to the velocity casting is a bit of a learning curve getting the hardness correct but lots of folks do it.

 

Not sure there is any option of doing so on 5.45.

[paprotective 362]

Have owned both in Saiga 'converted' format..

 

5.45 is more accurate.. like 1 1/2" groups at 100 yards with a cheap 6x scope..

7.62x39 is like 2 1/2 - 3" groups at 100 yards..

 

Like others have said.. barriers and brush.. 762..

 

Head shots with 5.45.. bahahahahaha..

[mancat 2,368]

 

Price per round the 5.45 has it right now with a large amount of surplus still coming around. This will likely change soon if it dries up so making a decision may be based on time-frame as well. Right now with cheap ammo to plink with the 5.45 and 7.62 could be neck and neck. In a few years though if you don't have a supply of ammo stocked up you may be stuck with a gun and no economical ammo. Gotta hope the American manufacturers start pumping out 5.45 in quantity

 

If you are worried about the availability of 5.45 due to import problems then you have to worry about 7.62 as well. No one really makes it here and not much is sold in any quantity. Who actually makes x39 domestically? Winchester? American Eagle? UMC?  I have yet to see battle packs or 500-1000 round boxes of any of those. Usually its a few boxes for sale here or there and most of them are hunting rounds not range and practice ammo. And when it is FMJ ammo its still too expansive to stock up on. Everything else is import.

 

If imports dry up for whatever reason 223/556 is your best bet, not x39

 

 

True, but think of it like this. 7.62x39 is probably the second most popular military rifle caliber in the US behind 5.56, but no US manufacturers really bother making anything other than specialty/match/hunting rounds for it, because the ability to compete with steel-case plinking round imports is just so slim.

 

If something changed to make those imports unavailable, the domestic 7.62x39 market will likely explode. Without foreign competition, the opportunity for profit is huge, and someone will step in immediately to meet that massive demand. Yeah, we may not enjoy paying brass-cased .223 prices for it, but it will be available.

 

5.45x39 is a fraction of 7.62x39 sales. Unfortunately there is very little domestic production of this round, and most manufacturers would probably not respond in the same way that they would to the much larger demand of 7.62x39.

Edited January 20, 2014 by mancat

[Long Shot 1,287]

All things being a trade off at some level, of the two listed for MOB ( minute of bad-guy ) I like 7.62

[BigChongus 765]

Follow up shots are also much easier with the 5.45.

[EthanM 514]

Most women I know prefer shooting my 7.62 x 39 aks over my ar 15s in 556. It's an excellent round and the recoil is not too bad.

[Rhodes1968 1,638]

A good brake or compensator goes a long way on the x39, cant really tell much difference between it with an AK-74 style and the 223 with the old bird cage.

 

Were it me I would go with what is already owned, if one already has x39 ammo and mags I would go with the x39.

 

Lot of expense involved in adding another caliber and it saves money to consolidate.

 

I ditched everything but one shotty cal, two rifle cals, and two pistol cals (22LR excluded). Really helped keep expenses down and made ammo inventory so much easier.

[evil85 16]

This vid's been posted before but its worth a watching 5.45 vs 7.62 vs 5.56 vs .308 on a tree.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=547BKysByqM

[XD45 7,124]

I'll keep that in mind next time the ents go to war.

[mostholycerebus 415]

With as many x39 rifles as thee are in the world, and the USA, there will always be x39 in our lifetimes. As mentioned, whats holding back production of good american x39 is the 25cents/round imports.

[VR762Shooter 838]

 

Price per round the 5.45 has it right now with a large amount of surplus still coming around. This will likely change soon if it dries up so making a decision may be based on time-frame as well. Right now with cheap ammo to plink with the 5.45 and 7.62 could be neck and neck. In a few years though if you don't have a supply of ammo stocked up you may be stuck with a gun and no economical ammo. Gotta hope the American manufacturers start pumping out 5.45 in quantity

 

If you are worried about the availability of 5.45 due to import problems then you have to worry about 7.62 as well. No one really makes it here and not much is sold in any quantity. 

 

 

I don't mean import specifically, but more extreme amounts of surplus like we are still seeing now. Those of us in the Tok arena know far too well what the difference in surplus availability can mean. Just a few years ago 7.62x25 was being sold by the thousands for less than $100 a can. now you are lucky to find it anywhere. I just got 320 rounds of it at $0.40 a round and was just happy to have come across more. As others have said, I think if the surplus dries and the 5.45 isn't a more widespread caliber the manufacturers will find it hard to support the round, where the 7.62x39 can be found in any Walmart, just at US manufacturer inflated prices

[Rhodes1968 1,638]

 

 

Price per round the 5.45 has it right now with a large amount of surplus still coming around. This will likely change soon if it dries up so making a decision may be based on time-frame as well. Right now with cheap ammo to plink with the 5.45 and 7.62 could be neck and neck. In a few years though if you don't have a supply of ammo stocked up you may be stuck with a gun and no economical ammo. Gotta hope the American manufacturers start pumping out 5.45 in quantity

 

If you are worried about the availability of 5.45 due to import problems then you have to worry about 7.62 as well. No one really makes it here and not much is sold in any quantity. 

 

 

I don't mean import specifically, but more extreme amounts of surplus like we are still seeing now. Those of us in the Tok arena know far too well what the difference in surplus availability can mean. Just a few years ago 7.62x25 was being sold by the thousands for less than $100 a can. now you are lucky to find it anywhere. I just got 320 rounds of it at $0.40 a round and was just happy to have come across more. As others have said, I think if the surplus dries and the 5.45 isn't a more widespread caliber the manufacturers will find it hard to support the round, where the 7.62x39 can be found in any Walmart, just at US manufacturer inflated prices

 

 

/agree

 

I dont think the price is inflated though just that its more costly to produce ammo of that quality and I accept that as there is a fair difference.

[Rhodes1968 1,638]

I'll keep that in mind next time the ents go to war.

 

I think a lighter would be great there.

 

Fairly all he proved is big trees can stop boolits for a few rounds... then you better be moving.

Think we knew that already.

 

Edit:

At least if they are using crap ammo...

Edited January 21, 2014 by Rhodes1968

[LuPiN8oR 333]

Ok heres a question: if someone already had a rifle in x39 and didnt plan on shooting corrosive ammo, would he be better served taking that money and expanding his stockpile of x39 or getting a 5.45 rifle and ammo to feed it? Im guessing to stick with x39 but reading this is makin me wonder more about the 5.45 caliber. Wish someone around here had one.

[Rhodes1968 1,638]

As a practical matter keep dancing with what ya got unless an overwhelming reason presents itself.

 

What constitutes overwhelming? Thats your job.

 

Need vs desire 

[Jpanzer 1,265]

What's the old saw, buy cheap stack deep? 5.45x39 has returned to near pre-panic prices for a 1000 rounds. AIM is selling it for $169.95 for a can of 1080 rounds, and it can probably be found a little cheaper than that. It was going for $250 a can and up during the scare, and some Chicken Little's were saying the Eastern Europeans would never import it into this country again.

 

If you like to actually shoot your rifle go with 5.45. Don't worry about SHTF, If you have a spam can or two that will see you through until you can procure something else in a native caliber like .223 or .308....

[Sim_Player 1,939]

.

Edited January 21, 2014 by Sim_Player

[Arik 565]

Ok heres a question: if someone already had a rifle in x39 and didnt plan on shooting corrosive ammo, would he be better served taking that money and expanding his stockpile of x39 or getting a 5.45 rifle and ammo to feed it? Im guessing to stick with x39 but reading this is makin me wonder more about the 5.45 caliber. Wish someone around here had one.

 

You lost me. Are you saying you dont plan on buying corrosive x39 or any corrosive ammo?

 

Tough one. Depends on your money situation. Personally if I wasnt buying corrosive ammo I wouldnt want the 5.45. Most of the imports dont do much except punch neat little holes in whatever. And Hornady is too expansive to shoot a lot and often.

 

I never had intentions on getting into the 5.45 but it just kinda happened. I got some great deals on excellent Aks that I couldnt pass up and here I am, 5 years later and I think I have over 10k rounds just in surplus 5.45. And now I like it so much that my 5.45 AKs outnumber my 7.62

[LuPiN8oR 333]

Yeah, id never planned on buying any corrosive ammo namely due to the fact that in a shtf kinda situation cleaning a weapon after every use might not be a luxury one could afford. To be honest ive never messed with any corrosive ammo so ive no real idea how thoroughly it would need cleaning. I think tho at current prices ill keep buying x39 and keep calibers consolidated. At least until i get to mess with someone elses 5.45 lol.