AK-.223 TO 7.62X39

[MIKE AUSTIN]

i have a .223 f/a ak that i was thinking
about changing to a 7.62x39 gun.
who much should this cost?
who does the best work?
what are .223 poly tech mags and ak .223 90 round drum worth?
thanks mike

[MickeyMose]

If I had a legal registered FA AK in .223 I am not sure I would tamper with it! Just enjoy and protect your investment.

Just my .02 worth.

[clay]

Mike,
I had Stan Andrewski convert one of my FA .223 AK's to 7.62x39. I supplied the barrel. I believe the cost was in the neighborhood of $380+ shipping. Turn around time was about 3 weeks. The work was flawless, and functions perfectly. Stan isn't the cheapest gunsmith around, but he's one of the best. If it's a C3 AK, it's worth lots of $$$, so I would recommend sending it to one of the best, and not a butcher.
Here's his address:
Stan's Gunsmithing Services
741 Battle St.
Webster, NH 03303
Tel. (603) 746-4387

[MIKE AUSTIN]

thanks for the info, i have heard that stan
does good work.
i allways wanted a 762x39 gun but found this swd conversion for a great price one time
when i had some money and grabed it.
thinking on conversion but not sure if i want to like the other post said it's worth a lot of money now.
thanks mike

[clay]

The one that I had converted was also a SWD conversion that I picked up for the price of a f/a MAC a few years back. I weighed out the advantages of the 7.62x39 against the .223. I came to the following conclusions:
1. in .223 the gun ran okay. there were occasional jams, and the magazines were almost always the root of the problem. It did run okay, though. But, in my opinion, an AK that jams at all is not truly living up to what an AK is capable of.
2. I talked to a famous gun guru that said that the problem w/ the .223 AK guns was in the gas system not being right for the cartridge. Apparently the hole from the barrel to the gas tube was not the right size for the amount of gas, or something like that. There is an article in a past issue of Soldier of Fortune magazine about the problem. At that time, the only people making the .223 guns were the Chinese.
3. 7.62x39 AK parts are plentiful and cheap. .223 AK parts (bolt, barrel) are not.
4. the PolyTech .223 AK's are magazine sensitive.
I guess in the end it comes down to-if it runs fine just like it is, you might think about keeping it that way. Mine would jam every other mag, and that made my decision VERY easy.
Good luck with it.

[Merle]

I have a thought for you. If it would cost you more than $200.00 to have the conversion done. Why not purchase a SAR-1 from http://www.aimsurplus.com/ or one of the other many good distibutors out there for $289.95, Then you have 2 AK's and twice as much fun.

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Good Hunting To Ya !!
Merle