5.45x39 AR Uppers

[Mark Ducati]

I bought a S&W 5.45x39 upper off of gunbroker last spring....

Bought a couple 1080 spam cans from AimSurplus for $299 bucks delivered:
http://ammoman.com/images4/545X39-FMJ-1080-2.jpg
http://ammoman.com/images4/545X39-FMJ-1080-3.jpg

I emailed Eric and he confirmed that this stuff is supposed to be corrosive...

I shot a couple dozen rounds through my upper, but didn't clean it for 2 weeks.... I didn't see any signs of corrosion, so I I just ran a boresnake through the barrel with some CLP, stripped the bolt/carrier assembly and CLP'd...

1 month later, still no corrsion... how corrosive are the primers?

[sevlex]

1 month later, still no corrsion... how corrosive are the primers?

Extemely!

My Tantal has gotten the nasty crust in the muzzle-brake & gas tube when I didn't clean as thoroughly as I should. It only took a week to show.

That Russian stuff is great shooting ammo but requires careful attention.

:coffee:

[Mark Ducati]

Hmmm.... maybe my stuff isn't corrosive after all? Any way to tell for sure?

The head stamp on the Ammo says: 539 and 66 (might be 64)?

[AK-J]

Shoot it through an AK-74. ;)

Seriously, the stuff you've gotten is extreemly corrosive. But isn't the S&W 5.45 upper have everything either chrome plated or Stainless steel? The things that rust on an AK are primarly the muzzle brake and gas tube. Things that aren't chrome plated that are in direct contact with the gas.

[Mark Ducati]

Is the gas tube on an AR stainless? I wonder if that's going to be an issue... since the upper is new, its still got a great black teflon finish on everything... does corrosive primers affect aluminum? My internals still look good.

[Charliebravo]

I thought about one of those. Then I thought it might be sweet if it were a piston upper. Then I realized that I already had a few '74's, so I let it go. I doubt seriously that the 5.45 AR is going to be any more accurate (and it damn sure won't be more reliable) than my VEPR-K. I guess it's a decent deal though if you don't want to go the '74 route.

[AK-J]

Is the gas tube on an AR stainless? I wonder if that's going to be an issue... since the upper is new, its still got a great black teflon finish on everything... does corrosive primers affect aluminum? My internals still look good.

Don't know how it'll affect aluminum, I believe the gas tube on the AR is stainless. I personally wouldn't worry about it unless you start seeing rust. Just clean it after you use it and keep an eye on it from time to time. Shouldn't really be a big deal.

[AKTexas]

So what happens when the surplus dries up...Again?Are there any commercial suppliers of the 5.45?Not including Wolf,Monarch?Reloading components?

[AK-J]

That's why it only really makes sense to get a 5.45x39mm upper if you stock pile a shit load of surplus.

[AKTexas]

That's why it only really makes sense to get a 5.45x39mm upper if you stock pile a shit load of surplus.

I had a 74' rifle and a pistol,then all the wolf dried up,then all the monarch....So I sold them both.Then the ship loads of surplus came in.I wish I still had the pistol,could have made it into an SBR.

[AK-J]

I was in the same boat with my two 74' rifles. I just held on the them, if figured ammo would show up again sometime. And it did. However, I know the surplus isn't going to last forever, so I've been stocking up as money come avalible. Got over 10k rounds thus far. Want to triple it before I'm done.

[AKTexas]

I was in the same boat with my two 74' rifles. I just held on the them, if figured ammo would show up again sometime. And it did. However, I know the surplus isn't going to last forever, so I've been stocking up as money come avalible. Got over 10k rounds thus far. Want to triple it before I'm done.

I just switched to .223 rifles.I reload and have over 5k new cases and maybe that again in once fired cases and about 2k winchester factory and about 2k radway green surplus.