sup dirty?...for me i'd go with the 7.62 AK-type rifle.just for the lil better knock down factor..neither really have ''real''recoil...throw a recoil buffer in it and it helps.good for the wife & life of the firearm..the 7.62ammo is getting cheaper & easier to find..@ 180bucks-1000rds is pretty cheap & will get cheaper:biggrin:..& will always be around...but if you still are not sure?...get both!!:thumbup:where do you plan on purchasing your ak's from?

 

where do you plan on purchasing your ak's from?

dont know yet......it will be eather www.classicarms.us or Peters Creek Pawn

 

Neither is better, it just depends what you're looking for.

The 74 is more of a rifleman's rifle. Longer, more accurate, and better reach. The recoil is significantly lower than the 47. It all depends on how well your wife has handled other firearms. Mine doesn't like even the recoil of an AR-15.....with that being the case, and AK47 would not be for her.

The 47 is just plain fun.

Ammo is cheap and plentiful for both, although the 5.45 may be a hair lower.

 

The 7.62 would be my choice just for the main reason of ammo availability. The 7.62 is down to well under $200 per K and is in every gun store, walmart etc.... I would buy it and stock up on ammo. I still prefer the AR over both those platforms but you were not asking about the 5.56 were you.

 

I've had examples of both for years now.

Lethality is probably pretty similar between these two, but 7.62 undoubtedly has better barrier penetration. The 5.45 has a reputation for being nasty in soft tissue, and I have verified that the bullet does indeed tumble wildly when shot into a variety of mediums.

The 7.62x39mm cartridge is much more common and easy to find, and bullet selection is much better. The rifles and magazines are everywhere. It's a fun-to-shoot round, but the weapon will bounce around a bit in your hands and it's not nearly as controllable or accurate as the 5.45.

5.45 has become much more common than it was 5 years ago, but it is still a bit of an obscure/exotic cartridge in this country. Surplus ammo is easy to find and bargain priced right now, but soft point or hunting ammo is scarce to nonexistent. Also, this cartridge is not currently domestically manufactured, which means you have to rely on imported ammo for now. The guns and mags are very common right now, though some have been of dubious quality over the years. Stick to one with an imported (i.e. non-American) barrel and stay away from the Lancaster builds and you should be fine, though. If you get a 74, I would reccomend you get a large supply of ammo for it now as well.

My personal preference is the 74. It's more accurate (2 to 2.5 MOA), particularly at distance, lighter recoiling, more controllable, and generally more fun to shoot to me. The ladies will certainly like the 5.45 better, as with a 74 muzzle brake recoil is pretty much nonexistent.

I suggest you go handle and shoot both and then make your decision. Or just get one of each

 

I think for a general utility/plinking/trunk rifle a 7.62x39 is hard to beat. You get to practice cheap and the caliber is capable of hunting medium game with the right ammo. If your heart isn't set on an AK look at the SKS-they're cheaper and I find them easier to handle and shoot.

 

I think everyone has summed it up. I own both kinds, I prefer the 74 due mainly to it's weight (cause a loaded steel AK mag is fricking heavy) and lighter recoil. The wound profiles for both rounds are acceptable and somewhat similar, and if I'm going to tote something in a .30 cal I'd rather have a .308.

 

I prefer the 74 for the lighter recoil. I have shot both calibers and neither one is an issue to me, but for a new or recoil sensitive shooter the 5.45 is sweet.

 

I have an AR chambered in 5.45 and I am very happy with it. Local stores sell Wolf for between $5 and $6 for 25 rds (And that is the non-corrosive stuff). Although I can't go to Walmart to get it - I do pay less per round for it than I would for 7.62 from Walmart.

Through my AR it feels roughly the same as shooting 5.56. For plinking I see no difference in accuracy between it and 5.56.

 

7.62...ammo is cheap and plentiful....fun to shoot

 

I do love my AK-47 and the 7.62x39 cartridge but.....

Good Russian surplus ammo in 5.45x39 is plentiful, accurate, and about 1/2 the price of 7.63x39. Yes, it is corrosive, but you were going to clean your rifle anyway, weren't you?

Ballistics of the 5.45x39 cartridge are similar to our 5.56 - a .22 caliber bullet at about 3000 feet per second. Results on the receiving end are similar also.

Ammo is very light, so you can easily carry lots and lots.

At the range, the recoil of the AK-74 is milder than the AK-47 or even the AR-15. That ugly muzzle brake actually works quite well.

Most furniture and accessories that fit the AK-47 also fit the AK-74. This is by design. Magazines are also common and inexpensive.

The down side is that it is not a good deer cartridge, where the 7.62x39 with soft point bullets works quite well.

 

I think everyone's already covered this, so I'm basically repeating what's already been said. For ammo availabilty, 7.62x39. For ammo cost 5.45x39 surplus, but it is corrosive. Currently, magazines are about the same, $10-15 each.

For recoil and accuracy, the 5.45 wins hands down. The only real issue I see with a 5.45 is the future availability of ammo, as well as the fact that most of the guns you'll run across for sale are Century guns with US made, non-chrome lined barrels. Whereas most of the 7.62x39 guns you'll find will have chrome lined barrels, with the exception of Yugos and Interordnance's newer builds.

If you're ever down my way, and are planning to do some shooting, give me a shout. I've got multiples in both calibers I can let you try out, to see which you prefer.

 

I think the only reason you cant find commerically available 5.45 is because there is plenty of surplus 5.45 available. Were that supply to dry up suddenly, or the price start to creep up to $.20 or so a round you would find a lot more commercial offereings. Right now there is no way for them to compete so they will just wait.


BC

 

the fact that most of the guns you'll run across for sale are Century guns with US made, non-chrome lined barrels. Whereas most of the 7.62x39 guns you'll find will have chrome lined barrels, with the exception of Yugos and Interordnance's newer builds.

Saigas are brand new and have Russian made chrome lined barrels.

I 100% prefer 7.62x39. It's ability to punch through stuff makes it a better all around choice.

 

I think the only reason you cant find commerically available 5.45 is because there is plenty of surplus 5.45 available. Were that supply to dry up suddenly, or the price start to creep up to $.20 or so a round you would find a lot more commercial offereings. Right now there is no way for them to compete so they will just wait.

BC

i've got cases of barnaul and wolf ammo in 5.45x39, also the surplus. yes commercial is out there. i believe Graff and Sons has some in stock now. bgut, i got mine years ago.
i've got too many 74's, someone want one?:biggrin:

 

i've got cases of barnaul and wolf ammo in 5.45x39, also the surplus. yes commercial is out there. i believe Graff and Sons has some in stock now. bgut, i got mine years ago.
i've got too many 74's, someone want one?:biggrin:

might take you up on that offer if you dont mind me checking onew out :biggrin:

didnt you send me a PM also about this?

 

might take you up on that offer if you dont mind me checking onew out :biggrin:

didnt you send me a PM also about this?

yes i did send you a pm. just let me know when and where we can meet.

 

If you want to shoot a 74, mine should be here sometime next week. Your more than welcome to try it out

 

yes i did send you a pm. just let me know when and where we can meet.

sorry, i ment to reply and deleted all of my inbox PM's:frown:

 

sorry, i ment to reply and deleted all of my inbox PM's:frown:

no big deal. just sent you a copy.

 

Let me be the first to say,

I TOLD you selling the AK was a bad idea and you'd want another! :001_tt2: :lol:

LMK which way you go.

I started on an AR build back in the spring. Since all I have is a lower & LPK so far (still unassembled), it's likely gonna be a slow process :biggrin:

 

Let me be the first to say,

I TOLD you selling the AK was a bad idea and you'd want another! :001_tt2: :lol:

i dont like you anymore dave!!!!!! we need to meet up, its been almost a year since ive last seen you