Full Auto Upper 7.62x39 or 9mm for Lightning Link Lower

rsideout · Jan 21, 2015

rsideout said:
9mm is fun in suppressed full auto. Get one.

Another fun upper in full auto is 5.7x28.

smdub · Jan 21, 2015

^ I've shot Rich's 5.7 upper. Its a very cool .22

I have a 7.62(Colt) and 5.54(Spikes) upper for my ARs. They're neat but not really any different than a 5.56 upper. Similar energy, supersonic, etc. Close your eyes and you probably couldn't tell them apart. 9mm and 22LR however are unique beasts w/ different personality than a 5.56 and would get my vote. My next upper is going to be a 9mm.

ar15dave · Jan 21, 2015

IMBLITZVT said:
P.S. I assume you are going to do the Suppressor Display again this year?

I will try to make this one as well. I have several suppressors and two MGs to offer up for display now. Various calibers and hosts.

Dave

Klunatic · Jan 21, 2015

If I go the 9mm route I would either use an existing SBR lower or build a Form 1 a Lower, I bought pre 10/13. According to what I have read, SB281 restricts SBRs to OAL >29" which would put me at 10.5" for the upper barrel. I intend to shoot this suppressed and have heard there are issues using the blow back style bolt with 9mm uppers suppressed. Mainly that they run fast and hard and the longer barrel exacerbates this problem. Will this be a problem?

If I use and existing Pre 10/13 SBR can I put a shorter upper (temporarily) that is shorter than the original approved OAL? I have an existing SBR on the form 1 with an 8" barrel, could I put say a 5" 9mm upper on the lower and then swap it back? or can I only go with 8"+ uppers on this SBR lower?

amoebicmagician · Jan 21, 2015

it's so easy to change barrels on an AR, go with the 7.62x39 so you don't feel bad about really cutting loose with that fun switch.

Also consider melonite as a barrel option, I built a melonited barrel into one of my barrel-less ak parts kits and I've been incredibly happy with it's performance.

I literally CAN NOT make the thing copper foul, nothing sticks to it! It's also the second most accurate AK barrel I've ever shot, the first being a Yugo. If I still had that rifle I would be disassembling that gun as we speak to send off the barrel for nitriding.

man, got off topic there...

But yeah, 7.62x39. I'm not as down on pistol caliber long guns as I was before seeing hogs taken down with .40 S&W (FMJ!!!) but for something this cool don't you want it to be a full fledged rifle?

Imagine it, getting some match ammo or handloads put together, squeezing off a few well placed shots at a distant gong on yonder hill, then switching to auto and unleashing a fusillade from your beautiful black rifle's melonited and impervious muzzle...

Whoa. Heady stuff!

amoebicmagician · Jan 21, 2015

oh, and as for reliability, the magazines are the critical part. Because of the bottle neck, even rough rough ROUGH feed ramps will feed fine with the 7.62x39 provided there isn't a substantial lip or large burr to get hung up on. The mags out today are quite good, and relatively cheap as well. Just do your research first.

As for controllability you will be amazed how much easier the in line stock and buffer tube setup of the ar makes full auto or fast semi fire. However, in this case a muzzle brake is your friend when not using a can. There are a lot of excellent brakes out there these days, with some barrels coming threaded from the factory in 14x1 LH for use with AK brakes. CNC warrior sells some good ones for relatively cheap, and you can't go wrong with an ak-74 style, all of which are available in any thread pitch you desire with a little google fu

amoebicmagician · Jan 21, 2015

IMBLITZVT said:
On that note, you should come up and shoot with us! We have our kick off meeting/MG show coming up mid March. There will likely be 20-40 M16s/AR15s conversions there to see and more experience than you can find in a book!

I also have a M16 coming. I think I will got belt fed upper first. Then maybe an upgraded 556 upper. Since I have a Mac, 9mm is down on the list but will happen at some point too. I guess a 5.45 or a 7.62 upper might not be a bad idea either.

We have even had someone shoot a FA M16 with a Beowulf 50 Caliber upper on it!

I love this community, and damn it, I love America!

Is there a smiley for patriotic tears of thankful joy?

Klunatic · Jan 21, 2015

amoebicmagician said:
it's so easy to change barrels on an AR, go with the 7.62x39 so you don't feel bad about really cutting loose with that fun switch.

Also consider melonite as a barrel option, I built a melonited barrel into one of my barrel-less ak parts kits and I've been incredibly happy with it's performance.

I literally CAN NOT make the thing copper foul, nothing sticks to it! It's also the second most accurate AK barrel I've ever shot, the first being a Yugo. If I still had that rifle I would be disassembling that gun as we speak to send off the barrel for nitriding.

man, got off topic there...

But yeah, 7.62x39. I'm not as down on pistol caliber long guns as I was before seeing hogs taken down with .40 S&W (FMJ!!!) but for something this cool don't you want it to be a full fledged rifle?

Imagine it, getting some match ammo or handloads put together, squeezing off a few well placed shots at a distant gong on yonder hill, then switching to auto and unleashing a fusillade from your beautiful black rifle's melonited and impervious muzzle...

Whoa. Heady stuff!

Well I already have .300BLK, .233 uppers I can run in rifle configuration. I was looking for a cheaper plinking upper. I was looking at the 7.62x39 mainly because ammo is cheap and I can use my 7.62 can.

Still working on the pros/cons on which upper to go with. You never know I might do both

.

amoebicmagician · Jan 22, 2015

I vote 7.62x39 or both

You'll shit a brick when you see how accurate that cartridge can be out of a rifle without a gigantic gas port and without a gas tube and cleaning rod messing with harmonics

I reiterate my statement about the melonite though

dontpanic · Jan 22, 2015

Klunatic said:
If I go the 9mm route I would either use an existing SBR lower or build a Form 1 a Lower, I bought pre 10/13. According to what I have read, SB281 restricts SBRs to OAL >29" which would put me at 10.5" for the upper barrel. I intend to shoot this suppressed and have heard there are issues using the blow back style bolt with 9mm uppers suppressed. Mainly that they run fast and hard and the longer barrel exacerbates this problem. Will this be a problem?

If I use and existing Pre 10/13 SBR can I put a shorter upper (temporarily) that is shorter than the original approved OAL? I have an existing SBR on the form 1 with an 8" barrel, could I put say a 5" 9mm upper on the lower and then swap it back? or can I only go with 8"+ uppers on this SBR lower?

With the Lightning Link in your lower, you can put whatever upper you want on it. No SBR stamp needed. No state laws on OAL apply. Once the LL is removed, SBR and state laws apply.

smdub · Jan 22, 2015

Klunatic said:
... I was looking for a cheaper plinking upper. I was looking at the 7.62x39 mainly because ammo is cheap and I can use my 7.62 can.

Steel case 223 is the same ~$0.20/rd that 7.62x39 is. There is no cost savings in the ammo at the moment now that prices have settled back down. You can use your 7.62 can on 223 too. I wouldn't buy a x39 upper for cost savings. It isn't there. You'll need to get a bunch of specific mags for it to run right. My x39 upper is a Colt upper. The made some 10++yrs ago during the AWB (the box has lots of warnings not to put it on a modern gun

.) It runs now, but was a little finicky at first w/ new C-products mags. I have it because its a different caliber. It is NOT cheaper to shoot. For cheap plinking I'm buying a short PSA upper to "burn" steelcase 223 through on my RR (it came w/ a pencil barrel 20" A1 upper.) Cheap upper, mags I already have, dead reliable feeding.

IMBLITZVT · Jan 22, 2015

smdub said:
Steel case 223 is the same ~$0.20/rd that 7.62x39 is. There is no cost savings in the ammo at the moment now that prices have settled back down. You can use your 7.62 can on 223 too. I wouldn't buy a x39 upper for cost savings. It isn't there. You'll need to get a bunch of specific mags for it to run right. My x39 upper is a Colt upper. The made some 10++yrs ago during the AWB (the box has lots of warnings not to put it on a modern gun.) It runs now, but was a little finicky at first w/ new C-products mags. I have it because its a different caliber. It is NOT cheaper to shoot. For cheap plinking I'm buying a short PSA upper to "burn" steelcase 223 through on my RR (it came w/ a pencil barrel 20" A1 upper.) Cheap upper, mags I already have, dead reliable feeding.

My thoughts too on the price of ammo. Why bother with 7.62x39. No real reason to go that direction from what I can see. I mean if you are just looking for more uppers, sure... but otherwise it does not seem to give you much over a 223 upper. Certainly not worth buying to save on ammo. 223 steel case is usually as cheap if not cheaper than 7.62.

embermage · Jan 22, 2015

IMBLITZVT said:
On that note, you should come up and shoot with us! We have our kick off meeting/MG show coming up mid March. There will likely be 20-40 M16s/AR15s conversions there to see and more experience than you can find in a book!

I also have a M16 coming. I think I will got belt fed upper first. Then maybe an upgraded 556 upper. Since I have a Mac, 9mm is down on the list but will happen at some point too. I guess a 5.45 or a 7.62 upper might not be a bad idea either.

We have even had someone shoot a FA M16 with a Beowulf 50 Caliber upper on it!

lol Slidefires count?

IMBLITZVT · Jan 22, 2015

embermage said:
lol Slidefires count?

Not for the show but I would not kick it out. We have slidefire Shrike at the AGC. Its pretty impressive.

embermage · Jan 22, 2015

IMBLITZVT said:
Not for the show but I would not kick it out. We have slidefire Shrike at the AGC. Its pretty impressive.

*cough cough* Slidefire .458 Socom

bobthefisher · Jan 23, 2015

embermage said:
*cough cough* Slidefire .458 Socom

You're a sick individual.

StantonCree · Feb 12, 2015

Klunatic said:
Very high 4 figures to very low 5 figures.

http://machinegunpriceguide.com/html/sears_1.html

Thanks for that link I was debating this very issue this morning with a co-worker

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