Great Midway USA sale, so I drank the 7.62x39 Ar15 Kool Aid!

[imarangemaster]

I've been selling off much my collection for health/financial reasons, and I parted with my Mini-14 and Mini-30. The Mini-14 didn't bother me, as I have my light weight STAG-15 AR-15 featureless 5.56 6.25 lb. M4gery build with a 2x7 tactical scope I hated selling the Mini-30, though. I really like the 7.62x39 round, especially my 123 Nosler hand loads.

I opted on getting a 7.62x39 upper for my upper. At 66 and on retirement mode, I am not a brand snob. Midway USA had complete AR Stoner uppers in 7.62x39 for $399.00 with BCG and charging handle. I figured I would pick one up to use with the AR lower I kept. Well, by the time I finally got around to ordering, they had a mondo good sale going, and I got the entire 7.62x39 AR Stoner build kit for $359! That inspired me to trade some +p 9mm I had to my buddy at the gunshop for another lower (another STAG-15) for this build.

I built the 7.62x39 carbine, replacing the stock and handguard with Magpul MOE stuff I had. Since I am in Commiefornia, I used a Sparrow Dynamics featureless grip, replaced the flash hider with a compact Tridelta comp, and pinned the stock to make it "fixed." I topped it off with Bushnell TRS-32 red dot I had in the cabinet, and picked up a couple ASC stainless steel 10 rounders.

I took it to the range last Wednesday to sight her in. I fed it 100 rounds EACH of my Nosler 123 grain Varmagedon .310" brass cased handloads with 24.5 grains of 4198, and Tulammo Ulyanovsk 8M3 134 HPs steel case. All 200 rounds fired without a single failure.

First I did a battle sight with the TRS-32 at 25 yards where I confirmed both my handloads and the 8M3 had approximately the same POA/POI. I then put 10 rounds rapid fire into a 1.5" circle at 25 yards with the Tulammo. After that I began shooting clay pigeons at 100 yards, and finally assorted baseball and softball sized targets at 200 yards, still using the TRS-32. It was dead nuts on!

Even though mine performed 100% on steel cased ammo as received, I am installed a Wolff extra power hammer spring and ordered an enhanced 7.62x39 firing pin with a longer protrusion from Black Rifle Arms, just for a little insurance.

You all can spend the high dollar to drink the fancy weapon Kool-Aid, but my $450 7.62x39 AR Stoner/STAG15 build is good enough for me.I'd rather spend the money on the Grandkids and my wife! It will do as my ranch/home defense carbine and even whack the coyotes prowling our acreage out to 200 yards.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Yes, I've considered them too. I had to forgo though, after having a 9mm I couldn't justify plus two 5.56 and a dedicated .22... That one sounds good.

[Al Diehl]

I just bit the bullet on one and I am glad that I did. Bear Creek Arsenal had these uppers on sale for $279 and Palmetto had these lowers on sale for $129. $410 complete rifle. I couldn't pass it up. Shoots great and is very accurate.

Attachment 95303

Al

[Al Diehl]

Where are you in Northern California imarangemaster ? I lived in Red Bluff from 67'- 76'.

Al

[imarangemaster]

I am up in Grass Valley/Nevada City area. Moved here in 1977 for a Deputy Sheriff job when I got out of the Army. Followed my career all over Cali and Washington state, but settled back in 2000 when I retired.

[RichardX]

I bit on the Stoner upper from Midway a couple of years ago. I have had a lot of fun with this setup. After I had a couple of light strikes on the primers I read about the enhanced firing pins and bought one.
My curiosity got the best of me after i got the enhanced pin, so I broke out the gauges and found a whopping .010" difference in the thickness of the front "stop" on the firing pins. I chucked the original FP in the drill press and turn it on and used a jewelers file to quickly remove a little metal, now i have a working spare.
Except for the barrel and bolt almost everything else is interchangeable with your 5.56 Ar's, it was suggested to me to grab a spare 7.62x39 bolt, which I did.
The main problem now is I burn up a lot rounds through this machine, but life is tough isn't it?

[imarangemaster]

Richard, how true it is! I can't wait to get back to the range to blast some more rounds through this thumper! I enjoy shooting it much more than I enjoy shooting the 5.56 M4gery! Not surprising since I always preferred the Mini=30 to the Mini-14.

[MikieG]

I built one about 5 years ago. Today i also have an AK and an SKS. That cartridge is great fun. So far i have only shot it out at 500 yards. Tulammo is not quite as bad as everyone says.
I got my C39 and my 516 both documented out to 500 yards with cheal walmart ammo. I used federal 55gr bulk packed for the 516. Its a joy to bust steel with a rifle that likes the cheap stuff.

[imarangemaster]

I Went out into the woods with the AR Stoner 7.62x39 and did another 100 rounds of Tulammo 8M3. Function was flawless. Even though I had 100% reliability out of the box, this time I had replaced the hammer spring with a Wolff heavy one, and the firing pin with an enhanced 7.62x39 one from Black Rifle Armory.

Much better firing pin indentations in the steel case, but it wasn't locking the bolt open after the last round about 50% of the time now. I think the extra power hammer spring is slowing it a little. It is noticeably stiffer when pulling the charging handle to the rear to cycle the action. The bolt was going back far enough to cycle, but not always enough to go behind the bolt stop. Since I have the enhanced Firing Pin, I will try it with a standard hammer spring again.

I tried two different ASC 10 rounders and three different ASC stainless 20 rounders and they were all flawless. I REALLY like the feel and handling with the 20 rounders. The ASC 30 rounder, however, did not like the steel cased. In the past, they have worked with brass case ammo, though. A 30 round 7,62x39 magazines on a 6.25 pound AR15 Carbine is like a Thompson "C" drum on a 1928 Tommy Gun. Really cool firepower, but too heavy and ungainly to be practical.

[imarangemaster]

Update: Went to the range to check function and accuracy of my new load: 24.5 grains IMR 4198, WLR primer, and a 123 grain Hornady Z-Max bullet in assorted brass cases. The Z-Max has a thicker jacket than the Nosler Varmagedon, which might do for coyote, but would probably be too light for mountain lion or two legged varmints. I also switched from the Magpul furniture to some light weight retro CAR-15 furniture to save 13 oz. 100 rounds, with zero malfunctions. I use a 25 yard POA = POI for roughly a 200 yard zero.

25 yard (red dot is 1") 30 rounds, rapid fire - about 3 shots a minute, at 25 yards off hand, using a Busnell 1X TRS-32 red dot, co-witnessed with BUIS. The red circle in the middle of the target was 1". I also broke clay pigeons at100 yards from a casual rest, and hit a 6" pine cone at 200 yards.



500 rounds of whoop @ss!



The 7.62x39 with CAR-15 retro furniture



I absolutely love this little7.62x39 Carbine. It has replaced my 5.56 build (with MK 262 MOD1) for my ranch.home defensive carbine. The 5.56 with MK262 MOD1 with its 2x6 scope will do the longer range stuff. On the ranch, 125 yards is about the tops for a shot.