Posted: 3/28/2011 1:30:12 PM EDT
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I have been looking at a couple of your rifles. Specifically the Arsenal sgl 31&21 models. My interest is mostly due to the lower cost of ammo, especially for the 5.45x39 round that is used by the sgl 31. I assume since the 5.45x39 is a current military round the supply of that round will be available for sometime at a reasonable price.
However, a lot of the available ammo mentions it being corrosive. Can and/or should this corrosive type of ammo be used in the Arsenal line of firearms? If so what special steps should one take cleaning the firearm and magazines to prevent problems? |
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I've been doing some digging around on AK's and came across a guy who is a AK collector and by the way a former Russian translator (retired). He answered some of my questions and I thought I would share his opinions.
First off he owns 50+/- AK's (some of the guns he shots and some are just for the collection) of varying quality and vintage. I mentioned the 5.45X39 models of which he owns none. Reason given was the 5.45 was a bastardized round (if you want the 22 cal round characteristics stick with the AR's) the 7.62X39 is the round the AK was built for. Also, the 7.62 is the round that is most popular is this country and readily available. Parts, mags, etc are just easier to get for the 7.62 than the 5.45. Personally I order most of my ammo anyway so I don't know if this is a big issue for me and a lot of others, but the popularity of the 7.62 is a given. He was not a fan of optics on an AK, due to the nature of the gun's short to medium intended engagement range and poor design for optics. As to using corrosive ammo. Yes you can, BUT. First the price difference is typically not that much. He said he has and does use corrosive ammo from time to time, but you need to clean the gun very well after each use. He recommended WD40 sprayed down the barrel, gas tube, chamber, etc and all the parts thoroughly wiped down and lubed. Don't use corrosive ammo if you are not going to clean the gun. Some of his guns do have pitting in the barrels and gas tubes and he reports they still function reliably and accurately. As to quality and reliablity of different AK he went something like this. The difference between a $400-500 and an $800-900 gun is $400+/-. What you are paying for is not so much functionality, but better quality components. According to him most AK's will last for years with 1000's of rounds through them with minimal maintance. He did say brands like the Arsenal are some of the best production AK's on the market. It all boils down to what you are looking for and are willing to spend. I don't know how much this guy's opinions are worth if anything, but they seemed interesting and I thought I would share them. |