5.45x39 vs 5.56x45?

[wildfan1]

So I am seeing some 5.45 uppers available, and MUCH better ammo availability. Looked at the ammo tonight, and it is comparable to 5.56 in size, and looks like a good target round, and ammo prices are attractive. Couple questions: will a standard 5.56 lower and regular PMags work with a 5.45 upper and ammo? Is there any reason 5.45 uppers have not taken off in popularity? There was a Kerstog upper at the Blaine FF today, if its a simple swap with a 5.56 upper, I am thinking of grabbing one, and all the 5.45 ammo I can get my hands on. Thoughts?

[brad3579]

Hey Matt
I have been looking at the same thing, 1080 rounds @ $170 for the spam cans of corrosive. I was thinking about going with the Huldra piston style upper @ $640 as to try and keep some of the salts out of the BCG and trigger area. Here is a link to the Huldra.
http://www.huldraarms.com/uppers/product_76b374d367d8/

[FJ540]

Mags are different.

With corrosive ammo, just be ready to dunk the gun in hot water when you're done shooting it. AR's are a great platform for this as everything on them is either metal or plastic.

[whiteox]

The lower will work just fine.

I have tried the 30 round PMAGs and I couldn't get it to work but I have heard that 20 rounders or downloading the 30 rounders to less than 25 or so will work. I haven't tried the 20 rounders.

Dedicated 5.45 mags were in stock last time I checked at http://www.ammosc.com/storename/ammunitionstoragecomponent2/dept/273396/ItemDetail-10767091.aspx

I have the Huldra Upper. I rinse it with hot water through the barrel in our laundry tub sink after each use and then clean as normal. The gas piston action keeps most of the crud out of your lower. I haven't seen any corrosion and the finish on the Huldra barrel makes it pretty easy to clean. If you were shooting a DI upper, I'd reccomend cleaning the lower periodically as well.

The surplus ammo isn't match grade but is fine for plinking. It does have a distinctive ammonia odor though. I don't reccomend shooting it indoors or your eyes will be burning. One other plus on the Huldra is that it doesn't blow the gas in your face.

The caliber is too small to legally deer hunt with.

I've been happy with mine.

[wildfan1]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Think I will order that upper and a few mags. I'll probably stay away from the corrosive, and just buy the Hornady or Wolf ammo (I think Wolf is non-corrosive, right?), they were both bountiful at FF.

[antimatter]

Don't sweat the corrosive stuff. I fire it all the time in my tantal, and will be using it in any other 5.45 guns I buy. A little water, some compressed air and some WD-40 and everything works out really well. And considering that you're paying under $0.20/round, the spam can stuff is pretty hard to pass up. Admittedly you can't use it at Bill's (steel core), but for recreational shooting the price can't be beat. Besides, back when I started shooting we used a lot of WWII military surplus ammo that, I believe, used corrosive primers. And the guns I inherited from my grandfathers shoot just fine. As long as you don't throw the gun in a corner after shooting it, your gun will wear at a normal rate.

[blkcat]

Don't sweat the corrosive stuff. I fire it all the time in my tantal, and will be using it in any other 5.45 guns I buy. A little water, some compressed air and some WD-40 and everything works out really well. And considering that you're paying under $0.20/round, the spam can stuff is pretty hard to pass up. Admittedly you can't use it at Bill's (steel core), but for recreational shooting the price can't be beat. Besides, back when I started shooting we used a lot of WWII military surplus ammo that, I believe, used corrosive primers. And the guns I inherited from my grandfathers shoot just fine. As long as you don't throw the gun in a corner after shooting it, your gun will wear at a normal rate.

How strictly does Bill's enforce that policy? I too was considering one of the 5.45 Huldra uppers but there wouldn't seem to be much point if you can't buy the cheapass surplus ammo.

[antimatter]

Well, they ask that I don't use that sort of ammo, so I don't. Damaging the backstop at the range doesn't seem like a good way to keep Bill's in business so we can all shoot there. I belong to a private range out in the country that I can shoot mil-spec ammo at if I want, and it's really not very expensive to do so. If you're restricted to Bill's or a similar range, then going with the Hornady stuff is probably a good idea. I just feel that the corrosive ammo issue is blown out of proportion as a danger to the gun, and shouldn't be viewed as a deal-breaker if someone has a place they can safely shoot the Russian surplus stuff.

[FJ540]

The issue with corrosive is that the salts aren't soluble in cleaning solvents, but they are in plain old hot water. Unless you wash it out, that stuff might still remain when you put it away, and then it'll be pitted when you go back to it later.

So you need to get that crap out of your gun after you shoot it, and hot water will not only dissolve the stuff, but will help dry it off if you get the water hot enough to heat the metal.

[rukwikenuf]

bills is serious about enforcing the steel core. if you slip by once or twice, don't get thinking it's right. that stuff punches straight through the rubber pile and beats the piss out of the backstop.

otherwise, the 5.45 caliber is fun, and cheap enough too!

[RangerTim]

I am normally not against using corrosive ammo, but the DI tube on an AR would make me nervous. Having said that, I love 5.45, I have owned one AK chambered in it and it was even more fun to shoot than my 5.56 rifles because ammo was half the price of cheap .223

Lowers are the same, mags are different. The 5.45 has a much wider case than the 5.56 if I recall correctly.

[Holland&Holland]

The caliber is too small to legally deer hunt with.

Check the regs, this is now changed.

[Collector1337420]

5.45 is a cool round. My buddy, has an 5.45 Huldra upper, I enjoy shooting it. The bullet is long, so it's designed to tumble creating a massive wound cavity.

It does use different mags unfortunately.

There's more ammo out there, but I'm waiting for the panic to die before I would actually buy an upper to see how everything shakes out. I'm already in the middle of a competition AR build.

I'd stay away from corrosive ammo, but that's just me. If you don't mind cleaning your rifle for 2 hours after every time you shoot, then by all means, go for it.

[brad3579]

I'd stay away from corrosive ammo, but that's just me. If you don't mind cleaning your rifle for 2 hours after every time you shoot, then by all means, go for it.

With the Huldra piston style, is there as much cleaning?
Thanks

[FJ540]

You still need to get that crap out of the piston.