What is this Guy Firing?

[MaryB]

Someone needs to design an AR in 7.62x54r...

[FJ540]

Because everyone wants a $1500+ gun to shoot surplus ammo?

[Vashjir]

Someone needs to design an AR in 7.62x54r...

http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/compone ... l?Itemid=0

[UnaStamus]

In terms of external ballistics, the 174gr and 182gr 7.62x54R has no distinct advantage over the 7.62x51mm Mk316 or M118LR with 175gr SMK. The .308 bullets will actually have a higher BC than the comparable .311" bullets.

The problem with the 7.62x54R for modern US weapon use lies in three areas:
The first is that the bullet is a .311" bullet, not a .308". This heavily limits bullet selection. As such, you don't have available long range designs. You are then heavily limited on reloading options due to very little brass casings being available.
The second part relates to the cartridge taper. AR chambers and bolts were not designed to shoot cases with a drastic taper. This taper causes an issue with bolt thrust. Bolt thrust has been identified with 7.62x39 ARs, and the 7.62x54R is a longer, more powerful cartridge that would have a higher propensity to do so.
The third issue lies with the magazines. The typical AR magazine is limited to the following:
DPMS- 2.840
Knights -2.855
PMagLR- 2.821
7.62x54R factory cartridges fluctuate, but SAAMI max case OAL is 3.057". Most factory loaded ammo is over the 3" mark, and thus would not fit in a .308 AR magwell. As such, you'd have to redesign the lower receiver, upper receiver and BCG. You would effectively have to have a whole new rifle built specifically for 7.62x54R. Then you have the magazine issue, which would require a proprietary magazine with a drastic curve to accommodate the cartridge taper.

In short, all this stuff would cost a lot of money, and would essentially be something that very few manufacturers are going to want to spend money on developing. The 7.62x39 and 5.45x39 crossover worked because they fit inside of the AR15 upper/lower. The x54R won't fit in a .308 AR, so it'd be a wholly proprietary build. Given the very limited range of available ammunition, and the fact that most of it is comm-bloc/Russian, the support simply isn't there from the industry to make this a feasible weapon system.

But then and again, it comes down to feasibility. 7.62x51 and .308 are standardized cartridges on the US market. For our needs for hunting, target shooting, competition and duty/defense/military use, the .308 is far more capable than the x54R. As such, the x54R is a plinking and novelty round for the US market. The key term here is the US market, and not comm-bloc or Arab/African countries. I don't see anyone anytime soon doing anything domestically with the x54R and an AR platform, or any other non-Kalash black rifle. From a manufacturing standpoint, it's just too much R&D expense for too small of a niche market.

[Deputyhiro]

I have a PSL. Shoots 4-6" groups at 100yd with surplus ammo. Fun / cheap to shoot. Although, I can't believe what they are going for these days.

[MaryB]

But an AR lower redesigned for a longer length cartridge would open things up to other higher power cartridge designs, just an idea to open up a design, I do not have the machine skills to do a prototype so just thinking out loud as it were.

[Countryfried Frank]

But an AR lower redesigned for a longer length cartridge would open things up to other higher power cartridge designs, just an idea to open up a design...

Like this?

[OldmanFCSA]

http://www.onlylongrange.com/badnews.asp

338 Lapua in an AR type platform

[MaryB]

Found the last after a search last night, the 300 win mag I hadn't seen.

[UnaStamus]

It's totally do-able to make an AR that will fire the x54R. You will have to deal with the aforementioned issues I posted, but it can be done.

Here's the issue- Nemo and Noreen rifles are $5500 and $6000 respectively. That is heavily based on the limited numbers they will sell due to it being a niche platform, and the fact that .300WM ammo on average costs $1.50-2.00/round, and .338LM averages $3-$5/round. The average x54R shooter is going to have no interest in buying a $5500 rifle to shoot ammo that costs $0.20-$0.60/round. They're going to go buy a surplus Mosin, or get a Dragunov, PSL or Vepr. The people who would pay $5500 for a rifle are going to opt to shoot the .308 over the x54R anyways, since the .308 is a far better option for North American consumers.

Just my $0.02.

[MaryB]

VEPR's are pretty much sold out and no more coming in right now, they are made in Russia