If you own an AK-74, it's unlikely you'll ever find more ammo for it

[midnight rambler]

From an inside the gun biz source - it's highly unlikely we'll ever see 5.45x39.5 ammo imported again. The really cheap stuff was a result of the Russians abandoning tons of 5.45x39 in Ukraine at the fall of the USSR, which meant it was 'free' to the Ukrainians meaning it was pure profit for them. There's been a couple of developments in that area and as a result unless something radically changes we just aren't going to see anymore 5.45x39 ammo being imported.

[mamboni]

Darn, I only have about 2000 rounds. I hope that's enough!

[old steel]

Not enough...

[Heimdhal]

A big reason I never went into the caliber. I wanted to, real bad. It was crazy cheap, which meant tons of practice on the platform (since my favorite is still the 7.62x39) and wasnt a bad little round. I had a feeling it would become much harder to find than 7.62 in the future specificaly because the cheap stuff was all surplus and there isnt nearly the same commerical showing as there is with 7.62x39

I had limited funds available and had to make a choice, and that choice was to load the eff up on the AK 47 platform rather than have a little of both.

[midnight rambler]

Darn, I only have about 2000 rounds. I hope that's enough!

Seeing as how you have the resources, if I were you I'd dump it and load up on 7.62x39 while you still can.

[midnight rambler]

A big reason I never went into the caliber. I wanted to, real bad. It was crazy cheap, which meant tons of practice on the platform (since my favorite is still the 7.62x39) and wasnt a bad little round. I had a feeling it would become much harder to find than 7.62 in the future specificaly because the cheap stuff was all surplus and there isnt nearly the same commerical showing as there is with 7.62x39

I had limited funds available and had to make a choice, and that choice was to load the eff up on the AK 47 platform rather than have a little of both.

I like the 5.45x39 round myself, and was tempted to acquire an AK-74, however I had the same bad feeling about future availability (unless of course one loaded up with 25K+ rounds per rifle while it was dirt cheap).

[midnight rambler]

And FWIW, regardless of what caliber MBR one has (with the possible exception of .223/5.56) I'd advise loading up on a 'lifetime supply' of ammo at this point, whatever one considers that to be - 'cause this may be it with respect to relatively affordable/somewhat available ammo. IMO, one thing is for sure - it's never going to get much cheaper than it is right now.

[Heimdhal]

I like the 5.45x39 round myself, and was tempted to acquire an AK-74, however I had the same bad feeling about future availability (unless of course one loaded up with 25K+ rounds per rifle while it was dirt cheap).

Yeah, if you have the money to get a lifetime supply right off the bat, then it was worth it. I didnt, so that answered that. 7.62 will pretty much always be available because there are now a dozen some odd american makers of it (althought for more money) if for some reason all the commercial imports stopped.

There are things with it though, like yugo m67, which is now very hard to come by. That was also very cheap when it was readily available, now its crazy expensive IF you can find it. Granted, its some of the best ammo in the caliber on the market and I saw the writing on the wall with that one and loaded up.

Of course, now i need commercial and its too damn expensive! :(

[mamboni]

Seeing as how you have the resources, if I were you I'd dump it and load up on 7.62x39 while you still can.

Why?

[midnight rambler]

Why?

'Cause 2K rounds is not enough to support that one rifle* over an extended period - imo.

*I'm of the opinion that one should have no less than 5k rounds per MBR. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[mamboni]

'Cause 2K rounds is not enough to support that one rifle* over an extended period - imo.

*I'm of the opinion that one should have no less than 5k rounds per MBR. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

You sound like my son. He has a stack of rifle ammo next to the gun safe 7 feet high.

Is it far to say that ammo stored in a dry dark place with dessicant will last virtually forever?

[willie pete]

I just recently took out to "test" the reliablilty of some 20-30 year old stuff I have, worked like a champ, of course it was all factory loaded and I used to be able to get surplus .303 vintage WWll for my Enfield, date stamped early '40s, it was all TRUE AP, but moderately to mostly unreliable, probably 3-4 out of 10 were duds or had a 1-2 second hang-time and most of the brass would split, it was VERY cheap and all I did was plink with it, I'd say for modern factory ammo, after 30 years or so you can expect deteriation, just my WAG though

[midnight rambler]

Good news mamboni, I was able to reach the importer for GT (sounded like a Russian guy, had a hard time understanding him) and he advised me that they should have some 5.45x39 available in May, so be ready to buy all you can afford (it should go fast).

He also advised me that they're getting in 7.62x39 on a regular basis, and that SGammo will be having more on hand 'soon'.

And FWIW, there's still M2 AP (black tip) ammo for Garands still floating around from the early to mid '50s and (depending on how it was stored, i.e. dry and not excessive temperature) it's still 100% surefire. That M2 ammo from the early '50s is non-corrosive, however the corrosive primers are even longer life. Also, machinegunners for years have been known to put 8mm barrels on their belt-feds 'cause of super cheap 8mm (7.92mm) that (at the time when it was widely available) was at least 40+ years old.

[gunDriller]

i could believe the less expensive "fire sale" ammo prices are gone.

is that the only reason the AK-47 was popular ? i thought people like it because of the capacity of the magazine.

granted, emptying an entire magazine has become a more expensive proposition.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJVqAxG5_wY


so, the rounds are going in price from {ballpark} 10 to 20 cents a round to more like 50 cents a round ?

so when that guy empties the 40 capacity magazine in that video, that little piece of gun fun went from costing about $6, to more like $20.


but completely un-available ? that sounds like a business opportunity ... for anyone willing to put up with US gun laws ... or to manufacture & market outside the US.

[Horn]

Somebody here is going to get into reloading soon, primer caps must be going up too.

[General of Darkness]

Is that round similar to the 6.8?

[midnight rambler]

Is that round similar to the 6.8?

The only thing they really have in common is that both are centerfire.

[steyr_m]

Is that round similar to the 6.8?

I believe the 5.45 x 39 is probably the best military round out there -- it's supposed to yaw much more [and deadlier] than the poodle-shooter hunk of crap -- the 5.56. They did the design right -- It's hollow in front [for better yaw], some lead, and then steel.

[Ponce]

Russia gave theirs to Ukraine and we gave our "excess" ammo to the state of Israel in 1993 after the war...and then in 2010 we gave then a contract to make some ammo for us........five to one that they simply sold back to us what we gave them for free..............you only need X ammount of ammo and if you need more then use what the other guy has, before he uses what you have.....simple............. I'll take one bullet one target rather than 2,000 bullets one target.

v

[Son-of-Liberty]

Darn, I only have about 2000 rounds. I hope that's enough!

I used to be of the opinion that you should have a huge amount of ammo stockpiled for each caliber but have changed my mind.

Maybe I am not tacti-cool enough but I really don't see why you can't practice basic shooting with 22LR. Then if you want finish up with the AK-74 to stay familiar with the rifle and recoil. If ammo is scarce for it then you could finish with an AK-47 instead. It is similar enough I don't think it would effect your ability with the 74 if you ever needed to use it.

Although if you did have 25+k rounds per BR then that might have been a really good investment if ammo stays tight.