AR in 5.45

[toolboxluis00200]

i have a friend that just offer me one :P
but i dont have the money to get it :(
so any of you guys own one?? how do you like it or hate it??
the only thing i don't like about the AR 5.45 is that magazines are hard to find :mad:

[Calengor]

I have not owned one, but here's what I've gathered from the few I know who do: Since the ammo is corrosive, you have to make sure to clean it very well after each shooting session, usually with soap and then lots of hot water.

[Computalotapus]

I have not owned one, but here's what I've gathered from the few I know who do: Since the ammo is corrosive, you have to make sure to clean it very well after each shooting session, usually with soap and then lots of hot water.

That is what I hear too.

[toolboxluis00200]

I have not owned one, but here's what I've gathered from the few I know who do: Since the ammo is corrosive, you have to make sure to clean it very well after each shooting session, usually with soap and then lots of hot water.

so i can take it in to the shower whit me LOL

[SINNER]

I have one built on the cheap. Ares barrel and a parts bin build. Shoots well for what it is. 1-2 MOA and never has issues. ASC mags are the best.

[gatordev]

I have not owned one, but here's what I've gathered from the few I know who do: Since the ammo is corrosive, you have to make sure to clean it very well after each shooting session, usually with soap and then lots of hot water.

I think it really depends on what particular little issue you may have with your specific gun. Some guys claim they don't clean it at all (like Andrew at Vuurwapen Blog). Some guys say everything locks up if you don't clean it. Personally, after just shy of 2K rounds of 7n6 in my Spike's 5.45 gun, I've only had one consistent issue. Sometimes, no matter how much I make the effort to scrub the area, my gas tube and gas key will "bond" together due to corrosion. I'll usually swab a pipe cleaner piece down the key and swab the tube with some MPro 7, but sometimes (and it's not all the time), they'll bond together after a day or so. If I go back and check it after 24 hours, I can usually just rack the BCG and it's good. If I leave it for a few days, sometimes (but again, not always) I'll have to mortar the gun while holding the CH back. It'll break the bond and then everything is fine with no significant wear to the gas tube.

That said, I do just a rough clean of the rest of the rifle. Some barrel swabs and some receiver swabs and I'll clean the BCG up. And that's about it. I don't go crazy with water and/or soap, and really, the soap doesn't do anything more than the water does. Water is the key to break down the salts. If you do hose down the gun with water, I strongly suggest you then blow it out with an air compressor, since now you have salt-laden water hanging out on the metal (and aluminum will corrode). All of that is a lot of work to me, so I just wipe everything down with MPro 7, put some oil in the barrel, on the extension and in the receiver and BCG and call it good.

I've been very impressed with my rifle and you can't beat the cost per round (based on the price I got several cases for it, before any kind of 7n6 rush). As for magazines, I've had very rotten luck with ASC mags, but cutting down Magpul followers and running Gen 2 mags have been almost 100% problem free. The one time it's stumbled so far was running the upper on a FA lower, and it only stumbled once and then no other issues.

[GOST]

Will spraying it down with Windex neutralize the corrosive powder? I use Windex sometimes at the range on a Mauser and Mosin, then clean later at the house. I was always told the ammonia would neutralize the powder.

[gatordev]

Will spraying it down with Windex neutralize the corrosive powder? I use Windex sometimes at the range on a Mauser and Mosin, then clean later at the house. I was always told the ammonia would neutralize the powder.

At the end of the day, it's the water that's rinsing the salts, not any other chemical. I know people swear by Windex/ammonia (or soap), but really, the water in the solution of all of those things that, chemically speaking, dissolves salt.

I hose down my AK with just water, followed by compressed air, and other than the muzzle brake, I've had almost zero corrosion. What I have had has been due to my laziness/lack of thoroughness.

[GOST]

At the end of the day, it's the water that's rinsing the salts, not any other chemical. I know people swear by Windex/ammonia (or soap), but really, the water in the solution of all of those things that, chemically speaking, dissolves salt.

I hose down my AK with just water, followed by compressed air, and other than the muzzle brake, I've had almost zero corrosion. What I have had has been due to my laziness/lack of thoroughness.
Thanks, good to know.

[SINNER]

Have beat mine pretty good with minimal cleaning. Ran through a case of 7n6 with no issues. I am running the VooDoo lifecoat bolt.

http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q638/DonaldFink1/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps2ecf5348.jpg

[Hmac]

Dave Timm has a Huldra (piston with VooDoo barrel) in 5.45 that they torture tested. I lost track, but last I heard it was running fine at 4800 rounds without any cleaning or lubrication. These are promotional videos, so as a word of warning, they contain some....promotion. But the data on the Huldra 5.45 is solid. I don't know about the gun that the OP is looking at, but 5.45 seems to be No Big Deal for that Huldra, even in an extreme maintenance environment.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aDYpclU2Vc

[econobx]

Personally, after just shy of 2K rounds of 7n6 in my Spike's 5.45 gun, I've only had one consistent issue. Sometimes, no matter how much I make the effort to scrub the area, my gas tube and gas key will "bond" together due to corrosion. I'll usually swab a pipe cleaner piece down the key and swab the tube with some MPro 7, but sometimes (and it's not all the time), they'll bond together after a day or so. If I go back and check it after 24 hours, I can usually just rack the BCG and it's good. If I leave it for a few days, sometimes (but again, not always) I'll have to mortar the gun while holding the CH back. It'll break the bond and then everything is fine with no significant wear to the gas tube.


I have had this exact same issue with my Spike's 5.45 upper. I think maybe I wasn't getting all the water out of it after cleaning so now I just leave the BCG out for a couple of days.

It might depend on your climate but if I don't clean after a day or two there is light rust on mine. It's more a dusting than surface corrosion if that makes any sense. Either way, my cleaning regimen is to pour scalding hot water through it, blow out any unevaporated water that remains with compressed air, and then apply oil. Same as my AK74.

Mags aren't hard to find at all. There are some in stock at Midway and Brownells right now. I haven't had any problems with either the old C-Products, ASC, or AR-Stoner ones.

The one thing I did have an occasional problem with was the regular hammer spring not being strong enough to set off primers in 7N6. It rarely happened but I swapped in a Wolff extra power and no problems since.

I stocked up on 7N6 when it was around $120 a can but even now it's still very affordable. However, at the current price, it's close enough to the new manufacture, non-corrosive stuff that I'll skip the minor hassle when it's time to restock.

[toolboxluis00200]

thanks for all the info guys

[gatordev]

I have had this exact same issue with my Spike's 5.45 upper. I think maybe I wasn't getting all the water out of it after cleaning so now I just leave the BCG out for a couple of days.

It might depend on your climate but if I don't clean after a day or two there is light rust on mine. It's more a dusting than surface corrosion if that makes any sense. Either way, my cleaning regimen is to pour scalding hot water through it, blow out any unevaporated water that remains with compressed air, and then apply oil. Same as my AK74.

Good point on the climate. Although I've had equally the same experience in the relatively dry SoCal environment as in the humid FL environment. Almost zero surface corrosion and just the weirdo gas key issue.



The one thing I did have an occasional problem with was the regular hammer spring not being strong enough to set off primers in 7N6. It rarely happened but I swapped in a Wolff extra power and no problems since.

Excellent point, and one I forgot to mention because I never had an issue, but I know many have. Pretty much from the start, I just put a SSA in my lower and have had zero issues. From my initial research, I couldn't find any failures with the SSA as opposed to random "milspec" triggers. That said, I've also run it with a LMT (from G&R) FCG with zero issues as well. Apparently those springs are still strong enough, as well.


I stocked up on 7N6 when it was around $120 a can but even now it's still very affordable. However, at the current price, it's close enough to the new manufacture, non-corrosive stuff that I'll skip the minor hassle when it's time to restock.

I'm in the same boat. I'll use up my 7n6, but at this point, it's not worth grabbing more when Silver Bear (or if SGAmmo ever gets more, Golden Tiger) is about the same price as 7n6 without the hassle of clean up. Besides, at the price I bought everything (upper and ammo), as long as I get 4K through the barrel, I've broken even.

[SINNER]

I have had this exact same issue with my Spike's 5.45 upper. I think maybe I wasn't getting all the water out of it after cleaning so now I just leave the BCG out for a couple of days.

It might depend on your climate but if I don't clean after a day or two there is light rust on mine. It's more a dusting than surface corrosion if that makes any sense. Either way, my cleaning regimen is to pour scalding hot water through it, blow out any unevaporated water that remains with compressed air, and then apply oil. Same as my AK74.

Mags aren't hard to find at all. There are some in stock at Midway and Brownells right now. I haven't had any problems with either the old C-Products, ASC, or AR-Stoner ones.

The one thing I did have an occasional problem with was the regular hammer spring not being strong enough to set off primers in 7N6. It rarely happened but I swapped in a Wolff extra power and no problems since.

I stocked up on 7N6 when it was around $120 a can but even now it's still very affordable. However, at the current price, it's close enough to the new manufacture, non-corrosive stuff that I'll skip the minor hassle when it's time to restock.

It's not always spring strength with the 7n6. Firing pin protrusion is the culprit quite often. A few passes of a file and a quick buff on the tail of the bolt has fixed more than a few guns I've come across with intermittent failure to fire issues with the Soviet ammo.