[jbee]

AK FPK-74 with corrosive 7.62x54r ammo = any worries beyond cleaning it in a timely manner?

Mostly considering the ones sold by centerfiresystems.

The one I am leaning towards is this one:

AK-FPK 7.62x54R Rifle with Black Stock #RIFLE-AKFPK-BLK
Rifle features:

•7.62X54R

•Built upon Category 1 (nice, unissued) Romanian PSL rifle parts kits
using a special receiver that allows for the use of regular AKM-type butt stocks and pistol grips.

•Black-colored Synthetic Furniture

•2 Standard 10rd Dragunov Mags

•16.5" Barrel

•Weight is 8 lb.

•Non-pinned Dragunov-type Muzzle Brake

•14mm Left-Hand Thread on Barrel

•Scope Mount Rail on Receiver

•Dragunov Scope will work with this rifle.

•Tapco Stainless Gas Piston

•KG Gun Kote Protective Finish on Receiver

•Manufactured by Waffen Werks

I am considering this one too:
Dragunov Rifle 7.62x54R Part #DRA-GUN-B

•Romanian Mfg.
•7.62x54R
•U.S. Made Receiver
•Includes (1) 10rd mag
•Barrel: 26.5"
•Overall Length: 45.5"
•Weight: 9 lbs.


I am leaning towards the first one for $800 because of the shorter barrel and shorter overall length. I assume either one can stand 100 rounds at a time and is capable of 300-500 yard shots with a good scope.

Anything good or bad about either choice?

 

[hailstone]

Depends on what your ultimate object is for use of this rifle. Overall accuracy will be so so. Mine will shoot the milsur ammo about 2-3 MOA at 100 yards. The vaulted Russian 7N1 sniper ammo shoots about half the regular ammo. If you pull bullets and replace with American bullets after remetering the powder then your down to the MOA at 100 yards.

You have limited options with scope mounting using this setup. Heavy high magnification scopes don't work well with the side mount setup. Recoil tends too cause the scope mount rearward movement. Magazines are more readily available today than seven years ago when I got mine. Out of eight magazines I've had one that doesn't reliabily feed all milsur ammo. That one is picky to ammos country of origin. Haven't been able to figure what the problem is as it works reliability in the Mosin-Nagant rifles.

One other problem I've had with one milsur spam can of ammo is pierced primers. The tolerances on the firing pin and hole are rather loose. When firing this ammo it will blow out a small piece of brass that's funneled into the bolt. Course this jams the firing pin from firing. Simple too dissassemble the bolt and firing pin for removal but it's a hassle.

 

[jbee]

> Depends on what your ultimate object is for use of this rifle.

Semi-auto EOTW backup for the spam cans of 7.62x54r I have for the 91/30s.

The Mosin-Nagant 91/30s are cheap reliable fun with cheap ammo. I just figured it would not hurt to have a gun that could shoot it faster

I might or might not hunt with the semi-auto, if I do it will be big hogs or deer. If I do hogs I will be using the commercial 203g soft nose bullets in the 91/30 or FPK. I found a place for 300 yard practice, so, I/family will get good with the surplus ammo on both types of rifles.

> Heavy high magnification scopes don't work well with the side mount setup.

Good to know. I have not decided on what scope yet, I might get the one they advertise for the semi just so it matches.

It really is a toss up between a cheap Bushmaster 5.56/.308 with reloaded ammo or the FPK with the spam can ammo.

If there are no concerns with the corrosive stuff, then I will probably get the FPK for the extra $200.

Thanks

 

[bsn]

If you clean it after shooting there is nothing wrong with corosive ammo, if your too lazy to clean it you will soon regret your choice unless the climate is very dry. I would go with the longer barrel myself, muzzel flash and report would make the gun very uncomfortable to shoot, and probably worthless in very dark conditions.

 

[ribbonstone2]

Have shot lots of corrosive ammo over the years to no ill effects. I just treat the gun as if I had shot a black powder.

Which means:
1. Clean it now rather than later.
2. Use a water soluble solvent (or you can use black powder specific solvents). Personally, i just use the hot water/soapy water/near boiling water treatment.
3. Oil when done.

 

[jbee]

I try to treat my guns like my chainsaws, I never put them away wet. I clean them at the end of the day and many times disassemble them to clean, oil, and grease them. I was just wondering if corrosive ammo hurt any pistons or seals. I see you can get a chrome lined barrel, I might go with that too.

> I would go with the longer barrel myself

You know, I was wondering about that. My main concern was the longer barrel guns are really difficult to use from a building or a truck.

> probably worthless in very dark conditions.

I have a .22LR set up for that and soon a compound bow

 

[trad_a_non]

The chrome-lined barrel is intended to mitigate the effects of corrosive ammunition, but will generally give poorer accuracy than an unlined one because of the difficulty in controlling the thickness of the plating through the entire length. It's a trade-off. I have a Soviet SKS with a chrome-lined barrel, which shoots well enough for the type of rifle but it's not a tack driver.

I echo the advice of others, to clean early and often when using corrosive ammunition. Some of my friends bring a bottle of Windex to the range and start the cleaning process there before they go home.

Best,

Trad

 

[pisgah]

Horror stories of guns ruined by corrosive ammo abound, but consider -- there are hundreds of thousands of surplus guns in the world, good guns, which have never been fired with anything else.

Prompt cleaning with any water-based fluid (Windex, for instance, or water and dish detergent) eliminates all problems.

 

[jbee]

> there are hundreds of thousands of surplus guns in the world, good guns, which have never been fired with anything else.

Yes, I have pondered that very fact while looking at photos of our GIs piling up captured 91/30s in Iraq. I wonder if any of them wish they could send one home like they use to in WWII.

>but will generally give poorer accuracy

Okay, I will skip the chrome lined barrel, I want it as accurate as possible. I guess that makes sense because of the plating process.

My kids get to "help" degrease a "new" 91/30 this weekend, XMAS gift to the wife !