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What is 5.45×39 ammo? 🧐
It is a type of rifle ammunition used by many military and civilian shooters around the world. It was first developed in 1973 and has been used in several military conflicts since then, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the wars in Chechnya.
Features ✍️
The 5.45×39 round is a popular choice due to its excellent accuracy, high velocity, and lightweight. Some features include:
- 🔷 Velocities: These rounds typically have a muzzle velocity of 2,800 to 3,300 feet per second (fps). High-quality loads can reach even higher velocities, making them more suitable for long-range shooting.
- 🔷 Accuracy: The round is known for its good accuracy at medium and long ranges with minimal wind drift. It has a lower trajectory than many other cartridges, so it requires less adjustment when aiming at targets further away.
- 🔷 Terminal Performance: It is designed for use in hunting and self-defense applications. It has excellent terminal performance due to its reliable expansion characteristics and milder recoil compared to other military rifle calibers.
- 🔷 Cost: This ammo is typically less expensive than other centerfire rifle cartridges, making them a great choice for budget-minded shooters.
Benefits 🤩
When considering the best 5.45×39 ammo for your needs, you may find this type of ammunition to have several advantages over other types.
- ❇️ For starters, the ammo is lightweight and compact, allowing shooters to carry more rounds without having to lug around heavy boxes or magazines.
- ❇️ Furthermore, due to its smaller size, the shots fired are less likely to miss their intended target.
- ❇️ Additionally, it has a high velocity when compared with other calibers, making it ideal for use in medium-range engagements.
- ❇️ The round also features a non-toxic compound that allows it to be used safely indoors and in situations where environmental protection is desired.
- ❇️ Finally, the relatively low cost makes this particular caliber one of the most budget-friendly choices on the market.
How effective is it? 🤔
The 5.45×39 round is a Soviet military rifle cartridge designed in 1974 for use with the AK-74 family of weapons.
- 🎯 It has become increasingly popular due to its light recoil, flat trajectory, and good terminal performance at long ranges.
- 🎯 Generally speaking, it is most effective within 500 yards and is capable of penetrating body armor at up to 600 yards when using certain ammo types.
💡 The most common bullet types include hollow point (HP), soft point (SP), full metal jacket (FMJ), and armor-piercing (AP).
- 💥 HP bullet designs are great for self-defense due to their expansion upon impact, while SP bullets provide more reliable penetration on hard targets.
- 💥 FMJ bullets are the most common and cost-effective but lack the stopping power of HP or SP rounds.
- 💥 AP rounds are designed for increased penetration through hard surfaces and body armor, making them ideal for tactical applications.
Best 🎯 5.45×39 Ammo Reviews
1# 5.45×39 – 59 Grain FMJ – Red Army Standard
Searching for high-quality carefully selected 5.45×39 ammo from an American supplier you can trust? Check out Red Army Standard’s 59 Grain FMJ. This authentic AK-74 ammo is perfect for range training and plinking, thanks to its accurate 59-grain projectile and conventional muzzle velocity. Plus, the bullet’s boat tail design helps to preserve velocity downrange, resulting in a flatter trajectory and more energy on impact. Just keep in mind that steel casings are not reloadable, so be sure to shoot it all in one go!
2# 5.45×39 – 60 Grain FMJ – Silver Bear
Real Russian-made Silver Bear’s 5.45x39mm 60 gr FMJ ammo! Manufactured at the Barnaul plant in Russia, this ammo is both economical and precision manufactured, making it perfect for range use. The zinc-plated steel casings are highly polished to prevent corrosion and improve shelf life, while the zinc plating also provides a lower friction coefficient than plain steel, helping these rounds to the chamber and extract more reliably. Don’t miss out on this great product – order your Silver Bear 5.45x39mm ammo today!
3# 5.45×39 – 60 Grain FMJ – Tula
Welcome to the exciting world of 5.45×39 full metal jacket ammunition! This newly manufactured ammo is perfect for target practice, range training, or plinking. It is both economical and reliable and is produced by one of the most established ammunition plants in the world. This cartridge complies with CIP requirements and the casing features a polymer-coated steel casing with a non-corrosive Berdan Primer. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start shooting!
Reloading Kit 🛠️
A 5.45x39mm reloading kit is a complete set of components used to craft ammunition for firearms chambered in this specific caliber.
- 📝 It typically includes bullets, powder, primers, and cases – everything needed to produce your rounds from scratch. They also allow you to customize the performance of your ammo by choosing appropriate components for each application.
⤵️ When shopping for a reloading kit, there are several important factors to consider:
- 🔰 First and foremost is cost: while reloading can save money in the long run, you must select equipment that fits your budget.
- 🔰 Additionally, it’s important to select a kit that is compatible with your firearm and provides the performance you need.
- 🔰 Finally, quality components are essential for reliable ammo production.
FAQ 🤠
Conclusion 🙂
As you can see, there are a lot of great best 5.45×39 ammo rounds available on the market today. It can be tough to choose the right one for your needs, but our buyer’s guide tried to help. We’ve included some of our favorite rounds and shared some tips to help you make the best decision for your needs. Good shopping and thanks for reading! 😎👍
I’m planning to get an AK by the end of this year, but I’m torn between the flatter shooting 5.45×39 and the power of the 7.62×39. I want something with lighter recoil so that my wife, niece, nephews, and others can shoot it without having to bench rest it like they have to do with my FAL, and it’s “brutal” .308 (7.62×51). While I understand that most surplus ammo for the 5.45 is corrosive, the cost of non-corrosive is not an issue for me. However, I’ve never fired a 5.45 before, so I don’t have much to base my decision on. What do you think?
After giving it some serious thought, I’ve decided to go with the 5.45. Although the heavier 7.62 bullet is better suited for penetrating barriers, the 5.45 bullet has a flatter trajectory. Additionally, the recoil and sound of the 5.45 are quite mild – I’ve even had people mistake my muzzle device for a suppressor.
I’ve noticed that when ordering online, 5.45×39 is generally much cheaper than 7.62×39. When shooting both cartridges from my AK, I can’t tell much of a difference in terms of felt recoil, but I do notice that the 7.62 causes more muzzle climb.
Having used both cartridges, I’ve grown quite fond of the 5.45. From my experience, it seems to be more accurate and cost-effective compared to the 7.62×39. At the end of the day, the main factors for me are the economy and the availability of ammunition.
In my experience, the 5.45×39 is hands down the most manageable rifle round I’ve ever fired – it has about half the recoil of the 5.56×45. This makes it incredibly easy to control. Unless you’re shooting through cinder-block walls at your neighbors, the 5.45×39 is the better choice. Overall, the 5.45×39 is a more practical and refined round than the 7.62×39, which is mainly just a man-stopper. Essentially, the 5.45×39 is a superior version of the 5.56 – it can do anything the 5.56 can do, but better.
I’m having trouble getting kills with the 5.45×39 round – it feels like I need to use a lot of rounds to take down my targets. The recoil also makes it difficult to aim accurately at medium range, so it feels like a waste. I’ve tried different types of 5.45×39 rounds, but I’m still having the same issue.
What firearm are you using and what ammunition are you using with it? I heard that the 5.45×39 ammunition received a buff wipe, so it should be performing better than before.
I’m curious to hear everyone’s thoughts on this hypothetical scenario. Let’s say I’m interested in owning a 5.45 AK Krink SBR or pistol, as well as the Galil Ace Gen 2 in the same caliber, both with 7.5″ or 8″ barrels. As far as I know, 5.56 has difficulty stabilizing out of such short barrels, which is why 10.5″ ARs are so popular. However, 5.45 stabilizes just fine out of these barrel lengths, which is why I’m considering this option. While 5.56 fragments require the velocity that some short barrels cannot deliver. On the other hand, 5.45 will yaw and tumble instead of the fragment, which is not velocity-dependent. Is this a reasonable idea, or am I overlooking something? Is 5.45 a poor choice for home defense due to over-penetration or other factors?
I think that using 5.45 in an 8″ barrel for HD is a viable option. However, it’s worth noting that the loud noise and strong muzzle flash could be disorienting and lead to permanent hearing damage.
In my experience, the 5.45 cartridge can be effective for self-defense, delivering similar energy to a 44 magnum out of a short barrel. However, I recommend using self-defense ammo for this purpose.
In my opinion, if over-penetration is a concern, it might be best to avoid using the Krink for self-defense. While it is a light-recoiling option that allows for quick follow-up shots, it’s stopping power is not the best. Adding a suppressor can help to mitigate noise and flash. In terms of on-target performance at HD distances, I don’t think there would be much difference between using the Krink and a 7.5″ AR with 55gr ball ammo. However, if you prefer AKs, then the Krink could be a good option for you.
The 5.45 is originally a military cartridge designed for long-range engagements, including penetration of body armor and even steel plates. So, it’s not exactly the most neighbor-friendly round for home defense due to its penetration power. Of course, there are no bad home defense guns or rounds, but it depends on your home layout and location. I have a .357 loaded with defensive hollow points and a 12 gauge with 00 buck and slugs, as over-penetration can put my kids and neighbors at risk. Unless I’m facing a scenario where I’m engaging someone on my neighbor’s porch or I need to make a run for it, I won’t be reaching for my AR or AK. So, to answer your question, will the 5.45 work for home defense? Absolutely, but it may not be the most practical solution for most home defense scenarios.