Kolob/Alex
Is there any thought about this caliber conversion? I'm sure there has been, but anything that might expect us to see it?
Let's face it, we shoot what we can budget. Drugs are to a junkie as ammo is to a dirt sniper. Coke heads turn to crack, and now they do glass (meth). We turned from 7.62x51 to 7.62x39. Now let's see if we turn from 223 to the 5.45. That is the only reason as to why I now shoot the 5.45 most of the time now. I just picked up "enough" here recently to feed my Bulgy 74 kids for the next decade or so. That round ain't too shabby in the poodle class.
The way I see it, ammo is way up for the following top 4 reasons:
#4 Price of metal, specifically copper.
#3 Hoarding in the US ammo market.
#2 Crappy U.S. Dollar value.
#1 Need for ammo overseas.
Now the top 4 reasons the 5.45 is selling cheap is:
#4 Steel case ammo uses less copper/no-brass. (cartridges made from recycled Ladas, submarines, T-64 tanks, and BMPs-And I know! Someone is gonna ask:
http://judey.dasmirnov.net/lada.jpg )
#3 The old foggies in the U.S. wouldn't dare touch that inferior commie round (old school thought)
#2 Dollar ain't that weak in Russia, Bulgaria, and other countries that NEED/WANT money and where they make this caliber. Heck in some places they'd put their 10 y/o daughters on the street corner to make a cent.
#1 They ain't using the 5.45 'over there'
Now to me, I go with what I can get. If I can get the 5.45 at 11 cents a round as opposed to, well...we already know. And we are not going to see a downturn in the US ammo market until it winds down 'over there' plus some years after that. In other words, a long frikin time.
And the shit eaters (politicians) haven't YET set their sights on the 5.45, so that's the "in" round AFAIC and if it ain't "in" now, it will be and PDQ. Cheap and getting plentiful.
Now having the XCR platform, and yes I'm aware of the 7.62x39 mag issues, wouldn't it be less of an issue with this caliber once that is ironed out? After all, you guys are/have a couple of engineers. It ain't like we are reinventing the wheel or trying to fit a round peg in a square hole!
I know a 30 rd AR mag will hold 30 5.45 rounds, but I can tell they won't feed well. Maybe it could just be a follower fix, or come out with a specific 5.45 if all else fails. Once the 7.62x39 mags ramp up the 5.45 shouldn't be far behind.
The way I see it, as a professional internet gun tester and mall ninja extra-ordinaire, once Magpul (I didn't say Fagpul) brings their piggy to market it will of course be the 5.56 model with a 7.62x39 AND 5.45X39 to follow some 6 months behind. Very few AR barrels in those calibers....for now.
But if you guys get on the band wagon NOW, put out that 5.45 BEFORE Magpul takes it's piggy out of it's pen and in the wagon, and all this before 5.45 prices matches 7.62x39 prices, and before AK74 mags go up in price once Magpul gets that other piggy out, you guys should be ahead of the game.
Now a 'consumer' looking at both will decide, "Well the Magpul will be $XXX more than an XCR, I can get the cheap ammo caliber in both, but AK74 mags cost $X much cheaper than an XCR specific/AR 5.45 mag (or next to nothing different w/a converted follower?) AND Magpul charges $XXX for the AK lower PLUS the barrel/bolt/etc, while XCR is only barrel/bolt/etc/and maybe mag...."
In a nutshell, for most of us dirt snipers it's all about economics. Heck even my Agency has become stringent on ammo use and once they've become that way it's curtains for Glock Monkey's free 223 and getting to be with "Da Forty". So now I'm forced to appropriate some of that tax rebate moo-la towards feed the guns fund. And I can get 4 times the 5.45 for the cost of 223.
So what do you say?
And don't take it personal, I'm getting a ***...err, I meant Magpul Machaka as soon as it comes out anyways. What can I say? I love women and guns! Eh!
And not to worry, I'm #3 the shit out of 5.45 right now. Bwahhahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!
And yes, I know, reloading. But that also comes down to economics as in equipment investments, initial components cost, learning/training, and time to do it with work/kids/wife plus a recent relocate and living in Da hood (apts) until we sell Da House. Plus I procrastinate a lot, and I swear I will reload here soon!!
