SHTF: 5.56 or bust?

Preparedness Depot in Acworth, GA

Shemp

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I'll probably be one of the first to die in a SHTF scenario because I'll be standing in front of the safe trying to decide which guns to take like a woman getting ready for an import event trying to decide what dress to wear.

I'm the same way....I mean what if all the other Wolverines have ARs and I'm there looking weird with an AK?

 

AirOpsMgr

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I'm actually very fond of my AR in 7.62x39.
I think that is one of the next builds out of the 3 lowers I have in progress. I had a SOTA upper with ACS mags and the upgraded firing pin, never had any issues out of it, but I sold it off. I think it's about that time again to have another
 
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DarthVader

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I must admit I figured this thread would be solidly in AR favor.
Sort of depends on this guy's budget. The gun really isn't the question. With the price of AR's these days, there's not much difference between a serviceable AR and a good AK. If it were me, I'd say get a decent AR, maybe a good PSA model and then stack up some Wolf steel cased ammo as high as he could afford.
 

Shemp

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Sort of depends on this guy's budget. The gun really isn't the question. With the price of AR's these days, there's not much difference between a serviceable AR and a good AK. If it were me, I'd say get a decent AR, maybe a good PSA model and then stack up some Wolf steel cased ammo as high as he could afford.


Then it's a question of whether said AR likes to eat Wolf....from what I understand it's a crapshoot that leans toward the negative..
 

FatAlbert

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I put 500 rounds of tulla through my psa in a afternoon on two separate occasions with no issues.
 

FatAlbert

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But with the 55gr federal stuff available at $0.30/round there's not much reason to buy steel case for now.
 

DarthVader

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Then it's a question of whether said AR likes to eat Wolf....from what I understand it's a crapshoot that leans toward the negative..
Wolf runs fine in most guns, but you do have to clean them more often, especially the chamber. The biggest issue I see is stuck cases. The result of a dirty chamber. I've never seen a PSA gun in either the Premium line or the Hammer Forged line that wouldn't run wolf. I've never fooled around with the Ptac. Haven't seen any issues out of a Colt or DD either. Heck, my sr15 and BCM guns would run it fine and they utilized gas ports on the small side. Most issues I've seen were related to people dicking around with heavy buffers etc. Tula on the other hand can be pretty bad at times. 10 years ago, Wolf was a lot worse and many manufacturers didn't know a proper gas port size from a hole in their head. Manufacturers have come a long way and most of them run reasonably sized gas ports these days, so it's much less of an issue than it was a few years ago. But you know gun myths die hard.
 
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DarthVader

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But with the 55gr federal stuff available at $0.30/round there's not much reason to buy steel case for now.
I shoot brass almost exclusively for this reason. BUT, if budget is a real concern, steel can be had for a good bit less. Especially if you're buying multiple cases, it can start to add up.
 

Shemp

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I shoot brass almost exclusively for this reason. BUT, if budget is a real concern, steel can be had for a good bit less. Especially if you're buying multiple cases, it can start to add up.

Very quickly...which is why I still prefer 5.45. It's cheaper than anything and has the ballitics of 5.56...better IMO. Hard to find around here? yes. But we have the internet. I can stack more 5.45 for the same money...
 

FatAlbert

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I shoot brass almost exclusively for this reason. BUT, if budget is a real concern, steel can be had for a good bit less. Especially if you're buying multiple cases, it can start to add up.
True but I'd rather have 1000 rounds of brass than say 1150 rounds of steel.
 

boss_hawg

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never got into 5.45 because I loathe the idea of giving my firearms a bath after every outing with corrosive ammo. water = rust.

for me x39 vs 556 is a toss up. I think both would be fine for most purposes. I love my AK but I find that my BCM AR to be my "goto." the ergos and operation are second nature to me now and if you have to carry a rifle all day ... you will appreciate the weight savings.
 

DarthVader

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True but I'd rather have 1000 rounds of brass than say 1150 rounds of steel.
Current pricing puts 1k of wolf at around $230. That's basically a 23% savings or about 1300 rounds for the same cost as 1k of brass. That's not a bad gain and almost equivalent to a free case for every three you buy. I prefer brass also, BUT if cost is the primary issue, steel starts to make a lot of sense.
 
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Willy Leadwell

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If SHTF and I can only take one gun, I'll take one for the team. You guys just go ahead and eat me first. I don't want to live in a one gun world.
 
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