I'm a complete nube with rifles. I just bought my first, an AK and I will hopefully be buying a VEPR in the future as well. I like these two cartridges. I would love to have one, or the other, or both in a modern bolt action rifle. I have seen one bolt action in 7.62x39 but it's a short barrel. Is it possible to have something re-chambered and re-barreled for x39 and or x54R?
Is it possible?
- Thread starter DA/SA Fan
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Yes but instead of getting all this gunsmith work done I would just buy the short cz 7.62x39, invest in reloading equipment instead of rebarreling. Hand load lapua brass. Have a plenty accurate handy little bolt action carbine.
I would love the 6lb light and handy 7.62x39 bolt action, wanted one for a while.
I would love the 6lb light and handy 7.62x39 bolt action, wanted one for a while.
To rechamber, meaning run a new reamer into an existing barrel, the old cartridge needs to be smarter than the new, and The barrel should have the standard bore size for the new cartridge.
You can also rebarrel, and install a new barrel with the proper bore size, and cut any chamber you want.
The bolt would also need to be modified to fit the new case head.
Anything can be done if you are willing to spend enough....
You can also rebarrel, and install a new barrel with the proper bore size, and cut any chamber you want.
The bolt would also need to be modified to fit the new case head.
Anything can be done if you are willing to spend enough....
Thanks! As long as it's not way over the top, money wise, I think I would go for it. Any suggestions on a current production rifle that would be a good candidate for each? Budget will most likely be 1000 or so for the x54R. Maybe a little less for the x39. Before the gunsmithing.
CZ makes a bolt action 7.62x39, so that is a pretty easy place to start.
For the 54R, I can't think of anything that would be easy, because of the bolt work for the rimmed case, and the lack of quality barrels that are .310-.311" bore size, instead of the more traditional .308".
And don't take this the wrong way, but is really not a smart thing to do. It doesn't offer anything over cartridges that have been introduced in the 125 years that have passed since its introduction, except maybe cheap ammo (and that has pretty much dried up). The Russian rounds have a larger bore than US .30 cal rifles, so the selection of quality bullets and loaded ammo is much lower.
Currently 7.62x54r is damn near the price of cheap 308 ammo.
You will be spending extra money to get less performance and.
What is your intended use for these rifles?
I also just noticed, autocorrect screwed me, my post on rechambering should have said "the old cartridges needs to be smaller than the new". Not smarter.
For the 54R, I can't think of anything that would be easy, because of the bolt work for the rimmed case, and the lack of quality barrels that are .310-.311" bore size, instead of the more traditional .308".
And don't take this the wrong way, but is really not a smart thing to do. It doesn't offer anything over cartridges that have been introduced in the 125 years that have passed since its introduction, except maybe cheap ammo (and that has pretty much dried up). The Russian rounds have a larger bore than US .30 cal rifles, so the selection of quality bullets and loaded ammo is much lower.
Currently 7.62x54r is damn near the price of cheap 308 ammo.
You will be spending extra money to get less performance and.
What is your intended use for these rifles?
I also just noticed, autocorrect screwed me, my post on rechambering should have said "the old cartridges needs to be smaller than the new". Not smarter.
Will be moving to a house with some acreage in the future. I'm not a hunter now and never have been but I'd like a deer rifle that's a little out of the ordinary. As far as the short barrel CZ goes, I could just slap a 10 round magazine in my AK and be good to go. Likewise a VEPR would probably do great as is. Just think it would be up my alley, style wise, to have a nice bolt action that shares the ammo of my other toys. It's all a few years away, at least, and I might end up with something completely different. Just wanted to check out the possibilities before I started dreaming of something more mundane for my retirement.
Ak-47 weighs like 9.5lbs empty without optic. The CZ is a nice 7.62x39 bolt action. That will probably shoot well inside your Ak-47 with the same ammo because on average CZ holds a lot tighter tolerances than your average AK, and will be like 3 pounds lighter loaded. You can have an optic on the rifle and still be more pleasant to walk through the woods with.
It's a micro Mauser action, and likely very reliable. CZ triggers come from the factory completely adjustable to the point it can definitely put the trigger on your AK to shame.
If you don't like the short barrel, use the action and get a gunsmith to rebarrel the fine CZ action, but their barrels and actions tend to be shooters.
It's a micro Mauser action, and likely very reliable. CZ triggers come from the factory completely adjustable to the point it can definitely put the trigger on your AK to shame.
If you don't like the short barrel, use the action and get a gunsmith to rebarrel the fine CZ action, but their barrels and actions tend to be shooters.
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chris in va
New member
Second the CZ 527 suggestion. I've had mine for 12 years and it's still one of my favorites.
I had an AK variant. It was alright, but I like to be 'thrifty' and started reloading for it...big mistake. That precious Boxer brass gets flung into next week and I got tired of hunting for it. Yeah I know, brass catcher. The real dealbreaker came when I tried to put an optic on there.
I like my 527 so much I bought it's twin in 5.56.
If anything, skip the AK and get a VEPR in 308. Your welcome.
I had an AK variant. It was alright, but I like to be 'thrifty' and started reloading for it...big mistake. That precious Boxer brass gets flung into next week and I got tired of hunting for it. Yeah I know, brass catcher. The real dealbreaker came when I tried to put an optic on there.
I like my 527 so much I bought it's twin in 5.56.
If anything, skip the AK and get a VEPR in 308. Your welcome.
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Correct me if I am wrong, but you want a fun gun that shoots the same diameter bullets. No real advantage to doing that, as a 7.62x39 and 7.62x54R share only bullet diameter, kind of like having a 30-06 and a 30 Carbine. You could not gain any efficiency by reloading the same bullet in both cases. Could it be done? Sure, but neither cartridge would perform well.
As 7.62x39 bolt action is a fun range gun, and could cleanly take deer or pigs out to 300ish yds. As an added benefit, it shoots the same ammunition as your AK, so there is some gain to be had there.
As far as modifying a modern action to use 7.62x54R, it would cost more than your budget and lock you into an obsolete cartridge.
As 7.62x39 bolt action is a fun range gun, and could cleanly take deer or pigs out to 300ish yds. As an added benefit, it shoots the same ammunition as your AK, so there is some gain to be had there.
As far as modifying a modern action to use 7.62x54R, it would cost more than your budget and lock you into an obsolete cartridge.
I recently bought a CZ 527 in 7.62x39. It was a little shorter than I typically go for but I have to admit I love the thing. I got it as a compliment to my browning x-bolt chambered in .223 which I HIGHLY recommend. I could take these two guns out to the range and shoot for days.
chris in va
New member
Typical AK barrel is 16.3". The CZ 527m is 18".
There are leftover Saiga 20" models out there but they look funny.
There are leftover Saiga 20" models out there but they look funny.
Just a thought to consider:
The CZ 527 is an extremely handy woods gun.
Light, trim, very reliable, and more accurate than a typical AK.
The idea of a longer barrel than what comes on it doesn't make a lot of sense.
You're already getting a slight velocity boost in the CZ over an AK.
A longer barrel won't necessarily be any more accurate.
A longer barrel will add weight & some minor velocity gain if you take it beyond the factory barrel length, but the 7.62x39 was designed for shorter barrels to begin with, so running it TOO long can reach a point of diminishing returns.
A longer barrel won't necessarily extend the practical range limitations of the caliber substantially.
A longer barrel will also reduce the "handy factor" of the trim little 527 carbine.
Your money, but...
Denis
The CZ 527 is an extremely handy woods gun.
Light, trim, very reliable, and more accurate than a typical AK.
The idea of a longer barrel than what comes on it doesn't make a lot of sense.
You're already getting a slight velocity boost in the CZ over an AK.
A longer barrel won't necessarily be any more accurate.
A longer barrel will add weight & some minor velocity gain if you take it beyond the factory barrel length, but the 7.62x39 was designed for shorter barrels to begin with, so running it TOO long can reach a point of diminishing returns.
A longer barrel won't necessarily extend the practical range limitations of the caliber substantially.
A longer barrel will also reduce the "handy factor" of the trim little 527 carbine.
Your money, but...
Denis