7.62x39 XCR Conversion or CSA58?

Glockster

Glockster

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Input needed. I need a reasonable quality 7.62x39. (lots of surplus 7.63x39 in storage since my 858's are now virtually paper weights, but lets not open that can of worms right now) I have a XCR in .223 that is hardly shot since I got a Tavor, so a $750 conversion kit might be the way to go. Or I could pick up a new CSA/Vz58 for around a grand. I have a few 858 mags kicking around but the CSA/Vz series is a a bit of a bugger to scope but is lighter than the XCR. On the other hand the XCR has good controls, a nice trigger and is easily scoped. Which direction would you guys go?
 
It depends what kind of ammo you have stockpiled (corrosive surplus or non-corrosive Chinese/commercial ammo), how comfortable you are shooting that out of the XCR (the CSA's are available with chrome lined bores now), and if you really like the VZ-58 platform enough to justify another addition when the CZ-858's will be reverting to non-restricted after the CSFA is passed (and the correct OIC's are tabled).
 
What optic do you plan to use ? If it's just simply red dot then it's quite easy, A side rail mount and a low profile optic mount from CSA. That's all.

You can always support Canadian, buy a NEA handguard set, mount your Optic there. There are many more way to mount optic on VZ 58. Two above are just the most simply.

I would simply buy a CSA Vz 58 if I were you, 750 $ for a conversion kit wasn't a good deal if you asked me. Buy another gun is always better.
 
Since I bought my 7.62x39 XCR I never shoot my VZ.

XCR has better ergonomics, better optic mounting, and 10 round pistol mags. I'm up around 4k corrosive surplus through it now.
 
I had the chance to run a few mags through a fellows x39 XCR. My first hands-on with an XCR as well.

I liked it, and he said that with the 1-bolt take down it was no harder to clean than an SKS.

Myself - I'm probably going to end up with an x39 AR upper, also because I don't expect that it will be particularly hard to clean.
 
My 7.62 ammo is a mix of Russian, Czech, Chinese and Romanian. So all corrosive. My old eyes need magnification so a red dot is out. I only checked Wolverine an if memory serves the conversion kits from Robinson were in that price range. Thanks Stevo I like the idea of the 10 round pistol mags.
 
If you can buy the XCR 7.62 conversion with a light barrel, that's definitely the way to go. Shaves a good bit of weight up front.

Sell your .223 kit if you don't shoot it.
 
I would go with a 58, they were designed to shoot x39 and their mags work properly with it. When we win the battle to run our magazines at standard capacity as they were designed to do you will find out why Rock River Arms designed the AR lower that takes AK mags.
The straight AR mag feeds the tapered x39 like crap once you have more than 8-10 rounds in the mag. Ya ya a few guys on here are going to jump in and say that their pistol mags feed fine. When we win the battle and can remove the rivet in our 20 and 30 round mags those pistol mags will be tossed in a box and forgotten about and everyone will be on here asking why their guns are jamming.

I personally would never run corrosive ammo through a $2000+ rifle, it's such a pain in the arse to clean afterward that to me it just isn't worth it. Hot soap and water as soon as you get home? Some days I don't have time to clean my rifles as soon as I get home and I've seen first hand what corrosive ammo can do to a neglected SKS. It took me 3 hours to get my buddy's rifle working for him after he put it away dirty.
This is the same of course whichever rifle you buy but I'd rather risk an $800 investment over a $2000+ investment.

Your choice but to me red rifles are for x39 and black rifles are for 5.56 (and 300BLK :))
 
cr5 said:
I would go with a 58, they were designed to shoot x39 and their mags work properly with it. When we win the battle to run our magazines at standard capacity as they were designed to do you will find out why Rock River Arms designed the AR lower that takes AK mags.
The straight AR mag feeds the tapered x39 like crap once you have more than 8-10 rounds in the mag. Ya ya a few guys on here are going to jump in and say that their pistol mags feed fine. When we win the battle and can remove the rivet in our 20 and 30 round mags those pistol mags will be tossed in a box and forgotten about and everyone will be on here asking why their guns are jamming.
Click to expand...

"Yeah and if wishes were horses, we'd all be eating steak." - Jayne Cobb

And the pistol mags do feed just fine.
 
cr5 said:
I would go with a 58, they were designed to shoot x39 and their mags work properly with it. When we win the battle to run our magazines at standard capacity as they were designed to do you will find out why Rock River Arms designed the AR lower that takes AK mags.
The straight AR mag feeds the tapered x39 like crap once you have more than 8-10 rounds in the mag. Ya ya a few guys on here are going to jump in and say that their pistol mags feed fine. When we win the battle and can remove the rivet in our 20 and 30 round mags those pistol mags will be tossed in a box and forgotten about and everyone will be on here asking why their guns are jamming.

I personally would never run corrosive ammo through a $2000+ rifle, it's such a pain in the arse to clean afterward that to me it just isn't worth it. Hot soap and water as soon as you get home? Some days I don't have time to clean my rifles as soon as I get home and I've seen first hand what corrosive ammo can do to a neglected SKS. It took me 3 hours to get my buddy's rifle working for him after he put it away dirty.
This is the same of course whichever rifle you buy but I'd rather risk an $800 investment over a $2000+ investment.

Your choice but to me red rifles are for x39 and black rifles are for 5.56 (and 300BLK :))
Click to expand...

Stevo said:
"Yeah and if wishes were horses, we'd all be eating steak." - Jayne Cobb

And the pistol mags do feed just fine.
Click to expand...


CR5, I've noticed you post that "x39 mags don't feed well" BS before, is this a theory of yours or do you have any real personal experience with the Robinson arms pistol mags? I will be one of those "few guys", like Stevo below you....the XCR pistol mags feed 7.62x39 flawlessly. I have 10 mags, all bought at different times, all function perfectly with every ammo I have used. Mine are just like the dozen other guys at my range with 7.62x39 XCRs, I haven't heard of anyone having a feed issue with an XCR.
 
Glockster said:
And when the AR is no longer restricted and we have normal capacity mags again, I'll dump all those funky rifles....unfortunately I'll not hold my breath on that.
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Lol, what funky rifle are you talking about ? even AR was non-restricted, I still take VZ 58 over it.
 
Canadian_Zuk said:
CR5, I've noticed you post that "x39 mags don't feed well" BS before, is this a theory of yours or do you have any real personal experience with the Robinson arms pistol mags? I will be one of those "few guys", like Stevo below you....the XCR pistol mags feed 7.62x39 flawlessly. I have 10 mags, all bought at different times, all function perfectly with every ammo I have used. Mine are just like the dozen other guys at my range with 7.62x39 XCRs, I haven't heard of anyone having a feed issue with an XCR.
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Too bad the two of you can't read. I said when you put more than 8-10 rounds you start to have problems.
If the straight body AR mag fed x39 rounds well do you really think Rock River would have invested all the money required to develop a new AR lower that works with AK mags?
Why do you think the AK mags and any other mag actually designed to run more than 10 rounds of x39 is shaped like a banana? Just for fun? Or do you think there is a reason for it?

It's not just a dream, getting rid of mag capacity restrictions is one of the points being fought for by the NFA and CSSA in their efforts to get us back some of our firearms rights and freedoms that were taken for no good reason and don't make anyone safer.
 
cr5 said:
I would go with a 58, they were designed to shoot x39 and their mags work properly with it. When we win the battle to run our magazines at standard capacity as they were designed to do you will find out why Rock River Arms designed the AR lower that takes AK mags.
The straight AR mag feeds the tapered x39 like crap once you have more than 8-10 rounds in the mag. Ya ya a few guys on here are going to jump in and say that their pistol mags feed fine. When we win the battle and can remove the rivet in our 20 and 30 round mags those pistol mags will be tossed in a box and forgotten about and everyone will be on here asking why their guns are jamming.

I personally would never run corrosive ammo through a $2000+ rifle, it's such a pain in the arse to clean afterward that to me it just isn't worth it. Hot soap and water as soon as you get home? Some days I don't have time to clean my rifles as soon as I get home and I've seen first hand what corrosive ammo can do to a neglected SKS. It took me 3 hours to get my buddy's rifle working for him after he put it away dirty.
This is the same of course whichever rifle you buy but I'd rather risk an $800 investment over a $2000+ investment.

Your choice but to me red rifles are for x39 and black rifles are for 5.56 (and 300BLK :))
Click to expand...

cr5 said:
Too bad the two of you can't read. I said when you put more than 8-10 rounds you start to have problems.
If the straight body AR mag fed x39 rounds well do you really think Rock River would have invested all the money required to develop a new AR lower that works with AK mags?
Why do you think the AK mags and any other mag actually designed to run more than 10 rounds of x39 is shaped like a banana? Just for fun? Or do you think there is a reason for it?

It's not just a dream, getting rid of mag capacity restrictions is one of the points being fought for by the NFA and CSSA in their efforts to get us back some of our firearms rights and freedoms that were taken for no good reason and don't make anyone safer.
Click to expand...

I read what you said, I've read it before and from personal experience I disagree with your position on this in regards to the XCR and the factory XCR pistol mags. Mine are all 10 round 7.62x39 Robinson arms pistol mags and they all function fine with 8, 9 or 10 rounds in them.

Edit: Rock River arms invested heavily into making the AK mags work for the US market. This is Canada, we can't have more than 10 rounds of center-fire anyway so your straight vs curved mag argument is moot as straight walled AR mags function fine with 10 rounds or less.
 
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Damnit

All because of this thread i JUST ordered an XCR OD GREEN Keymod with light profile barrel in 7.62x39.

Hope she runs aswell as people state.

Also, can anyone confirm what the thread pitch is for brakes on these rifles now thay they aren't pinned on?
 
cr5 said:
We used to be able to and hopefully if all goes well we will again.
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We agree, that sure would be nice. In the context of the opening post and as the law stands now, I wouldn't want to see the OP dissuaded from an XCR for fear of it not functioning properly with a full mag. The way i see it with our current situation, there is no benefit to an AK style mag here in Canada other than looks, most that are available would need to be pinned to 5 rounds as far as I know, reducing the fun factor by 50%.

Side question: Is there an available restricted class pistol in Canada that takes AK style mags to legally allow 10 rounds in a 58? I know the M85NP is an AK pistol, but that's a prohib here so not readily available.
 
Canadian_Zuk said:
Edit: Rock River arms invested heavily into making the AK mags work for the US market. This is Canada, we can't have more than 10 rounds of center-fire anyway so your straight vs curved mag argument is moot as straight walled AR mags function fine with 10 rounds or less.
Click to expand...


Because a $12 pmag would be just too much for them to afford? So they made a whole new lower?
I'm very sceptical that the AR platform will be non restricted again but losing the mag limit restrictions is very possible. I pray for both since I own 5 AR's but the mag limits would be a good start.

I just think a person is better off running x39 in a rifle and mags that were actually designed for it, reliability will be much higher and a low cost rifle running corrosive ammo is a much more forgiving platform if the owner gets lazy on the cleaning. Do a bad job cleaning an XCR and you could be looking at a heafty bill to get it running again.
I feel the same about Norinco 5.56 ammo, why spend $2000-$3000 for a high end black rifle then feed it garbage. There have been so many threads started with guys having problems with it I can't believe anyone would still run it in anything other than an M-4gery.

In the end everyone is of course free to do what they want and this is just one guys opinion.
 
They designed thay rifle to take ak mags thinking it would better serve guys overseas who can then pick up enemy mags and continue in the fight.
Not to. Mention that they came up with a cool idea as AK mags are pretty damn plentiful and cheap too down south
Also RRA IS NOT the only maker of an AR rifle to take AK mags

####!!!

Now who the hell knows what the thread pitch is for these 7.62x39 xcr?
 
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