There is likely a number of these out there, and still likely a number of shooters on the fence about getting into an AR that fires the venerable 7.62x39mm cartridge. I didn't see much for reviews except for a couple of guys saying they received them and were happy.
A while back I sold my restricted VZ58 - I wasn't shooting CQB matches which it was bought for and had a hankering to get another one. Prohibitive costs on the '58s and '858s in today's market made me re-think that option (plus I don't think they are worth what the current market is asking).
I recently dove into one of these PSA uppers as I watched IRG bring in shipment after shipment (I got in at the tail of shipment #3).
I've been sceptical of 7.62x39 ARs to this point for two main reasons:
1) reliability of AR mags feeding a x39 round has always been reported as the sh!ts, and
2) use of corrosive ammo in an AR was never appealing.
The benefits brought me 'round though and those are:
1) cheap ammo = cheap training. A .22lr upper would be cheaper still, but it takes away the recoil which is a factor of training that shouldn't ignored IMHO.
2) non-corrosive, new manufacture ammo that is still cheaper than handloading 5.56 has hit the market, creating another option to the already inexpensive corrosive surplus that is abundant currently.
3) this upper was complete, well built and for a decent price - even after exchange and shipping it was around $600 Canadian all in.
4) 10 round XCR pistol mags are everywhere and have a pretty decent reputation.
So yesterday I had an opportunity to take it out and run a few hundred rounds through it and the 10 pistol mags I bought for it.
I used a mixture of brass-cased, berdan primed surplus (I believe South African) and Czech steel cased surplus.
I fired off around 300 rounds with no misfires (I have read light strikes can result from deep seated primers and weaker hammer springs) - the lower I used is a Colt's with a stock Giesell SR trigger.
Mags worked fine when loaded with 5 - 7 rounds loaded in them, but started having feeding issues with more.
More than 7 rounds in the mags are quite tight, so maybe the springs need to be worked in. Either way it really confirmed my belief that the standard metal box AR magazine is a poor design regardless what round it is trying to supply to the rifle.
Both the Czech and SA stuff shot about the same. Both were printing around 4"-6" ten round groups at 100m, fired from the prone, with bag support. (Scope is a ACOG TA-31 with donut reticle) Best groups measured just over 3"
A while back I sold my restricted VZ58 - I wasn't shooting CQB matches which it was bought for and had a hankering to get another one. Prohibitive costs on the '58s and '858s in today's market made me re-think that option (plus I don't think they are worth what the current market is asking).
I recently dove into one of these PSA uppers as I watched IRG bring in shipment after shipment (I got in at the tail of shipment #3).
I've been sceptical of 7.62x39 ARs to this point for two main reasons:
1) reliability of AR mags feeding a x39 round has always been reported as the sh!ts, and
2) use of corrosive ammo in an AR was never appealing.
The benefits brought me 'round though and those are:
1) cheap ammo = cheap training. A .22lr upper would be cheaper still, but it takes away the recoil which is a factor of training that shouldn't ignored IMHO.
2) non-corrosive, new manufacture ammo that is still cheaper than handloading 5.56 has hit the market, creating another option to the already inexpensive corrosive surplus that is abundant currently.
3) this upper was complete, well built and for a decent price - even after exchange and shipping it was around $600 Canadian all in.
4) 10 round XCR pistol mags are everywhere and have a pretty decent reputation.
So yesterday I had an opportunity to take it out and run a few hundred rounds through it and the 10 pistol mags I bought for it.
I used a mixture of brass-cased, berdan primed surplus (I believe South African) and Czech steel cased surplus.
I fired off around 300 rounds with no misfires (I have read light strikes can result from deep seated primers and weaker hammer springs) - the lower I used is a Colt's with a stock Giesell SR trigger.
Mags worked fine when loaded with 5 - 7 rounds loaded in them, but started having feeding issues with more.
More than 7 rounds in the mags are quite tight, so maybe the springs need to be worked in. Either way it really confirmed my belief that the standard metal box AR magazine is a poor design regardless what round it is trying to supply to the rifle.
Both the Czech and SA stuff shot about the same. Both were printing around 4"-6" ten round groups at 100m, fired from the prone, with bag support. (Scope is a ACOG TA-31 with donut reticle) Best groups measured just over 3"
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