Polish Tantal 5.45x39 vs Wasr-10 ???

[Oliver08]

Dunhams has both of these for about the same price. I have been reading alot of the posts on here adout the wasr-10 but no one talks about the polish much. In my searchs i have found the ammo to be about the same price also. Im new to the ak game. Thanks for info.

 

[UncleMike]

Dunhams has both of these for about the same price. I have been reading alot of the posts on here adout the wasr-10 but no one talks about the polish much. In my searchs i have found the ammo to be about the same price also. Im new to the ak game. Thanks for info.

The Tantal is put together somewhat better than the WASR's but the wire stock is damn near impossible, for me at least, to get a good cheek weld on.
Also the 5.45X39 cartridge, while cheaper, is not up to the 7.62X39 for accuracy, or stopping power. Some of the first hand accounts from the Soviet Union/Afghanistan War written by the Soviet Troops showed the 5.45 to be minimal in stopping power and very poor in the accuracy department. In short, the Troops hated it.

 

[Oliver08]

How reliable are they. Im just kinda looking for something to run ammo threw. I have plenty of long range guns. I kind of want something that eats cheap and fast. It's just a thought I have no read much on them.

 

[LPMan59]

buy the WASR. the Tantals are notorious for keyholing. the rumor is that Century uses/used 5.56 barrels instead of 5.45.

Century will sometimes fix the problem, sometimes not. A member on this board is dealing with CAI with this exact issue.

The problems with WASRs are usually canted sights and mag wobble- both which you can inspect before buying....though mag wobble really doesnt matter in terms of function. I have owned 2 wasrs and both have been completely reliable...theyre just kinda ugly.

 

[Clay]

I'll have to disagree on the accuracy of the 5.45x39 round. Ive found it to be almost as accurate as an AR in 5.56, and a bit more so than anything Ive fired in 7.62x39. This is comparing multiple AKs in both calibers, but thats just me.

 

[mskendall]

I'll second the disagreement on accuracy on the 5.45 round. I find it to be more accurate out of the AK platform than the 7.62x39. Out of an AR platform it would compare to the 5.56.

The first run of Tantals I had heard bad news from. Not so much lately. I bought one of the Bulgarian 5.45's and fit/finish are great for the price.

Bottom line, 5.45 is cheaper shooting ($130/1k vs $200/1k), 7.62 packs more of a punch. If you are wanting to shoot cheap get the 5.45.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

I have recently read that if a WASR10 has a triangle on the receiver trunion then it is a demilled machine gun and much stronger and more accurate than usual civilian AKs. Mine has it and I shoot circles around some guys with ARs. I'll post pics if you want.

 

[bigjross2002]

I will be the third to agree on the 5.45mmx39mm accuracy. At the current price for 5.45mm it is really hard to find reasons to not go that route. I recommend the Bulgarian AK74s that can be had around the 400 dollar range. I think Atlantic Firearms has them. I have had mine with zero problems and it is surprisingly accurate for a AK type weapon...

I wish I would have bought a VEPR K in 5.45mm when I had the chance. Those were very nice AKs.

 

[Tombs]

Stay away from any century made tantal, that's really all that needs to be said.

Pickup a 5.45mm saiga some where and do a restoration conversion down the road.

 

[nate77]

I'll second the disagreement on accuracy on the 5.45 round. I find it to be more accurate out of the AK platform than the 7.62x39. Out of an AR platform it would compare to the 5.56.

The first run of Tantals I had heard bad news from. Not so much lately. I bought one of the Bulgarian 5.45's and fit/finish are great for the price.

Bottom line, 5.45 is cheaper shooting ($130/1k vs $200/1k), 7.62 packs more of a punch. If you are wanting to shoot cheap get the 5.45.

I've always thought 5.45 was interesting for the cheap ammo, but all the cheap ammo is corrosive isn't it? I never minded shooting corrosive in a Mosin, since cleaning is a breeze, but doesn't adding a gas system into the mix make cleaning a bear?

I did buy a few hundred rounds of cheap brass cased corrosive ammo for my 7.62x39, but only for rainy day ammo.

One more though for the original poster, aren't WASR-10/AK magazines a lot cheaper?

 

[luvall]

Centerfire has the Bulgarian AK74 for under $370. I bought one and love it. I recently bought 5.45 ammo from AIM for just 12cents per round -"cheap" -doesn't do that justice.

 

[windellmc]

AIM sells Bulgarian and Russian surplus 5.45 mags for $10 each. Most places sell them for $15. I have seen Bulgarian 7.62 steel mags for around $9 so really not much difference there.

The cheap surplus 5.45 ammo is corrosive and a chrome-lined barrel does make it easier to clean. The gas system is pretty easy to clean on an AK though. Atlantic lists a Romanian 5.45 AK for $440 and that should have a chrome-lined barrel. The Century Bulgarian Ak74 does not have a chrome lined barrel, and they are hit and miss on barrel quality.

I have not shot an AK in 7.62 but many who have shot both prefer the 5.45 for general shooting because it has less recoil.

 

[MilitaryArms]

I gambled on the Century Tantal and lost.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2ByJyDM1DA]YouTube - Review: CAI Polish Tantal Part II[/ame]

Then to make matters worse, I was subjected to the indignity of dealing with Century Arms' customer service.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0J5n4lkKwQ]YouTube - Review: Defective Century Tantal Update[/ame]

You're better off with the WASR. While it's still a Century, at least it was built in Romania and not by Century.

 

[MilitaryArms]

The first run of Tantals I had heard bad news from. Not so much lately. I bought one of the Bulgarian 5.45's and fit/finish are great for the price.

Unfortunately, that's not how things work with Century. I know first hand that they still have problems.

The issue is that the quality of Century's domestically produced products varies wildly. Couple that with a horrible warranty and less than pleasing customer service and it's a huge gamble buying one of their 5.45x39 Tantals.

I even spoke to their former lead gunsmith who is now in business for himself (and does Century's out of warranty repair work) and he told me that their Tantals are problematic to this day, and he charges $400 to rebarrel it to correct the keyholing issue.

 

[E5RANGER375]

The 5.45x39 round is very accurate.

 

[762Mike]

OP - you have not done enough research.

+1 for 5.45x39 accuracy being equal to or better than 7.62x39.

 

[buckstopshere]

Just kinda piling on here with the 5.45 accuracy. I love my Romanian AK74. It shoots true and is much more accurate than I thought it would be. I had heard those same rumors before I got mine but they were quickly dismissed. 5.45 is a great round.

As far as stopping power, yeah, 7.62 wins hands down. If you're a BG and had your choice, would you rather get shot with a 5.45 or 7.62? Neither right??

We are not in a war zone (at least not yet) and the ammo is cheap to buy which means you can throw a lot of lead down the pipe and get the accuracy you need in case you find yourself in a war zone. An accurate shot to the dome from a 5.45 would ruin any BG's day and this round is accurate enough to give you that option.

My 's for what it's worth.