July 2010

7.62x39mm Semiautos: Three Alternatives to the AR-15 Rifle

The SKS Type 56 rifle proved to be fun, but Ruger’s K-Mini Thirty-P/20 was a hard working and versatile carbine. Also, the DPMS Panther adapts well to the 7.62x39mm cartridge.

Interest in defensive carbines has grown so much that aftermarket catalogs such as Brownells (www.brownells.com), now mail a separate issue dedicated to the AR-15 platform. But the AR is not the only available long gun and 223 Remington/5.56mm is not the only round available for self defense—for instance, there's the 7.62x39mm. This round was developed by the Soviets

The Ruger K-Mini Thirty-P/20 No. 5853 was compact and fast. The 20-round magazine offered extra firepower but added bulk, too. If you wanted to slip it in and out of a sheath or from behind the car seat, then flush-fit five-round magazines are available, too. Larger people like our Houston team shooter felt a little cramped by the stock.

circa 1943. According to some loading manuals, popularity of this cartridge in the United States saw a boom when GIs returning from Viet Nam brought home Communist Bloc weapons. Since then, other more American designs have been chambered for the 7.62x39mm. For example, our test weapons were the $966 Ruger K-Mini Thirty-P/20…

Subscriber Login
Subscribe Now.
Click Here to download Adobe Acrobat