Thought I would share this since I went down this road.
1. AN AR in this caliber should NOT be your fighting rifle. Due to reliability issues, it should be relegated to training only.
2. It needs an enhanced (extended length) firing pin to reliably ignite surplus 5.45 ammo.
3. C-products magazines seem to work better than most. They are not quite as stiff.
4. Load mags to 26 rds only.
5. Non Chlorinated brake cleaner is your friend. The surplus ammo is beyond dirty. The bullets are sealed to the cases with some type of red plastic, which vaporized and shot down the gas tube into the BCG. It gums up the firing pin channel. The NC brake cleaner dissolves this.
6. Grease, not oil. The powder burns hotter than standard 5.56 and rapidly burns off oil. I don't care what your DI said, an AR needs lube to run.
7. If you shoot corrosive ammo, clean with water based solvents. Windex, soap, simple green.
8. Wolff extra power hammer spring +1
which upper do you have? S&W, Huldra, or......?
I had one of these uppers as did my son many many cases of corrosive surplus ammo through them with very little trouble. We ran the modified windowed 5.56 x45 PMags with zero feeding issues loaded to capacity. Really didn't have much luck with the other variants though. He did go to a stronger hammer spring in his but I had no need. We run grease on all our ARs as a rule not just the 5.45. Never had much luck with oil even in the Army. Clean with water first to remove the corrosive salts then as usual. I recommend storing with the bolt locked to the rear. I had the gas key stick to the gas tube once. We ran stock firing pins but keep a spare as they seemed to corrode away within a few thousand rounds. So I kept a spare which I usually do anyway.
I would not be afraid to use it as my fighting rifle, as it was really reliable.
Quote from: Kosciusko on November 11, 2013, 04:48:48 PM
which upper do you have? S&W, Huldra, or......?
Spike's tactical Mid length.
9. Magpul Moe Handguards will melt after 500 round mag dumps. They also don't shield from heat very well
I'm jus' sayin'