Any 5.45mm Bolt Guns Out "There"

Beyond the old East German Border Guard model, of course?

Perhaps it is just a question of finding a smithie to make one up. Dunno.

I missed out on the kraut killer due to the incorrect guess that ammo would not likely be available in North America to feed to it. Called that one wrong. Still, I've noted owners of these limited edition rifles experience extraction problems.

And, I figure, the glass sight (Zeiss-brand) on that model was proprietary and non-replaceable.

Kids, let this be a lesson to you; snooze you looze.

Did you mean to say 5.45?

Speaking w/ a well-respected Wall Street trader today, I've learned that most of the major U.S. firearms manufacturers willl pass on a 5.45mm bolt gun as it would likely cut into their accustomed profits for other, more conventional calibers.

I explained to my interlocutor that the above seemed reasonable yet there was every prosepct for a kick-ass American manufacturer to produce truly quality-controlled 5.45mm cartridges for hunting and "sporting" purposes. Milsurp N7a ammo just wasn't up to capitalist standards I asserted.

The response to that was: maybe yes, maybe no. The North American sportsman can be very fickle.

Have you any opinions viz-a-viz the desirability of a manual turnbolt rifle in 5.45x39mm? If so, do sound off.

Well, to my understanding, the 5.45 round was designed as an anti-personel round and as an equivalent to the standard 5.56 nato round. The ammo is lighter than 7.62x39mm so more could be carried. With a bolt action rifle, I think of big caliber curio&relic rifles like enfields, mosins, mausers, springfield 1903s, etc. I the 5.45 would not serve as a good hunting round for big game and such nor as long distance shooting, but as a cheap 200yd. target gun, yes, it would be applicable.

In answer to your question - the only 5.45 bolt gun that was on the US market was the DDR rifle mentioned above.

I have contacted a number of barrel manufacturers for blanks to fit the common actions. Only Lothar-Walther took the time to reply. The thread is

http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=267384

What was said above could be true about American firearms manufacturers passing on the 5.45 round. But, in addition, it could also be very probable that the U.S ammo manufactures don't want the firearms makers to come up with a 5.45 bolt gun.

Are any of the domestic ammo manufacturers making the 5.45 ammo? I think not. People buying 5.45 bolt guns would not be buying domestically made 5.56 ammo, or its reloading components.

At a gun show last year I was tempted to buy a 5.45 semi-auto AK, but I passed on it because of the possibility of ammo imports being stopped. The table vendor said not to sweat about that, supposedly there were domestic ammo makers tooling up to make that round. I doubted his words very much.

Later on it occurred to me that if some backyard ammo makers start producing the 5.45 round, then where are they going to get the bullets from? Or, would they substitute with the 5.56 bullet (or .223) and shove it into a 5.45x39 case?

A word of caution: If there is ever any domestic production of 5.45x39 rounds being sold, make sure the bullet is 5.45 and not 5.56 in a 39mm cartridge case.

What was said above could be true about American firearms manufacturers passing on the 5.45 round. But, in addition, it could also be very probable that the U.S ammo manufactures don't want the firearms makers to come up with a 5.45 bolt gun.

Are any of the domestic ammo manufacturers making the 5.45 ammo? I think not. People buying 5.45 bolt guns would not be buying domestically made 5.56 ammo, or its reloading components.

At a gun show last year I was tempted to buy a 5.45 semi-auto AK, but I passed on it because of the possibility of ammo imports being stopped. The table vendor said not to sweat about that, supposedly there were domestic ammo makers tooling up to make that round. I doubted his words very much.

Later on it occurred to me that if some backyard ammo makers start producing the 5.45 round, then where are they going to get the bullets from? Or, would they substitute with the 5.56 bullet (or .223) and shove it into a 5.45x39 case?

A word of caution: If there is ever any domestic production of 5.45x39 rounds being sold, make sure the bullet is 5.45 and not 5.56 in a 39mm cartridge case.

Hornady is coming out with a round very soon with an AMAX bullet. I'm sure they will use the correct bullet.

THe reloaders on this site that have loaded 5.45 use 223 bullets that have been resized to .221.

Even if ammo imports stopped, there are enough guns around that more than one maker would produce ammo for them.