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NORINCO NDM 86 DRAGUNOV
urie
Member Posts: 7 ✭
I AM LOOKING TO PURCHASE ONE BUT NOT SURE WHICH AMMO ROUND TO GET IT IN. THE CHOICE IS EITHER THE 7.62X51 OR THE 7.62X54. COULD SOMEONE LET ME KNOW WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT IT. THANKS.
Comments
The one that I have seen at the range was chambered in 7.62X54R - the same cartridge that the Mosin-Nagant is chambered for. Best Regards - AQH
urie,
Welcome to the Gunbroker Forums!
As far as choosing the cartridge for your rifle, do some searching with regard to which cartridge is most available currently. In the U.S. we have been lucky to have access to most cartridges from around the world but the .308 Win./7.62x51 is most prevalent here. These days though, price will determine what you get through attrition. Most available least cost, least available most cost.
I have found that the 7.62x54R has a tad more recoil than the 7.62x51. There is a greater selection of loads available for the .308 Win/7.62x51.
Best.
If you reload your own, either will get you "about" the same accuracy, once you find it's favorite.
If you don't reload, you should seriously consider it.
Magazines for the X51 model are harder to find and cost more than the X54 model.
There have been cases of the X51 models going kaboom, some say sensitive primers, you should look into that issue. Some say stuck/protruding firing pins. I have seen them punch little holes in the primer and fill the firing pin channel with the pieces, even on the X54 models. You should look into that issue as well.
Cdnn had some firing pin/bolt modifications done to a lot of the X51 models. The work was less than adequate. Beware of any bolt that has had work done to it. There is not much room for being off center with the alteration needed, esp. on the X51 model.
There were a couple of "fixes" applied in the early days, one was crap , the other less so.
If you run across a firing pin with a small hole drilled into it, and a coil from the spring put through the hole to keep it in place, be very leery of it, it is a poor design. There was another fix, using a russian made pin, and a spring with a collar. That is a better design and is preferable to the drilled hole method.
Both designs require the bolt stem to be modified to accept the spring, The accuracy of that work is critical, or the bolt can be ruined.
Then there are the others. Some done well , some not so much.
Best advice is get one with an unaltered bolt. Load your own. Use hard primers. Examine your spent rounds for any oddity to the primer. If you are going to have the bolt/pin worked on, use a reputable smith that is very familiar with the system.
If you are not in The States, you will likely not run across the bolt mods, but may still have the issues that some have experienced.
urie,
Personally and no offense meant, for the kind of money these are commanding, I would definitely buy an AR10 platform in .308 Win, and call it good to go. Superior manufacturing, parts availability and a selection of barrels, twist rate muzzle brakes.
Speaking from past and personal experience, there is a reason we referred to all of these Chinese firearms as Norstincko! Please walk away and buy something worthwhile.
Best.
The prices these days have gone way past the quality level. As was said above I would pass on the Dragunov. They are a cool looking design but not worth the gouging you are seeing these days.
Think of it this way, you can get a Springfield M1A for the same money and it will shoot the pants off a Dragunov using the same 308 rounds.