Russian ammo may save you money…
Russian ammo may save you money compared to shooting domestic 556 ammo, but be careful that you clean your guns after each range session. I saw more malfunctions at traininig ranges and gun clubs in the last 2yrs than I have ever seen before. Since nobody wanted to put 1000rds down range that cost $500 or more + the cost of the training course which could have cost from $150-$300 depending on what you were going for. When you are considering saving money by buying dirtier or less expensive ammo, you should consider that you may have to clean your gun more often and that you will have more malfunctions. I’ve seen plenty of the AR15 crowd show up at competition shoots with guns that had not been cleaned recently or they were not lubricated properly. I remember people getting in debates about DI AR15 reliability 12yrs ago and it amazes me to this day that people that go out and buy an Ar15 think that they do not need more lubrication than other semi-autos.
The people that I saw have malfunctions all claimed that they never have malfuntions and I sit back and watch their guns jam over and over. What these people don’t understand is that bringing a gun to a rifle range that is lightly lubricated and slow firing 150-200rds over the course of 3hrs is not the same as putting 200rds downrange in a matter of minutes. These guns can handle getting hot, and they will run reliable if you lubricate the correctly, but that lube is going to burn off pretty fast and if there wasn’t much there in the first place, there won’t be any there when you’re done unloading your 5th 30rd magazine. There is a 5.45×39 AR15 Upper Receiver that can save you a boatload of money and you will get your moneys worth after buying about 2000rds of ammo. The hammer spring will need to be replaced, but luckily Smith & Wesson will supply this.