Hornady's new 7.62×39 FMJ runs clean in AK, SKS, Ruger tests

Hornady has a new 7.62×39 load coming for 2027, a 123-grain FMJ called Frontier (item FR421) packed in a 50-round box, and GarandThumb ran it through an AK, a surplus SKS and a Ruger American Ranch to see how it actually shoots across the cartridge's usual rifle options.

Key points

• The spec: Frontier FR421 is a 123-grain FMJ in 7.62×39, sold in a 50-round box rather than the usual 20.
• Reliability: GarandThumb reports all three rifles ran 100 rounds apiece with no ammo-related malfunctions, aside from one bad AK magazine that was swapped out.
• Accuracy: At 100 yards, the AK averaged about 3.1 inches, the SKS 3.8 inches, and the scoped Ruger American Ranch 1.7 inches with a 1.3-inch best group.
• Recoil: The outlet describes a typical 7.62×39 impulse, heavier than 5.56 but softer than .308, with the AK moving the most and the SKS feeling the mildest.
• The catch: GarandThumb argues the load's future depends entirely on street price, since cheap steel-cased imports still dominate AK and SKS shooting.

Quick take

Nothing here is surprising on paper, FMJ in 7.62×39 is FMJ, but GarandThumb's point is that it ran clean across three very different actions and let the Ruger show what the cartridge can do with a rigid action and glass. Whether it's worth buying comes down to what it costs next to the steel-cased stuff AK and SKS owners already buy by the case.

Read the full story: garandthumb.com