M85 or M92

[mrbongo01]

[nicoroshi]

BOTH!!!


In all seriousness though I would recommend the M92 over the M85.
Seems that AKs in .223/5.56x45 are really picky about magazines, and how the magazine sits in the rifle for reliable feeding.
Also picky about gas port hole size.
Using Yugoslavian magazines designed for the M85/ M90 rifles I still had to remove the selector stop, dremel the bump on the bottom of the ejector, file fit the back of the ejector to the cut out on the left side magazine feed lip notch, and file fit the magazine catch to get mine to feed reliably. Then came the reliable cycle issue.
Since my build lacked the booster (fake can instead) to increase dwell time of the gas for cycle I ended up increasing the gas port hole size in the barrel all the way to .125" (same as it would be for a 7.62x39 rifle) before it would reliably cycle.

With the M92 which shoots 7.62x39 you have more play in where the magazine sits while maintaining reliable feeding of the tapered round.
Also the gas port hole size is a no brainer being the same size as the hole in the gas block, and typical for the 7.62x39 rifles at .125".

The M85 magazines are also more expensive (if you can get them). Mine were $45 each (with shipping), and I had to have a friend with an FFL, and high cap mag license import them for me, and disassemble so I could buy them from him as rebuild kits.
The M92 takes standard 7.62x39 mags which I can get as rebuild kits for about $13 each.
Lastly my M85 is picky about ammo. Bought 2000 rounds of Wolf performance ammo to shoot specifically out of the M85. It keyholed just about every round of that stuff at 50 yards. I sold that ammo.
It shoots federal XM193 perfectly though (no keyhole, and pretty darn accurate).

My M92 at 50 yards, hand held, and iron sighted (golden tiger ammo)>>>

My M85 at 50 yards, hand held, and iron sighted (XM193 ammo)>>>


Picture of just how high that M85 magazine needs to sit to reliably feed (the top of the magazine feed lip is almost flush with the top of the ejector. The ejector is sitting in the notch in the left side feed lip tight to the magazine)>>>



Both are fun to shoot but the M92 is an easier build.

[mrbongo01]

Thanks Nico for the advice... Your Krinks are awesome !!!!

[Ford8N]

M92. Although I've noticed it's not as accurate as the AMD 65.