[Tercel89]

My Mosin Nagant M-44 uses 7.62X54R . I know the older surplus stuff is corrosive , but there is "newer" surplus stuff for sale at different places and I would like toknow how to find out if its corrosive or not . I bought some of the newer stuff that is wrapped in paper and wax paper and the gun shop guy said it is marked 1982 so its non-corrosive . The box had no marks but each round had a "10 " and a "82" on the rim next to the primer . Does this mean 10 th month and the year 1982?

 

[Rampant Colt]

Treat it as corrosive--soap n water, Windex, etc

Better safe than sorry!

 

[Tercel89]

Treat it as corrosive--soap n water, Windex, etc

Better safe than sorry!

Oh for sure , I just want to know how old the ammo is though.

 

[TheGreatDane]

the 10 headstamp is Bulgaria (I believe) and the 82 is the year.

I have some 10-53 that shoots awesome and it's older than my mother. seriously..

 

[Tercel89]

the 10 headstamp is Bulgaria (I believe) and the 82 is the year.

I have some 10-53 that shoots awesome and it's older than my mother. seriously..

Hey I appreciate that info . Is there a set of numbered codes for different countries?

 

[GW45ACP]

Everything I've read about the 7.62x54r ammo is that if it is milsurp, it's corrosive and berdan primed. If there is non-corrosive milsurp available, I'd stock up, but I think I'd also treat it as corrosive as already mentioned.

I've also tried the Prvi Partizan and the Winchester Metrics boxer primed ammo. They are both reloadable and I've had satisfactory results with my handloads. The Winchester brass appears to be of higher quality. At $20/box for the WW, it's about the same cost as buying virgin brass.

 

[DMWyatt]

7.62x54r Ammunition Evaluations

This link might help with your question, and will also lead you to a lot of great info on the Mosin Nagant rifles and 7.62x54r ammunition in general. All the surplus I've ever come across has been berdan primed and corrosive. I know that there are a few sites and shops that try to sell berdan primed ammo as non-corrosive, but I've never heard of non-corrosive berdan primed ammunition in general. Even if non-corrosive berdan primers do exist, I'd always assume that they are corrosive and not reloadable. I have heard of some pretty interesting methods of attempting to reload berdan primed brass, but none were successful.

 

[Brickboy240]

Unless you're buying new S&B or Norma 54R..I'd treat all of it as corrosive.

No biggie, really...just swab the bore and breachface with windex...the amonia will neutralize the salts...then clean as you always would.

I have heard that even recently made 54R by Barnaul is mildly corrosive...play it safe and clean accordingly.

I would NOT worry about ammo from 1982. I have shot 1943 dated 303 from my Enfields many times and it all went bang. If store properly....ammo lasts a very long time!

- Brickboy240

 

[ab4ka]

If it's surplus, rest assured it's corrosive and clean accordingly. Best thing I've found is "Ed's Red" (google it for the recipe). Best gun cleaner I've ever used...just don't get it on wood stocks, it will eat right through the finish. But for a bore cleaner, it is the bomb.

 

[mr1incred1ble]

Dumb question, but since the Mosin Nagant was designed in 1891, shouldn't the corrosive bullets designed for it not be that much of a concern given proper cleaning?

 

[Deer Slayer]

Those guns are made out of the same kinds of steel, if not BETTER steel than newer guns, but the corrosive ammo will still eat them. These crappy old czeck bullets I have are corrosive, and ate the gun that broke the extractor up pretty good. My buddy didn't clean it, and didn't know about corrosive ammo. So, if you have even the SLIGHTEST idea they might be corrosive, use ammonia. Anyways, an interesting document I turned up in my search:


http://www.dia.mil/publicaffairs/Foia/smcal_vol1.pdf

 

[cypress]

Dumb question, but since the Mosin Nagant was designed in 1891, shouldn't the corrosive bullets designed for it not be that much of a concern given proper cleaning?

The old Soviet cleaning kits included an oil bottle with a chamber identified with an "A" which I have read stood for "alkaline" or what ever the Russian word for it is. This would indicate they were well aware of the corrosive properties of the ammunition they produced and used cleaning procedures to deal with it.

 

[GW45ACP]

Just keep in mind that the corrosive salts left behind cannot be neutralized. They can however, be dissolved and flushed away. The best medicine is still hot soapy water. A bore cleaner alone will not do the job properly.

 

[bangbang6250]

My Mosin Nagant M-44 uses 7.62X54R . I know the older surplus stuff is corrosive , but there is "newer" surplus stuff for sale at different places and I would like toknow how to find out if its corrosive or not . I bought some of the newer stuff that is wrapped in paper and wax paper and the gun shop guy said it is marked 1982 so its non-corrosive . The box had no marks but each round had a "10 " and a "82" on the rim next to the primer . Does this mean 10 th month and the year 1982?

10 means its bulgarian made 82 is the year manufactured. Assume all bulk/surplus is corrosive. Also with the bulgarian 10 marked rounds yellow tipped is lead core red line around projectile and primer are steel core, you can always magnet test your ammo.

 

[Yoopermike]

the 10 headstamp is Bulgaria (I believe) and the 82 is the year.

I have some 10-53 that shoots awesome and it's older than my mother. seriously..

This^^^^ anything with a 10 inside a circle is from bulgaria. Its corrosive.. tip... after you clean it use an ammonia based cleaner and push a soaked patch trough the bore.. the ammonia counteracts the salts.

 

[Yoopermike]

10 means its bulgarian made 82 is the year manufactured. Assume all bulk/surplus is corrosive. Also with the bulgarian 10 marked rounds yellow tipped is lead core red line around projectile and primer are steel core, you can always magnet test your ammo.

False.. some jackets are steel case copper wash, some have mild steel jackets with copper wash. USUALLY with 54r it is steel core but not 100% of the time. the redline is not a sign to specify what it is. The red line is a moisture sealant.

 

[Buffman]

And it's steel core is mild and is not super magical

 

[Rob2]

I have some old bulgarian milsurp wraped in paper and tied with string, i have standard fmj and steel cored, they have silver painted tips.

Now i know these arent AP rounds but they DO make a difference. I found out by shooting both at bowling balls(which i will never do again and i hope no one else tries as it was a bad idea)

I noticed that standard rounds broke chunks off the bowling ball, also shot a .45-70 at one with the same result. But the steel cored 54r didn't bat an eye at it, went right through and kept on going.

 

[azfist]

Do any of you have any 7.62x54r that is older than this thread??

 

[Yoopermike]

Do any of you have any 7.62x54r that is older than this thread??

Yep. about 2 cases full. older than I am