The Combloc Ammo Reloading Thread

Pinecone said:

Someday I plan on playing with cast bullets and the C. E. Lewis "The Load" for my Mosin sniper.

Should be good for 100 yard vintage sniper matches.

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When you look up the info, look up Ed Harris, not C E Lewis. Some articles are C E (Ed) Harris.

I use “the load”, with my cast bullets in 7.62x54R. 13 grains of red dot. Makes a nice, accurate low recoil, low noise load. I have to set my sights on my M39 at 600 meters for a 6 o’clock hold at 100 yards.

Try it, you’ll like it.

Brickman301 said:

When you look up the info, look up Ed Harris, not C E Lewis. Some articles are C E (Ed) Harris.

I use “the load”, with my cast bullets in 7.62x54R. 13 grains of red dot. Makes a nice, accurate low recoil, low noise load. I have to set my sights on my M39 at 600 meters for a 6 o’clock hold at 100 yards.

Try it, you’ll like it.

Click to expand...

Way back in my FFR&GC days, Ed had two "loads" one was 13 grains of Red Dot and the other was 16gns of 2400. Either with a Lyman 314299 bullet works great in Mosin Nagants and Enfields.

For 7.62x54r I like Winchester white box. The ammo often outshoots PPU match and the brass is probably better as well.

Thankful that I saw this coming and grabbed some more brass cased M-67 for the SKS and M-30 for the Mosin recently. Easy to convert these to accept Boxer primers with the kit from .22reloader.com.

Began working up some loads using cast bullets for them, too. Barrels slug @ .314" so using the same Lee CR312-155-2R bullets sized to .313".

Had good luck using 30 carbine 110 gr. bullets for 7.62x25. Easy to seat compared to the lighter bullets, and fairly accurate in my experience. Using 4.9gr. Shooter's World Ultimate Pistol @1.360" OAL.

.223 cases can be converted for use on 7.62x25 and is easy to do.

I load all of my 9x18 Mak ammo. Best cases for reloading are Red Army Elite brass. It is Boxer primed and holds up very well in unsupported chambers without much deformation. In a pinch, fired 9mm cases can be converted very easily. If you choose this route, mark your cases for easy identification to avoid mixing them with your 9mm Luger cases.

9x39mm:

Their is a single option for reloading dies: Redding dies from KAK. On the pricey side.

Currently no non-Russian source for ammo or brass. Lehigh Defense was going to start making 9x39mm brass and ammo in 2020. Then covid-19 hit and thus far they have produced neither.

Can make brass from 7 62x39 brass (KAK die set includes an expander ball to open up the neck). But it has to be "fire-formed" to move the neck out a smidge. Anotther option is starting with Starline "Grendel Basics" straight wall brass. This brass will need an initial anneal and trim but should avoid the need for fire-forming.

Bullets in subsonic weight range (250 - 300 grain) are available since 9.3x62 and 9.3x74R are European big game cartridges. KAK also sells 125 and 140 grain bullets for supersonic 9x39 loadings. Not what 9x39 was designed for but could be interesting.

John from MD said:

Way back in my FFR&GC days, Ed had two "loads" one was 13 grains of Red Dot and the other was 16gns of 2400. Either with a Lyman 313299 bullet works great in Mosin Nagants and Enfields.

Click to expand...

I have grown to like the slower burning 2400 with cast than the red dot. I experimented with and was successful with blue dot which was close to burning speed of 2400 but don’t recommend it over 2400 for sure.


The bullet Guzma shows is the one I use in a 6 cavity mold across a multitude of milsurps.
Getting the powder coat layer you can size it all the way from .314” down to .308”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

John from MD said:

OP, skip the 7.62x25 and look for a 9mm barrel for your combloc gun. They made them for Tokerev and CZ52.

In the late sixties, we reloaded for the 7.62x25 for some Tok bring backs. We used .222 cases and I think, 88 grain .32 ACP bullets. It was a pain in the ass to crimp those little bullets. We used modified 7.62 Mauser dies which worked out ok. I wouldn't do it again like that though. Too much work and the damn cases flew all over the place.

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John is correct. There are 9mm conversion barrels out there. I picked up one from AIM many years ago when I built a 9mm CZ-52 conversion pistol to go with my original CZ-52's. Good luck finding a barrel economically these days. For a TT-33 in 9mm I purchased a Zastava M70A back in 2014. While I have a Romy, Polish and Czech in 7.62x25 and plenty of surplus ammo stashed, the 9mm satisfies my urge to shoot Toks these days.

KP Shooter said:

For 7.62x25, I seem to recall my friend working them from 223 casings

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Yep. Been there, done that and still can if it ever comes to that. But I already have a CZ-52 9mm conversion to shoot. Here's a thread from 2013 on how I do it. Like the 9mm conversion barrels, good luck on finding a set of RCBS case forming dies anywhere cheap these days.

https://mdshooters.com/showthread.php?136724&p=2816286#post2816286

Planning ahead is a good thing!

Brickman301 said:

When you look up the info, look up Ed Harris, not C E Lewis. Some articles are C E (Ed) Harris.

I use “the load”, with my cast bullets in 7.62x54R. 13 grains of red dot. Makes a nice, accurate low recoil, low noise load. I have to set my sights on my M39 at 600 meters for a 6 o’clock hold at 100 yards.

Try it, you’ll like it.

Click to expand...

Sorry, was working from memory.

But yes Ed's "The Load."

John from MD said:

Way back in my FFR&GC days, Ed had two "loads" one was 13 grains of Red Dot and the other was 16gns of 2400. Either with a Lyman 314299 bullet works great in Mosin Nagants and Enfields.

Click to expand...

Also the Red Dot load changed. Originally it was considered OK for .30-40 Krag. But later posting said case volume LARGER than .30-40 Krag.