Bulgarian Surplus 762x25 ammo unboxing & firing (split cases)

[kazan182]

Before buying this stuff I read here in a 8/11 post a warning about the Bulgarian surplus ammo. The HS was 52 on the ammo that was mentioned so I took a chance on buying a 800 rnd tin for $200 shipped of the 53 HS stuff. It was an option to add the ammo when I purchased a TT from J&G about three weeks or so back.

The images show the tin (which the pull ring promptly broke upon pulling), the packaging and the ammo. The paper is extremely brittle if my pup barks it rips.

So I inspected the ammo I took to the range a couple of weeks ago and all were ok. I fired about 25 or so rounds through a Polish TTC. All fed, fired and ejected with no problems at all. It is a nice pistol functioning flawlessly with the Bulgsurp ammo. Upon inspecting the spent brass four of the couple of dozen I fired were split as seen in the images.

I know some folks are concerned about the ammo considering the availability of the round in general now. I am going to try it in a couple of other toks but I doubt if that will make any difference. I had a 9mm brass case explode on me a few weeks ago while shooting a Star B. The ammo was probably 20 years old. Don't remember where I got it because it was so long ago.

Just info here...not really asking a question. I was pondering getting one of these adapters to fire the 7.62x25 out of a Mosin. I think I will get one to try.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=650814

Anyone use one?

 

[Machodoc]

• Hard-to-open zinc canister ... typical
  
• Paper wrapping falling apart ... typical (it was acetic pulp paper)
  
• Necks splitting ... understandably a bit disconcerting, but that's also pretty typical.

 

[j8064]

That's pretty common with the Bulgarian 7.62x25 surplus ammo. I've fired plenty of it in my TT-33's and CZ-52's with nary an issue. The CZ-52's eject the cases into the next county so I quit looking closely at them to check for cracks.

I'll be curious how the insert works out. I have plenty of 7.62x25 ammo I built from cases formed out of .223's. It'd make nice plinking ammo and I wouldn't have to chase the cases very far from a bolt rifle.

 

[DarthZed]

I bought a case of this years ago, but only fired like 50 rounds from it, just checked and it its HS'ed 55; so I assume it is safe. Thanks for mentioning this though. I was planning on burning through this stuff once my stamp comes back to SBR the PPSh.

 

[rseymorejr]

not sure of the headstamp, but I get quite a few split necks out of my CZ52 also

 

[Sirex]

I had the Mosin insert and sold it. I think 54r Mosin ammo is still cheaper than 25 anyways. The insert essentially turns the Mosin into a single shot rifle. If you are looking for less recoil, look for Czech 7.62x54r 46 grain training ammo.

 

[yellowsled]

split necks on surplus tok ammo, no big deal.

 

[Melnic]

I have several hundred rounds of the Czech training stuff. About 1/3 the recoil. It's not as tight of a group at 100 yds as the silver tip. Its not noticable at 50yds. POI is different between the two. I got it from sgammo on 2 different occasions but they keep taking it off the website.
I'ts normally on this page when they have it up:
http://www.sgammo.com/category/catalog/rifle-ammunition/762x54r

 

[LargemouthAss]

I recently bought some surplus 7.62x25 for my romanian Tok off gunbroker. I just looked at the rounds and found quite a few with minor splits in the casing and they are all unfired. Should I be worried or are they safe to shoot?

 

[yellowsled]

I recently bought some surplus 7.62x25 for my romanian Tok off gunbroker. I just looked at the rounds and found quite a few with minor splits in the casing and they are all unfired. Should I be worried or are they safe to shoot?

see post 7.

Not a concern at all. Completely normal for surplus TOK ammo.

 

[LargemouthAss]

Good to know! I wasn't sure if it was a problem that unfired rounds were split but I guess not.

 

[Machodoc]

I recently bought some surplus 7.62x25 for my romanian Tok off gunbroker. I just looked at the rounds and found quite a few with minor splits in the casing and they are all unfired. Should I be worried or are they safe to shoot?

I wouldn't worry if the splits appeared after the round had been fired, but I personally would not fire a round that was already faulty. Set those aside. If nothing else, you can pull the bullets and use them to reload, or sell them to someone who reloads. I'd buy the split ones from you if I lived close enough to do a F2F transaction.

 

[kazan182]

I recently bought some surplus 7.62x25 for my romanian Tok off gunbroker. I just looked at the rounds and found quite a few with minor splits in the casing and they are all unfired. Should I be worried or are they safe to shoot?

Several of mine before I shot them looked like they had cracks but I ran a dental pick over them and nothing...didn't feel anything. They looked like marks where the one crimp (one of the three dimples that are pushed in to, what appears to be, hold the bullet in place instead of a regular crimp) tool drug along the case.

These were where mine actually cracked after firing. Guessing but I think the case was probably weakened by that tool dragging over the brass.

If you have any 7.62 x 54R rifle just buy the insert mentioned above and shoot them in your rifle. That is what I am planning on doing. I ordered the insert along with a another that will allow you to shoot several .32 cal pistol rounds out of a 762x54r rifle. My GF can shoot them (along with some of the low recoil stuff I have) as she doesn't like the kick.

 

[Dave.B]

Who sells the rifle insert?

 

[kazan182]

Who sells the rifle insert?

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/762-x-25-rifle-chamber-insert.aspx?a=650814

Above is the 7.62x54R --->7.62x25 insert. But they sell others. They have one that you can shoot several different .32 cal rounds in, I think, .303, .308, etc.

Mostly they have good reviews. Some say the split but SG replaces them with no issues.

 

[Dave.B]

Thanks Kazan. Hell for $14 it is worth it to be able to shoot other cartridges out of my mosin. I think I will pick up the 7.62 x 25 and .32 inserts.

 

[kazan182]

Thanks Kazan. Hell for $14 it is worth it to be able to shoot other cartridges out of my mosin. I think I will pick up the 7.62 x 25 and .32 inserts.

Your welcome....and if you have a M1895 Revolver (Nagant revolver) and you shoot .32 S&W or the 32S&W Longs out of it you can get the .32 cal insert and shoot the same ammo out of both the revolver and the rifle.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/762x54r-to-32-cal-multi-chamber-insert.aspx?a=587989