Chinses Ammo Surplus Corrosive or Non Corrosive 7.62x39 9mm

[westrifle]

Apparently you don't know how to read a year of production from a headstamp of a Chinese military cartridge (Ammunition headstamp has the arsenal number at 12 o'clock and the last 2 digits of the year of manufacture at 6 o'clock). On the ammo from Lever Arms it's 61/08 which means the production year of 2008 and the factory # 61. I suspect that Lever Arms reads it upside down.
The ammo I bought from Lever Arms is of a very good quality. After shooting my SKS (bought from you guys at Westrifle) there is just a little of dirt left. Very clean ammo. Never seen any cracked cartridges.
I also shoot it in my Zastava M85. In this case it's a bit tight in a chamber sometimes. I also use another typical Chinese corrosive 7.62x39mm ammo with a headstamp 31/73 which means a production year 1973 and the factory # 31. This one leaves my SKS very dirty. A lot of carbon deposit.
The Lever Arms' ammo is not so cheap for someone leaving in Ontario, like myself. With taxes and shipping it costs me $0.29/cartridge. The other corrosive Chinese ammo I have comes to $0.23/cartridge. However, the ammo from Lever Arms' is still cheaper for me than the 7.62x39mm Tulammo that comes to nearly $0.59/cartridge and is definitely non-corrosive. On top of it, both my 61/08 and 31/73 ammo seem to be slightly more accurate than Tulammo.

I know how to read a headstamp, I just don't have this ammo in stock. Can someone please post picture of headstamp. All I did is called Lever Arms and ask which year their ammo was produced. Since they are the importer and they know what they paid for they told me 1980th.
TULA AMMO bimetal is the best for SKS because it does not damage the barrel.

[Slamfyre]

I know how to read a headstamp, I just don't have this ammo in stock. Can someone please post picture of headstamp...

I posted one in this thread back in post#69.

[05RAV]

Quote Originally Posted by 05RAV View Post
Apparently you don't know how to read a year of production from a headstamp of a Chinese military cartridge (Ammunition headstamp has the arsenal number at 12 o'clock and the last 2 digits of the year of manufacture at 6 o'clock). On the ammo from Lever Arms it's 61/08 which means the production year of 2008 and the factory # 61. I suspect that Lever Arms reads it upside down.
The ammo I bought from Lever Arms is of a very good quality. After shooting my SKS (bought from you guys at Westrifle) there is just a little of dirt left. Very clean ammo. Never seen any cracked cartridges.
I also shoot it in my Zastava M85. In this case it's a bit tight in a chamber sometimes. I also use another typical Chinese corrosive 7.62x39mm ammo with a headstamp 31/73 which means a production year 1973 and the factory # 31. This one leaves my SKS very dirty. A lot of carbon deposit.
The Lever Arms' ammo is not so cheap for someone leaving in Ontario, like myself. With taxes and shipping it costs me $0.29/cartridge. The other corrosive Chinese ammo I have comes to $0.23/cartridge. However, the ammo from Lever Arms' is still cheaper for me than the 7.62x39mm Tulammo that comes to nearly $0.59/cartridge and is definitely non-corrosive. On top of it, both my 61/08 and 31/73 ammo seem to be slightly more accurate than Tulammo.

TULA AMMO bimetal is the best for SKS because it does not damage the barrel.

What "damage" to the barrel are you talking about? Are you are try to tell me that my SKS from Westrifle will soon have "damaged" barrel after being shot with milsurp ammo!?

[Sinbad]

Please post your result.I'm curious.

Lever Arms in Vancouver is selling chinese 7.62x39 surplus that they claim is non-corrosive - I'm planning on buying a crate tomorrow. I'm going to do a nail test to confirm but Lever Arms told me they've tested it and it is non-corrosive....

[Gatehouse]

Just got a crate of this from lever arms. After going through one spam can I found about 40 rounds out of the 750 were cracked at the head. Ill be doing the nail test tomorrow

Cracked at the head or at the neck?

[Slamfyre]

Cracked at the head or at the neck?

I've had some cracked a the neck. None at the head. I've had a few that have been longitudinally bent. Most will fire fine, even with a cracked neck. Very few will not go in the chamber because they have been deformed one way or another. Usually you will be able to catch these very easily when you load you mags. Make no mistake about it; it is cheap ammo. Do not expect 100% pretty, well polished rounds. But in my experience it is not corrosive.

[05RAV]

Quote Originally Posted by Gatehouse View Post
Cracked at the head or at the neck?

I've had some cracked a the neck. None at the head. I've had a few that have been longitudinally bent. Most will fire fine, even with a cracked neck. Very few will not go in the chamber because they have been deformed one way or another. Usually you will be able to catch these very easily when you load you mags. Make no mistake about it; it is cheap ammo. Do not expect 100% pretty, well polished rounds. But in my experience it is not corrosive.

What is a headstamp of your ammo? Like I said before I purchased 2 crates (3,000 rds) of 61/08 ammo from Lever Arms and I've NOT found EVEN ONE CARTRIDGE THAT WOULD BE CRACKED and any location (head or neck)!

[can14]

I think the shipping issue is that, the container company can't be certain that the Chinese ammo will land in canada.
If it lands in America, they will be fined because it isn't allow there and it will be seized!

[Slamfyre]

What is a headstamp of your ammo? Like I said before I purchased 2 crates (3,000 rds) of 61/08 ammo from Lever Arms and I've NOT found EVEN ONE CARTRIDGE THAT WOULD BE CRACKED and any location (head or neck)!

The spam cans that I've opened so far are 61/08, 61/07 and 61/05. Even with split necks I'm still buying more of this stuff. I'm not one to clean my guns right on the same day I fired them, nor will I do eventual cleanings for every firing session. My guns will undergo two or more shooting sessions before they get cleaned. None of my guns have any rust on them.

I would estimate that less than 1% of the ammunition is not suitable to be fired. Most of that is because they are deformed. In conclusion, I'm happy with it and will buy more.

[Gatehouse]

Cracks at the neck are not a big deal. Cracks at the head can lead to case separation and part of a case stuck in the chamber. I've found some of this ammo has split necks and even split sides, but no cracks at the head.