7.62 x 54R Casings - What are they made of?

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AndrewNS

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I have a bunch of 7.62 x 54R casings that look like they are copper. Are they actually copper or copper coated? Or something else all together?
 
Any bulk ammo is highly likely to be steel. Russian surplus x54r is copper washed steel, but you left us with a pretty general question that can have lots of answers. Maybe post a pic of the cartridge and the head stamp so you don't get a hundred random answers and people wasting their time guessing.
 
Hungary Heavy Ball ( Yellow Tip ) and Russian 7N1 Match cases are metallic. I didn't even have to open the package before the magnet stuck.
 
Has anyone had issues with the copper wash coming off and staying inside the chamber? My friend had that happen a lot with the Norinco 308 that was copper washed but I've never noticed it with the 7.62x54R in my Mosin or SVT-40.

FWIW:
Steel cases will, of course, rust pretty quick if not coated. Modern steel cased stuff is laquered or coated in a polymer of some sort. That's where you get the green coloured 7.62x39 all over the place. The copper wash method is older and serves the same purpose; prevent the steel underneath from rusting. It's not a true copper plating and many people online say it's done after the ammo is assembled so the bullets and all get a copper wash. That seems to be possible with some ammo but I've got others where there is definitely a colour difference on the primers. I'm not sure exactly how the copper is applied but I would guess some sort of bath with copper dissolved into it. An acid perhaps? Maybe it is a form of mild electro plating? I'm sure someone knows.
 
LUTNIT said:
Has anyone had issues with the copper wash coming off and staying inside the chamber? My friend had that happen a lot with the Norinco 308 that was copper washed but I've never noticed it with the 7.62x54R in my Mosin or SVT-40.

FWIW:
Steel cases will, of course, rust pretty quick if not coated. Modern steel cased stuff is laquered or coated in a polymer of some sort. That's where you get the green coloured 7.62x39 all over the place. The copper wash method is older and serves the same purpose; prevent the steel underneath from rusting. It's not a true copper plating and many people online say it's done after the ammo is assembled so the bullets and all get a copper wash. That seems to be possible with some ammo but I've got others where there is definitely a colour difference on the primers. I'm not sure exactly how the copper is applied but I would guess some sort of bath with copper dissolved into it. An acid perhaps? Maybe it is a form of mild electro plating? I'm sure someone knows.
Click to expand...

From the interweb its washed dipped or "plated"
 
The brass is range pick ups that I'm sorting out, so I'm not sure if it's surplus or not but I would assume that it is.

I did try a magnet and it appears that the cases are all steel.

Thanks for the replies guys, seems I have my answer.
 
Steel cases are scrap. Even if they were brass cases, they would be Berdan, and a b1tch to reprime. Easier to just buy some Boxer brass cases to reload.

FWIW, I prefer the copper washed steel cases to the lacquered ones. No build up of gunk in the chamber.
 
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