7.62x54R 174gr questions

[joelvca]

On http://www.barnaul.co.nz/ I found this statement:
"The Russian Army have now standardized the sniper rounds at 174 gain, increasing the projectile weight from 152 grains. BARNAUL produce the 174 grain round and have now discontinued production of the 185gn FMJ projectile."

Has anyone heard anything about this? The bullet weight shows up on the home company website on http://eng.barnaulpatron.ru/producti...bre/76254.html and http://eng.barnaulpatron.ru/producti...ing/76254.html but there's nothing suggesting that its a service round, and I have yet to find any official service designations for either the bullet or any cartridges. I'm not aware that heavy ball was still an actively-used service round, or even still produced, but the 185gr and 200gr are apparently still produced for match shooting and commercial export, 7N13 & 7N14 for issue in LMGs and sniper/DMR rifles (plus tracer, API, etc.), and supposedly LPS/57-N-323S and possibly 7N1 are still made for export.

Update:
Both Privi Partizan http://www.prvipartizan.com/rifle_ammo.php (search for 7.62x54R to get the table) and Igman http://www.igman.com.ba/JoomlaInst/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54&Itemid=65 list 170gr FMJ BT rounds. Privi also list 182gr and 190gr FMJ BT rounds, and Igman http://www.igman.com.ba/JoomlaInst/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=78 lists a 182gr FMJ BT sniper round. Igman shows these to be conventional lead-core with gilding metal jacket construction with no fillers, air spaces, etc., and I believe the Privi are similar, so neither Mk7 nor Mk8 projectiles. BTW the older Privi .303 British "Mk8" ammunition that I still have several boxes of uses the 190gr projectile - I was surprised when I found this.

Again, does anyone have any information on why this bullet weight has begun to be used in this cartridge, in addition to its common use in .303 British?

Thanks,
Joel

 

[flying pig]

Would be really neat if it is a copy of the MkVII projectile!

 

[sail32]

It would seem the 174 grain bullet in .30 is a good choice.

.303 Mk. Vii 174 grain flat based bullet
.303 Mk. VIII 175 grain boat tailed bullet

M2, .30-06 a 172 grain boat tailed bullet adopted to increase range from the 150 grain bullet.

GP-11 a 174 grain boat tailed

30 cal. M118 174 grain military match bullets, FMJBT,

 

[scott585]

Would be really neat if it is a copy of the MkVII projectile!

this.

i would like 10k please

 

[flying pig]

this.

i would like 10k please

Lol me too plus every other Lee-Enfield and Ross fanatic on earth.

 

[buffdog]

.
It has better long range ballistics.

 

[flying pig]

A 174gr .311 flat based spitzer bullet of any variation would be sweet. Even a 180gr one would be nice. ha ha.

 

[purple]

A 174gr .311 flat based spitzer bullet of any variation would be sweet. Even a 180gr one would be nice. ha ha.

Sierra makes a .311 180gr spitzer bullet. They shoot very well in a .303 and are a good game bullet to boot.

 

[flying pig]

Sierra makes a .311 180gr spitzer bullet. They shoot very well in a .303 and are a good game bullet to boot.

Sorry Purple, I was being a bit sarcastic with that one. Its my favorite bullet for all but a couple of the dozen .303 cal rifles in my stable. I haven't been able to get these in going on two years however and am saving all of my last 300 for my replica 4T as it is really the only one I can take advantage of this bullets strong points in.