Anyone Reload Steel Cased 7.62x39?

sixty9santa

sixty9santa

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I've been looking at reloading the Czech 7.62x39 steel casings that I've kept and I got to thinking, could I convert them to boxer and reload?
Anyone done this if so, how did you go about doing it?
 
Way too much work.
Primers are a different size.
Boxer primed cases easily found and not to expensive.
Many guns I shoot you need to make the cases for if you want shoot them but to do it for something as common as 7.62x39 is not worth doing.
It comes down to cost of cases compared to amount of work involved. Buying new cases is cheaper.

Can be done but why.
 
I reload for my CZ 527 in 7.62x39 and I would recommend picking up some PPU brass from Western Metal, its like $40 for 50 pieces, so it's not cheap but it is pretty much your only option since finding brass x39 at the range is nearly unheard of (I've found maybe a dozen pieces in the past few years). Just gotta bite the bullet in this case I think....7.62x39 is definitely not a round that you save money reloading on (but it gives you the option of bullet construction .etc)
 
Thanks guys!
Shooting at an indoor range and steel core surplus is understandably not allowed.
Been wanting to roll my own since I have about 500 once fired steel cases.
I honestly don't mind the extra work to convert them.
Even pondered bead blasting, then parkerizing a few as an experiment for reloading.
 
Not worth it, I’ve done it before as an experiment.
You can deprime by filling cases with water and then hammering a 30 cal rod into the case
The hydraulic pressure will blow out the primer.

Resizing is harder with steel cases, use lots of lube.

And then you must buy the correct primers or improvise.

Not sure how you would efficiently convert to boxer primed.
I would also suspect that you would run into split casings after only a couple firings.
 
I've also thought about this, I was thinking pulling the bullet from surplus rounds, remeasuring the powder and putting in another non steel core bullet
 
oldguner said:
I've also thought about this, I was thinking pulling the bullet from surplus rounds, remeasuring the powder and putting in another non steel core bullet
Click to expand...

^^This seems like a better way to do things. No need to size steel cases that way. You might be able to get a few bucks by selling your steel bullets on the EE for cheap.
 
Steel cases are not meant to be reloaded; neither are aluminum cases. Best cases for reloading are, in that order, brass, and nickel plated brass.
 
No, too much trouble for a small round when you can buy them cheap in many places.

I only reload for precision shooting or hard to find calibers.
 
oldguner said:
I've also thought about this, I was thinking pulling the bullet from surplus rounds, remeasuring the powder and putting in another non steel core bullet
Click to expand...

^^ I use the bullet and powder charge from steel cased 7.62x39 for .303 British plinking loads. I put a reasonable charge of Unique or 700X in the x39 case with a cast bullet and shoot that in a straight pull SKS (gas hole plugged). Couldn't face the thought of trying to reload steel cases. Most definitely NOT worth the pain.
 
I reload them for the times I don't feel like picking up my brass. It started more like an exercise in seeing if I can and then I kinda got used to it. I've timed myself - with hydraulic depriming it takes about 20% longer vs reloading boxer brass. Primers are available from Canada Ammo.
 
If you are hunting with a semi auto rifle that spits fired brass all over , steel cased ammo that has had the fmj bullet pulled and replaced with sp works good. Saves searching for brass.
 
Once you get into it it's easy.
Hydro deprime in a standard sizing die. And Lee sells a nice 6 cav mold.
 
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