Bulk ammo- non surplus?
- Thread starter bandit86
- Start date
I brought a skinny old cat home from the rink one time. Fed it high falutin' cat food and it croaked. That's what might happen to your SVT-40 if you don't keep it on a diet of military surplus ammo.
Bwahaha true, but my nagant has 20 s&b and 40 surplus through it, not too late to keep it on noncorrosive brass diet
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
ALL WW2 and Korean war military rifles (with the exception of the M1 carbine) were fed corrosive primed ammo. You just have to clean them the SAME day you shoot them! The Brits AND Canadians used a funnel and hot water to flush out the primer salts
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona
Just a note for you SKS owners, while the bore is chrome lined, the gas tube is NOT
There is bulk quality ammo available and you're for sure gonna be saving some cash buying bulk rather than a box or two at a time. Concerning brass,sadly you can't reload for this beast as it really destroys the brass.
@ JTF#:
Try adjusting the Gas so that the operating mechanism gets more of a push to operate it.
Stovepipes are a clear indication of insufficient gas pressure at the Operating Rod.
Tells you that in the Manual.
Adjusted correctly, the rifle will function just as well on brass-cased ammo as it will on steel-cased.
Brass is a LOT easier on the rifle.
Try adjusting the Gas so that the operating mechanism gets more of a push to operate it.
Stovepipes are a clear indication of insufficient gas pressure at the Operating Rod.
Tells you that in the Manual.
Adjusted correctly, the rifle will function just as well on brass-cased ammo as it will on steel-cased.
Brass is a LOT easier on the rifle.
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
Just a note to anybody that shoot a lot of mil-surp. get what you can where you can. At the Calgary show I overheard a # of requests for large amounts of ammo . I'm talking some $5-6000.00 requests, quite a few in the $2-4000 range.
Again, if your rifle is wrecking the brass, the problem i at the Gas Port. You are allowing TOO MUCH ga to work on the action, thus overstessing the entire mechanism. CUT BACK on the gas until the empties just come out of the rifle and onto the bench beside you. That's the CORRECT setting. Your accuracy will improve, as will the life of your brass.
I don't know why the zeal for surplus ammo. It's half a buck a shot, most places, plus shipping.
For TEN CENTS more, you can be handloading Match Grade stuff and HITTING anything you can SEE.
The Rifle will do it if you feed it good ammo.
Stockpile components for the .303: they interchange with 7.62x54R components. Same powder, primers, slugs.
FORGET the American loading books. EVERY 7.62x54R I have tested is more accurate with a .312" slug.
For semi-auto rifles, stick with the quicker powders to more easily replicate the military pressure curve.
There have been about a hundred threads on handloading this cartridge. Try the SEARCH function and see what turns up.
I don't know why the zeal for surplus ammo. It's half a buck a shot, most places, plus shipping.
For TEN CENTS more, you can be handloading Match Grade stuff and HITTING anything you can SEE.
The Rifle will do it if you feed it good ammo.
Stockpile components for the .303: they interchange with 7.62x54R components. Same powder, primers, slugs.
FORGET the American loading books. EVERY 7.62x54R I have tested is more accurate with a .312" slug.
For semi-auto rifles, stick with the quicker powders to more easily replicate the military pressure curve.
There have been about a hundred threads on handloading this cartridge. Try the SEARCH function and see what turns up.
Ok, smellie answer me this then. How do I go about reloading for my SVT that has the fluted chamber? Will a FL die smooth that out?
I agree that for bolt guns it is the way to go. I was very happy when I slugged the bore of my newly aquired Finn M91 and found that it was bang on .311. IIRC some Finn made barrels were .308.
I agree that for bolt guns it is the way to go. I was very happy when I slugged the bore of my newly aquired Finn M91 and found that it was bang on .311. IIRC some Finn made barrels were .308.
@ Cdn303 and other Interested Parties:
Just FL size the stuff and it will be okay. I have a Finn capture SVT-40 that I got from Globe, last one they had in Canada. Thirty-nine-ninety-five plus shipping to Seldom-Come-By on Fogo Island. I was worried about the fluted chamber, got brass and dies and started in loading.
For one thing, the inside flutes are not all that deep and the brass expands only partway into them. This is by design, as the flutes are there to let gas COME BACK halfway on the casing, thus floating the case out of the chamber on a blanket of gas. Hot gas, powder crud and everything else gets into the chamber flutes and comes off on the brass, but the sizing die irons it out very nicely, although it does leave the MARKS. If these really concern you, you can polish them out with a scouring-pad or a bit of steel-wool, but the rifle will not know the difference.
Sometimes you can have fun with this. Head for the range with a batch of reloads that have been through a Tok, but you are firing them this day in a Moisin-Nagant. Somebody sees you eject a casing with flute marks halfway up the thing, they are GOING to raise an eyebrow or six. THAT's when you concoct some BS tale about Russian experiments with rifles ready for their own Charlton conversion..... or surplus Tok barrels being installed into MNs because the times were so tight. You'll think of something, I'm sure.
Just be sure to have fun!
That's what it's all about.
Just FL size the stuff and it will be okay. I have a Finn capture SVT-40 that I got from Globe, last one they had in Canada. Thirty-nine-ninety-five plus shipping to Seldom-Come-By on Fogo Island. I was worried about the fluted chamber, got brass and dies and started in loading.
For one thing, the inside flutes are not all that deep and the brass expands only partway into them. This is by design, as the flutes are there to let gas COME BACK halfway on the casing, thus floating the case out of the chamber on a blanket of gas. Hot gas, powder crud and everything else gets into the chamber flutes and comes off on the brass, but the sizing die irons it out very nicely, although it does leave the MARKS. If these really concern you, you can polish them out with a scouring-pad or a bit of steel-wool, but the rifle will not know the difference.
Sometimes you can have fun with this. Head for the range with a batch of reloads that have been through a Tok, but you are firing them this day in a Moisin-Nagant. Somebody sees you eject a casing with flute marks halfway up the thing, they are GOING to raise an eyebrow or six. THAT's when you concoct some BS tale about Russian experiments with rifles ready for their own Charlton conversion..... or surplus Tok barrels being installed into MNs because the times were so tight. You'll think of something, I'm sure.
Just be sure to have fun!
That's what it's all about.
