Chinese 7.62x54R type 53 71/73 question

[joelvca]

From what I've been able to find on the web, shooters' experiences with PRC surplus has been quite variable, with different factories and date-of-production being significant factors, but the headstamps are often not specified in posts. The currently-available 7.62x54R surplus appears to be mostly from factory 71 and 1973 production (i.e. headstamp 71 over 73). Does anyone have any experience with this particular ammunition? If so, what was this in, a Mosin, an SVT, etc.? How about other years and/or other calibers from this factory?

Thanks,
Joel

 

[gewehr76]

I had a lots dating 66 and 67 of the PRC ammo. Best stuff is 67 and it was repacked by S&B and stated as surpluss 1967. Its pretty good and accurate ammo and goes bang in all my rifles. 66 is from sealed 440 round tins. One thing I noticed with this ammo is its copper wash and does not have the lacquer finish on cases as Chez stuff and its easier on extraction, also it is less corrosive in my opinion.

 

[bp2626]

I had a lots dating 66 and 67 of the PRC ammo. Best stuff is 67 and it was repacked by S&B and stated as surpluss 1967. Its pretty good and accurate ammo and goes bang in all my rifles. 66 is from sealed 440 round tins. One thing I noticed with this ammo is its copper wash and does not have the lacquer finish on cases as Chez stuff and its easier on extraction, also it is less corrosive in my opinion.

There is no such thing as less corrosive. The PRC 7.62x54r surplus ammunition has chlorate primers that leave a hydroscopic potassium chloride residue which attracts moisture and facilitates oxidation. Concise: It's corrosive.

OP: I ordered a few crates of the 60s surplus stuff off of TradeEx and from my experience the copper washing is nice, it's reasonably accurate, I've had no hang fires, no case head separations, no split necks, no squib loads, nothing like that.

One caveat is they must have fairly hard primers because I get light strikes every ~10-15 rounds in both of my SVT-40s. No problem in the Mosin-Nagant variants.

 

[gewehr76]

There is no such thing as less corrosive. The PRC 7.62x54r surplus ammunition has chlorate primers that leave a hydroscopic potassium chloride residue which attracts moisture and facilitates oxidation. Concise: It's corrosive.

Oh yes absolutely, no way its non corrosive its just I notice that its not as corrosive as Chez stuff that I shot a lot and had gray stuff all over my SVT muzzle brake even before finishing shooting.

 

[bp2626]

Oh yes absolutely, no way its non corrosive its just I notice that its not as corrosive as Chez stuff that I shot a lot and had gray stuff all over my SVT muzzle brake even before finishing shooting.

Oh, I see what you mean.

Actually, yes, I have noticed that the Chinese stuff burns pretty clean for corrosive milsurp ammo. I only need 2-3 patches down the barrel before it's shiny again.