Clipping Tip of FMJ to make SP Ammo

[Ganderite]

Wolf (Russian) offers a HP version of the 7.62x39 ammo. On this forum and others, the question has been asked if this is a good hunting bullet.

I saw one posting that explained that Wolf makes this ammo so that they can offer it in markets that forbid FMJ ammo. It is lead core. Expansion is reputed to be iffy.

Today I ran a test to see how a Wolf HP would expand. I also made a Mexican match round by pulling a FMJ and inserting a Hornady 123gr Soft Point.

I also took a lead core FMJ round and clipped the tip to expose the lead core. I cut the tip with a side cutter and used a file to trim it up. I wanted to see if this would expand. I did not expect much, since the jacket is so thick.

I shot the rounds into the flat bottom of a 18 liter water jug. The Hornady Soft Point and the clipped lead core both expanded perfectly and the bullets were recovered from the inside of the jug. The Hollow Point exited the other end of the jug. The jug did not blow up as well as the other two bullets, suggesting less expansion.

Shooting water at close range is a very hard target for a bullet. The fact that a bullet expands in water does not mean it will work well hunting.

 

[Aries-]

Better make sure those FMJ's have an enclosed base. Clipping the tip on an fmj with a open base can leave the copper jacket in the barrel.

 

[handofzeus]

There's a barrel on display at Epps. I saw it last week. The breech end was split in half and splayed wide open. The card next to it simply stated that this was the result of cutting the tip off a fully jacketed military round (.303).....The shooter was killed.

 

[LUTNIT]

Somewhat surprised to see the clipped FMJ hold together so well. I suppose you don't have weight figures as you couldn't measure the clipped FMJ before firing as it was never removed from the case.

Better make sure those FMJ's have an enclosed base. Clipping the tip on an fmj with a open base can leave the copper jacket in the barrel.

Read this a lot on the internet. Have never seen anyone support it with evidence.
Not saying it isn't true but I have never seen anything proving it to be more than an internet myth either.
I'd never clip the tips of FMJ personally since SP bullets are so easy to get.

*edit*

There's a barrel on display at Epps. I saw it last week. The breech end was split in half and splayed wide open. The card next to it simply stated that this was the result of cutting the tip off a fully jacketed military round (.303).....The shooter was killed.

Suppose that supports it somewhat. Still anecdotal and not repeated in a controlled setting.
I'm not saying it's safe nor am I saying I'd do it. I'm just saying it's not proven without a reasonable doubt.

 

[B]

I'd imagine it wasn't simply firing the clipped bullet that killed him rather the next shot which struck the jacket that was left behind.

 

[LUTNIT]

I'd imagine it wasn't simply firing the clipped bullet that killed him rather the next shot which struck the jacket that was left behind.

And considering Ganderite used to work in the CIL ballistics lab I'm assuming he took the necessary precautions to check for this.

 

[Boomer686]

The issue is that the characteristics may change with each clipped bullet. Its Russian roulette if you ask me and I would not recommend anyone do this.... regardless of someone's previous employment history: it's just not a wise practice.

 

[Aries-]

I would guess it would have a multitude of things contributing to leaving the jacket in the barrel. Tge pressure of the cartrige, the ammount clipped off the end of the bullet, and composition of the projectile. If you clip off to much of the ogive there isnt much holding the lead in the bullet and it can be pushed out by tye pressure of the ignition behind it.

 

[Ganderite]

I made a YouTube video of the event. At the end of it I point out the risk of leaving a jacket in the barrel.

YouTube of test (after it uploads....) http://youtu.be/x1XJYzvKpyM

Since the jacket was stuck on the lead core of the recovered bullet, I know the jacket stayed on the bullet for this shot.

The recovered weight of the Hornady soft point was 118gr. The recovered clipped bullet was 85gr.

 

[BattleRife]

There's a barrel on display at Epps. I saw it last week. The breech end was split in half and splayed wide open. The card next to it simply stated that this was the result of cutting the tip off a fully jacketed military round (.303).....The shooter was killed.

I remember walking around Epp's looking at those exhibits. It was a bit laughable, almost like when they moved the store they forgot which cards went with which blown guns, and distributed them randomly. I don't believe a word of it.

 

[gwesson]

The British Army boffins in their arsenal in Dumdum, India tried this with the standard 220gr cupronickel .303 bullet before the turn of the last century - it works real good, it's where the term "dumdum bullet" comes from. Mind you, the Geneva Convention frowned-on them...