Hirtenberger boxer vs berdan

[sparky]

Does anyone have info on Hirtenberger 7.62 x 51 primers?

Trying to determine which years/lots are boxer and which are berdan.

There was a list someone on the M14 Forum had posted online, but it seems to have vanished.

Thanks and cheers,
sparky

 

[tiriaq]

IIRC, '70s Berdan, Boxers in the '80s.

 

[BlackPowderBurner]

Changeover occurred 1978-1979 iirc. I recall only some 1979 cases being either way.

 

[gewehr76]

I remember looking at the brass the red seal around primers is berdan and if green seal its boxer

 

[Geoff B]

I shot some today, all red sealer around the primer and it was boxer-primed. The manufacture date was 1983.
I bought a couple of plastic-sealed battle packs years ago and this ammo was fine in my Norinco M305 semi-auto (back before Turdo prohibited them).
Today was a different story - no semi-autos at the range.
I tried a Maverick straight-pull and a Troy PAR. Both suffered hard extraction, the Maverick needing a hard thump on the bench to open and the Troy not quite so hard. 4 rounds each was enough to get the message. Hirtenberger ammo is loaded hot and the bolt-actions didn't have the power to extract properly. ( I have had the same problem with surplus 7.62X39 ammo that works well in an SKS or CZ858 but sticks in a bolt gun.)
The Maverick and Troy are new, so the next step is to try some nice civilian .308 ammo and see how they work.
A post on an American site suggested pulling the Hirtenburger bullets, reducing the amount of powder and re-seating the bullets. That's my next project!

 

[thegazelle]

Changeover occurred 1978-1979 iirc. I recall only some 1979 cases being either way.

Can vouch for this. I have had 1979s that have had either. 1975s, 1976s and 1978s that were Berdan, and 1983s that were Boxer.