What round is it?

[mstewart]

Hi,
A friend gave me 2 sealed bags of brass ammo. He said it was 308? Well it isn't. It won't chamber and it's obviously not 308. The bags are clear plastic with cardboard stapling them closed. No markings on teh cardboard. Here's some photos?

Sorry its upside down. The round on the right is 308. The round on the left is 30'06. On the headstamp says, TE, 54, P, 3.

The bullet is .299" or 7.65mm
The case is 2.109" or 53.57mm

OAL is 2.977" or 75.63mm

They won't fit in a 308 shell holder either.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance?

Mike

 

[LUTNIT]

Looks like it could be a 7.5x55 Swiss.

 

[green]

By the hs and appearance looks like a 7.5x54 French MAS.

 

[mstewart]

Hi,
Thanks i think it is 7.5x55 French. The bullet width seems a bit narrower but everything else is bang on. Lutnik, i googled 7.5x 55 Swiss and I think the neck is to steep. It's hard to tell with the crappy photo.

What a sleak looking round. Id love to handload for it but wait a sec....different bullets,dies, a new rifle...if I only had the money!!

 

[bearhunter]

With the .299 bullet diameter IMHO, it is the Italian 7.35.

Your pics aren't very sharp, so head stamps are almost impossible to see.

If they are 7.35 Italian, they aren't rare but shootable quantities are hard to locate. You should be able to find someone that will trade 308 rounds for them.

 

[jonnyc]

That mystery ammo is 1000% 7.5x54 French MAS.

 

[TonyE]

It is French 7.5mm MAS made at Cartoucherie de Toulouse (TE) with metal supplied by Pontciband (P) in the third quarter of 1954 (3 54)

7.35 mm Italian has a semi round nosed bullet, not spitzer.

Regards
TonyE

 

[TonyE]

You beat me by two minutes, damn you, JC!

If I had not just got back from the ECRA cartridge shw I would have beaten you, but I did get a 7mm BTC round!

See here: http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/86060-7mm-Broadway-Trust-Company?p=226240#post226240

Cheers
TonyE

 

[mstewart]

Hey thanks guys. That all makes sense now. I'm just wondering how it got into this country and into my buddy's hands. Probably got exchanged a few times at different gun shows??

Mike

 

[jonnyc]

Tony, tell you what. You bring me the 7 Broadway Trust and I'll delete my post. Deal?

Mike, in the good-old-days, milsurp guns and ammo happily crossed most borders without any issue. And after collecting, buying, and selling for a few decades, anyone can end up with all sorts of unintended gems in their storeroom. I have no idea how I got at least 25% of the junk I have stashed about. I know exactly where the other 75% came from, but don't tell the wife.