[Black92LX]

Is this stuff any good. AIM surplus has a case of 1000 match grade 7.62X39 for 85.00.

i am looking into getting an SAR1 as a fun cheap rifle to shoot. so i am researching all the aspects the gun price of ammo price of mags etc.

just curious on this ammo.

http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/A762x39NHP.gif

[Redlg155]

I've shot a bit through my SAR1 and SKSs. No problems noted. I can't tell and difference between it and Wolf.

The nickel plating looks neat, but I doubt it helps any in feeding and reliability.

Good Shooting
Red

[Aikibiker]

I've got 100 rounds of it sitting in my drawer waiting for me to get to the range with my new saiga. I'll try to shoot it and some old russian surplus ammo I have and let you know the results.

That little nipple at the tip of the bullet sure looks funny though. Any one know what it is for?

[WonderNine]

I chrono'd some 124gr. Silver Bear 'effect' ammo today out of the Yugo SKS.

That stuff is HOT!!!! :D

I didn't even realize how powerful it was, beats the hell out of .223.

Here are my chrono results from ten rounds:

2425
2542
2482
2499
2519
2502
2432
2448
2466
2460

About 550 rounds through the 'unissued' Yugo SKS now without a jam, malfunction, or so much as a hiccup. Haven't cleaned it since it was new but I have sprayed some Breakfree CLP on the rails once or twice so far.

Average velocity = 2477.5 fps = 1689.67 ft/lbs energy :what:

Only problem is the rotten eggs smell when you shoot it. :D

[Jrob24]

anyone know if this brand is reloadable?

[WonderNine]

I don't think it is, but I don't know for sure. When it's so cheap anyways, WHY BOTHER???

[Redlg155]

anyone know if this brand is reloadable?

If I'm not mistaken it's still steel cased and not nickel plated brass. It's also berdan primed instead of boxer.

So I'd say no. Of course if you had one heck of a press you could possibly resize the steel case. Then comes depriming a berdan primer...another potential headache.

But then you couldn't reload for the price they sell it new.

Good Shooting
Red

[WonderNine]

Yes, it's plated, but steel cased ammo. I see pictures and hear people talk about nickel plating, but the only plating I have ever seen on Silver Bear in person is zinc, (spelled "Zink" :D) which is fine as well, I really don't care as long as it's got some plating.

[jsalcedo]

Silver bear is good stuff.

I use it in my SAR1 and as carry ammo in my Mak

[repsychler]

I have not used it in 7.62, but I have in 9mm and .380 and I like it quite a bit. My P89 likes heavier bullets and I have yet to find a better deal than the Silver Bear 145gr JHPs.

[DeputyVaughn]

I ordered a couple hundred rounds of Silver Bear .223 to try in my AR when I get it back. Anybody have any experience with Silver Bear in .223?

Scott

[WonderNine]

I would not recommend .223 Silver Bear in a tight gun like an AR because of the laquer. When the gun heats up the laquer melts and will gum up your chamber. This can lead to kabooms and the stuff is not easy to clean out either.

The only Silver Bear that is not laquered is the 7.62X39 "effect" ammo unfortunately. If anybody knows if this has changed recently, I would like to know as I'd like to buy Silver Bear in other calibers such as .223 and 9mm if they would get rid of the laquer. Silver Bear "effect" is the only Russian ammo I will shoot. But it's great stuff.

[Nightcrawler]

I put literally hundreds of rounds of Laquered Wolf through my last AK. Never caused a problem.

Might indeed cause a problem with an AR; they tend to be less forgiving than AKs.

[Dex Sinister]

I would NOT recommend the Silver Bear 9x18 [9mm-Makarov] JHP:

The length is non-standard, [won't even fit in a PA-63 mag at all] and 20% of 2,000 rounds that I bought wouldn't even fit into any (of 15) standard Makarov mags I had.

Of the rest, probably another 20% jams in the mag. <sigh> :banghead:

Dex }:>=-

[geekWithA.45]

I've shot a couple of hundred rounds through my AR with it, no problems to report. Unlike Wolf, the cases are NOT lacquered, and so you don't have the problems associated with that.

What I've found is that SB doesn't have uniform muzzle flash properties, it seems that every 5th round or so comes with an enormous tongue of flame on the order of 5 feet long or so.

This is a cool thing to look at on the range, but I'd not recommend anything that does THAT for serious usage.

[WonderNine]

Silver Bear in .223

I've shot a couple of hundred rounds through my AR with it, no problems to report. Unlike Wolf, the cases are NOT lacquered, and so you don't have the problems associated with that.

First time I ever heard that. I've always been told all Silver Bear is laquered with the only exception being the 'effect' ammo.

[Aikibiker]

I tried the Silver Bear 7.62x39mm 124gr match ammo today. I shot it alongside standard wolf hollowtips.

The Silver Bear did not come off at all well. I was all over the paper at 50 yards. The Wolf ammo did great and is cheaper to boot. I will sticking with Wolf myself.

[Navy joe]

.223 Silly Bear sucks. Tried it, only "factory" ammo my since departed Colt would not cycle with. The gun was short stroking so I would hazard a nonscientific guess that the powder was too fast leaving not enough pressure at the port.

[Illuminate]

Silver Bear works fine in my SKS. I haven't compared it directly to Wolf for accuracy, but I have not had a single malfunction with it. I think I've shot around 500 rounds of the stuff. Unscientifically, it shoots where I point it at 75 yards.

[DeputyVaughn]

I received my upper and my Silver Bear ammo last week. The Silver Bear 223 is Zinc plated and has no Laquer coating. I found it to be lower pressure and probably velocity as well when compared to say Federal .223. I like the heavier bullets (62 gr.) but they were hitting considerably lower points of aim than the 55 grain federal that I had my front sight elevated for. I'll have to shoot more to decide if it will be used regularly enough to justify setting my sights up for it full time.

[swingset]

.223 Silly Bear sucks.

Correction: it sucks for you.

I run the .223, the 7.62 x 39 match, the .308 and the 30.06 in various guns and never experience any problems. AR, AK, L1A1, 03 Springfield, FN49, Savage bolt gun, on and on....no issues.

I stuck 1 case in my AR after literally 1,000 rounds, but the chamber was dirty and this at the end of a long day of shooting.

I'm going to wonder out loud here....do you think you haven't given the ammo much of a chance?

[Illuminate]

One side note: The red laquer from around the primer gets everywhere in my gun. I'm not sure if this is a problem with all cartridges with this laquer around the primer as I never really looked for it before, but you sure can notice little red flakes in the action of my SKS. Minor irritation.

[DeputyVaughn]

Swingset,
I bought another 300 rounds from Cheaper than Dirt. I've only fired the first hundred, butyou are right. There doesn't seem to be any reason not to continue using it for range ammo. I'll have to adjust my elevation for it but otherwise it shoots and my gun functions ok with it.

Scott