762x25 Tok

I have experimented with CZ52s, Tokarevs, and a Turkish Mauser I converted to 7.62x25mm with a Remington 30-06 take off barrel and cut down breech.
I have put a Parker Hale sniper bull barrel 308 on a Tokarev, making a very long barrel scoped handgun.
I bought 10 more CZ52 barrels and combined them with my other CZ52 barrels and in 2005 had the RC hardness tested with results were that hardness varied from RC25 to RC47. That would correspond in almost a 2:1 range in strength.

I have experimented with 85 gr, 86 gr, and 110 gr jacketed bullets.
I have experimented with H110, AA#9, Ramshot [same results as AA#9], LIL'GUN, N105, XMP5744, LONGSHOT, AA#5, and Power Pistol.
I have experimented with S&B brass and with Starline brass.
I have played with factory ammo Czech surplus, Polish surplus, and New factory S&B.

I have blown up CZ52s.
I have exchanged correspondence with load book publishers and a gun magazine author about errors in their writings on this topic.

What have I learned?
1) The Tokarev is best and strongest [never mind what 10 year old load books say]
2) Power Pistol is the best.
3) 110 gr jacketed is the best.
4) S&B is the best.

5) Those who write books or a magazine say the same thing when I point out it differs from my calculations and tests "We were just writing what we had read somewhere else."

6) I would not use and any AA load data circa 2000 in a CZ52.

This isn't quite what you wanted but Vihta Vouri has data for there powders. Its just more options. http://www.lapua.com/en/products/reloading/vihtavuori-reloading-data/relodata/6/37

1) The Tokarev is best and strongest [never mind what 10 year old load books say]
2) Power Pistol is the best.
3) 110 gr jacketed is the best.
4) S&B is the best.

Click to expand...

Power Pistol and S&B is what I would expect. The 110 grain bullet is not, but it's good to know it works well with heavier bullets.

One of these days I'll run low on milsurp 7.62x25 ammo and I'll start reloading this cartridge. And will probably start with 100 grain cast .30 Carbine bullets and AA#7. (unfortunately I'll have to buy brass because the ammo I have is over 50 years old and almost all the necks crack when fired)

I've been reloading for my Tokarev for about 2 years.
I still have to be careful as sometimes it fails the "plunk" test.
(factory ammo always works)

My favorite load is 8.0 gr of Accurate #5 with Berry's 110 gr.
But I see they no longer list it on their site.

You didn't mention what bullet you're using.
Lyman's 49th has data for 75 & 85 gr lead.

75 gr - 4.3-5.3 gr of Tite Group (OAL 1.280)
85 gr - 4.0-5.0 gr of Tite Group (OAL 1.290)

I believe Brother Clark's advice is well taken...

He has done a great amount of research and writing on the subject.

The Tokarev is a very strong pistol, and AA9 works well.

I have developed a real liking for the 85 gr and VV, but I am cognizant that VV is expensive and can be hard to come by.

At some point I will also try the 110 gr.

Lj1941 said:

I tested this AM 2 different loads in my attempt to find a workable hand load for my Zastava M-57. I tried a clip (9rds each) of different bullets.The 1st load was 10.9 grains of AA#9/100 gr Speer RN plinker. The 2nd load was 11 gr #9 behind a Hornady 90 gr XTP HP. Neither load was world breaking in accuracy. That was the last of the Plinkers so I am left with about 85 or so XTP'S.The 100 gr Plinkers seemed a little more potent than a factory PP 85 ball round and the XTP's seemed about equal to factory.More testing to follow.:banghead:

Click to expand...

Once things get back to normal try a 110 grain Berrys .310 with 9.2 grains of AA#9.

7.62x25mm

I have been using 5.2 gr of power pistol powder and Bear creek supply, 32 cal, 100gr moly coated, lead bullets in my m-57.

Does anyone have experience with Kinematics Research plant 7.62 ammo? It is made with starline brass. I do not know what powder they put in it, but it has 6.1 grains in it. says 1750 FPS on the box.
I bought 4 boxes of it cheap at a gun show. $9 a box. I am having issue with them in my CZ-52. The first CZ-52 I had was blown apart with the first round I put in it. It split the bottom of the barrel. I since then, have purchased a brand new CZ-52. It will fire the KR ammo, but the primers keep popping out. I figured this was due to over pressure. I pulled the bullets and put 5.5 grains of the same powder, in the brass and reassembled them. Even at 5.5 grains, the primers are still being pushed out. I can take a new primer and push it into the case with my thumb. Is there a way to tighten up the primer pockets? Is this a known issue, with the starline brass in 7.62x25?
Any help is appreciated.

Been years but during my CZ52 phase I loaded thousands of them using Starline brass. Never had a problem with Starline. Still had a bunch of the brass and a few months ago sent at least 300 new Starline brass to a fellow member and as far as I know they didn't have any problems or issues. The primers seated just fine and tight. Using a caliper for want of a pin gauge set I get about 0.172" diameter of the primer pockets on what I have. Can you measure the pockets and what primers are you using?

I also suggest you heed what Clark has to say on the subject as he has been there and done that with this and many, many calibers.

Ron

I had a CZ-52 a few years ago, and eventually sold it, but loaded for it, and the only load that I tried was S&B brass with CCI primers, the 100gr Speer Plinker pushed by 7gr of Unique powder, and was not chronographed. It was a good accurate load in my pistol but as always, YMMV.
As mentioned, the Tokarev appears to be a much stronger design than the CZ-52, although I never had any issues with mine.


NCsmitty

Ron,

My primer pocket on two of the loads measured 0.177 with a set of calipers. I am using Winchester small pistol primers. I am under the assumption, that the primers in this brass are already loose, before I fired them. I am going to take some more of them apart, and check the primers, before they are fired.

I've used 5gr of Unique with a Hornady 86gr SP bullet. Got this load on-line.

Julian537 said:

Ron,

My primer pocket on two of the loads measured 0.177 with a set of calipers. I am using Winchester small pistol primers. I am under the assumption, that the primers in this brass are already loose, before I fired them. I am going to take some more of them apart, and check the primers, before they are fired.

Click to expand...

Typical small pistol or for that matter small rifle primer diameter should be about .175". This runs with the cartridge primer pockets I measured being about .172". The .177" you are seeing is a little large for the pocket diameter.

Ron

Lj1941, sounds like you blew out the primer pocket with grossly overloaded ammo.
If I were you, I'd just chuck 'em & chalk it up to experience.

I most certainly would NOT fire any more of them.

Also, if memory serves me correct, the CZ brand tokarev's are not as strong as the Zastava, the Russian made & Chinese made tokarevs.
(Don't quote me on that, I may be wrong)

I'd just get some new brass, & reload my own.

By the way, Starline brass is very highly thought of on this forum.
So your ammo is (again) just grossly overloaded.

You can swage the pockets tighter using the back of a 5/16" (?) drill bill for an anvil and a ball bearing for a punch. Overdo it a little, then swage or ream them back to the right size using your favorite primer pocket tool.

Something else to think about...
I got some #1 Carbine from Missouri Bullet Co.
http://www.missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=106&category=6&secondary=&keywords=

They were GREAT!
My Zastava M57 was unfired, so the barrel slugged at .308".
These bullets are .3095"

Very accurate, & no leading.

7.62x25 loads

I have loaded 78 gr RN from Tn Valley over 7.7 gr SR4756, which worked well in my Yugo M57. After seeing on this site a load for this bullet of 6.5 gr Unique, I began at 6.0 Unique. My reduced load would not even eject the brass. When I moved the load up to 6.5 gr Unique, as given, everything worked fine. Earlier I had used a 115 gr RNFP over Bullseye (can't find my load).