7.62x39 Case Life

[tkcomer]

I know. It's a loaded question. But how many reloads does the gang typically get out of a 7.63x39case? 5? And this is for a semi gun. I don't like to load rifle cases until they fail. I throw out my 223 and 308 brass after 5 reloads just to be safe. Thanks for any replies.

 

[SSN Vet]

The only issue I see that makes 7.62x39 brass any different than other brass run through semi-autos is if the semi-auto in question is a know 'brass basher" like an AK.

I've been fooling around with attaching some rubber blocks to the dust cover on my Saiga to act as a "brass bumper". I've got good material and a PSA tape that sticks well, but haven't quite identified the critical spot yet and am still gettting a pretty pronounced crease at the bottom of the dent from ejection.

Maybe it's hitting on part of the bolt carrier itself. Need to keep experimenting.

They make just such a bumper for the Galil, but sell it for >$40.

Would love to get good resolution photos of one installed though.

 

[tkcomer]

I use a brass catcher on my AR. You can see it here: http://www.pixagogo.com/4825444121 Click on a pic to make it bigger, then click on original at the top to really blow it up. With this catcher, my brass is in good shape. Not even a dent in the case mouth. But I'm a wus. I don't want to push brass to the failure point. If everyone says they get an average of 7 loads out of their brass, I'll stop at five. I've asked a lot of questions on this caliber, and get very few replies. I'm starting to think very few load this caliber. You're one of them and I appreciate your help.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

you're being on the 'safe side' and not a thing wrong with that.
Winchester cases IMO neck-split about that time anyway and need OAL trimmed for sure. I don't get best accuracy w/Winchester anyway.
I have gotten 10 loadings from some Lapua brass however. it's the best IMO but pricey.
Federal is good, but not as Lapua.

 

[tkcomer]

I can handle neck splits. I get that out of my 223 before I get to 5 loads on some of them. I've got two loads on my very few Win brass. Loaded for a third try but it's been too windy. Does the Lapua split the necks before a case head separation occurs? That's what I'm scared of. It's like my 30-30 brass. It splits at the shoulder before you get near case head separation.

 

[_N4Z_]

I've not given much thought to reloading x39 knowing what my AK does to spent cases.

Really big dents most of the time, and that's steel Brown Bear. I imagine brass would fare far worse.

Of course you didn't say AK semi so you might not be wasting good effort.

 

[Remo-99]

Does the Lapua split the necks before a case head separation occurs? That's what I'm scared of. It's like my 30-30 brass. It splits at the shoulder before you get near case head separation.

Lapua brass trends to be more malleable than alot other brass, it costs more to make it that way, materials wise and production wise. It's things like that in the overall production of premium brass that makes a good end product.
I wouldn't use pricey topshelf components in a semi-auto brass thrower, especially something that beats the heck outta cases. But that's just my opinion.
Early neck splits could be a sign of a loose chamber, around the neck, as well as poor malleability in a case's brass metal.

I throw out my 223 and 308 brass after 5 reloads just to be safe.

My opinion, unless you are using really hot loads, you should be able to get more than 5 reloads to a case. Inspecting the inner case base and looking for a bright ring and signs of brass stretching on the outter base. That will indicate when a case is at it's end of usefullness, you maybe throwing away perfectly good brass, as it's not getting any cheaper these days.
If a case looks good, i'll reload it, if it looks poor it gets dumped, same if i have any doubt about it.

 

[NuJudge]

My experience is that I lose it long before the neck splits or the head separates.

CDD

 

[nicholst55]

The way SKSs and AKs mangle brass cartridge case rims, I would expect that to be the limiting factor in those guns. In an AR or something less violent on the brass, probably 5-6, max.

 

[SSN Vet]

I'm starting to think very few load this caliber.

I agree and am somewhat regretting that I invested in doing it. It's been a frustrating experience.

I still have a lot of work to do on my cast bullet load work-up.

If that doesn't come through, I may sell off the rifle with the dies.

I like the AK fine, but since I built my AR, it's becoming somewhat of a safe queen.

building a 7.62x39 upper might be a good option, but I have other priorities competing for the same meger resources.

looks like you have a REALLY NICE spread of land. I'm jealous. Makes my measly 7.5 acres look tiny.

 

[armoredman]

I've gotten 6 loads out of brass pushed throughan AK and a Yugo SKS. I inspect the snot out of each piece before I load it again, and dump offenders in the recycle bin.

 

[Remo-99]

I'm starting to think very few load this caliber.

Reloading for 7.62x39mm in AK/SKS is a waste of good time and effort imo, since there is such a large supply of ex mil surplus ammo at prices hard to beat by reloading.
Unless your using it in a boltaction or AR that don't beat the CR4P outta cases, and you can benefit from precise handloading, theres very little point to reloading it.

tkcomer- I see you have a nice AR setup there and it's prolly worth doing it for.

 

[tkcomer]

I'm down to a solid 2" group at 55 yards. Brass is loaded for a third time for another try. My AR is easy on the brass and I'm about to approch the midway point with this powder. And It's not good powder. So if the gang can get 5 loads out of the AKs and SKS guns, I might try 6 loads.

 

[jwr747]

but on a match grade AK,with good handloads you can shrink your normal groups from 12 inches,to 11 1/2 inches at 100 yds. a real "tack driver" by AK standards. jwr

 

[Remo-99]

How are your cases looking internally? You may see a ring forming at the inner base of the case, which is from the case metal stretching, when using maximum loads. This is the sign that cases are weakened and may seperate at the casehead. I usually find that it takes quite a few loads at max pressure for a particular calibre to get this 'stretching'.
Unless a chamber/headspace is loose, then it occurs very quickly.

 

[Remo-99]

but on a match grade AK,with good handloads you can shrink your normal groups from 12 inches,to 11 1/2 inches at 100 yds. a real "tack driver" by AK standards. jwr

My opinion of AK's/SKS's has always been that they great for 'spray N pray' that is turn on the hose by pulling the trigger and close your eyes, by the time ya open ya eyes hopefully the target isn't still standing.
But i also hear some guys are getting good results from 7.62x39mm in boltaction rifles.

 

[_N4Z_]

Well made AK will shoot far better than 11-12 inch groups at 100 yards. That's kooky talk.

My stock Vector clone will do 4 inches @ 100 yards off a sand bag, using the as issued irons. And that's with el cheapo Brown Bear 123gr fmj.

That's good enuff for intended purpose. It does hell on cases though.

 

[jjohnson]

My Autos Lose My Brass

Yep, my SKSs generally lose my brass for me before I have a chance to weed them out for neck splits or anything. I also have a couple 7.62 x 39 bolt guns so I don't normally lose those, but I rarely have to discard a casing. My loss rate at the range is probably 15 percent or so, so with most autos - handguns included - I tend to lose enough that I seldom get to splitting cases like I do with .357 and .38.

 

[David Wile]

Hey folks,

I have seven semi-auto rifles in 7.62X39: a Colt AR-15, a Ruger Mini 30 Stainless, two Chinese AKs, two Russian SKSs, and a Chinese SKS, and I reload ammo for them all. About fifteen years ago, Southern Ohio Gun had a really good sale on Lapua Boxer primed ammo, and I bought about five or six thousand rounds. None of my rifles bash the cases very much, but I do not shoot hot loads in them. In fact, my loads are probably on the low side of medium, and this results in very little wear and tear on the brass. I also shoot a lot of 150 grain cast bullets in these rifles.

I know I can reload my Lapua brass at least 25 times with my loads, but I also know folks who can split those same Lapua case necks in two or three loadings of their super hot shots. Those are also the same folks who need to replace barrels before long.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

 

[Gewehr98]

Not so fast there...

I'm starting to think very few load this caliber.
Reloading for 7.62x39mm in AK/SKS is a waste of good time and effort imo, since there is such a large supply of ex mil surplus ammo at prices hard to beat by reloading.
Unless your using it in a boltaction or AR that don't beat the CR4P outta cases, and you can benefit from precise handloading, theres very little point to reloading it.

Actually, there are quite a few handloaders who do reload for the 7.62x39.

I've been doing so since the mid-1990s to feed my stable of SKS and AK rifles.

Milsurp, steel-cased ammo prices have gone through the roof in the last few years, and availability of such as people hoard the stuff is often a guessing game.

I laid in a supply of over 10K 7.62x39 brass cases between 1994-1999, and have been using that stash to handload ALL of my 7.62x39 ammo, along with many, many pounds of AA1680 powder.

Benefits? It's definitely cheaper, although I don't charge myself a cost of labor when running the big Dillon progressive press. Accuracy is much improved, particularly in a higher-grade AK variant like the Bulgarian SLR-95. Nor am I held hostage by spot shortages of the aforementioned milsurp ammo.

I'm quite happy with the results, and confident that I'll never shoot commercial or milsurp 7.62x39 in any of my rifles so chambered.

As for the dents in the brass from the AK ejection port? They iron out pretty well in the resizing die. Honest.

 

[J23]

In my CZ bolt gun, I have loaded the batch I am using now, five times, negative problems. AA2015BR (Im at work, cant remember the load, but its max, 28.5 grains???) with a 123 grain Hornady Spire Point.

I also have used a few reloads in my SKS, mostly just playing around, though Ive killed a few deer and 'hogs while out cutting firewood on the back 40. After a few rounds through the SKS (or any semi auto I would imagine) the rim seems to get a little too buggered up for my liking. SO I would say rim life before case neck or case head problems in the x39.

 

[tkcomer]

Alrighty then. I’ll go five and look them over real good. They have hogs in West Virginia? I heard they were moving into Tennessee. Those suckers are slowly moving north. I hope they don’t make it up to Northern Kentucky where I’m at. I hear they’re evil beasts. Then again, the bears are slowly moving in around here. I don’t even want to see one of those.

 

[Gewehr98]

There's always a comedian or two, isn't there?

but on a match grade AK,with good handloads you can shrink your normal groups from 12 inches,to 11 1/2 inches at 100 yds. a real "tack driver" by AK standards. jwr

Yup. That's why, with my handloads and a Bulgarian SLR-95, I can consistently keep 5 rounds inside 2.5" center-to-center at 100 yards. Maybe it's not the gun, but the shooter if all they can get at 100 yards is 11.5-12.0" groups?

IOW, there's talking the talk, and walking the walk. I can walk the walk with my 7.62x39 handloads and a good AK, and would invite anybody with me on range day to do so with the same rifle and ammo. There are a few other long-time THR members here who can also honestly produce similar results, Mr. Krochus being one.

 

[R.W.Dale]

There are a few other long-time THR members here who can also honestly produce similar results, Mr. Krochus being one.

Thanks fort the compliment, However I must add that I'm shooting a 7.62x39 that's about as far removed from an AK as you can possibly get.

 

[Roadkill]

I'm shooting 150g .308 pulled tracers with 25g of IMR 4895 in a Yugo Mod 70 using a red dot scope and having a ball. At 75yds 6" groups for twenty rounds are no problem.