7.63x25 reloading

[Tokarevsrule]

I want to start reloading 7.62x25 for my m57. I would like to know the details from anyone who has done it before.

 

[mgmorden]

I've loaded for it, though it's been a year or two since I did any for that cartridge (it's a bit more frustrating that most pistol rounds). It's a bottle-neck you you'll need to load it a bit more like a rifle case than a straight walled pistol case (ie, all the dies are steel - no carbide - so the cases need to be lubed).

Other than that, it's fairly simple. Starline makes brass for it. Pickup however much of that you want. As far as bullets - my Speer loading manual had loads for several bullet weights. I loaded a bunch of Hornady XTP's (I believe they were 85gr) at first, but most later loads I used 110gr .30 carbine bullets for.

Can't remember the exact charges (as I said, been a while), but I stayed within the data published in the Speer manual. One thing to note - I had a lot of trouble getting the freshly loaded rounds to chamber in my CZ-52. They really need to be crimped, but the Lee die set didn't include a crimp die. What I ended up doing is buying another FL resize die and taking the decapper/case mouth expander rod out of it. I basically used that as a crimping die - after the rounds were completed I'd run the whole round back into that die and it would clamp down the mouth back to proper dimensions making the rounds chamber easier again.

Also, if you get REALLY desperate for brass, you can use .223 brass to make the rounds. The dimensions aren't EXACT, but they're close enough to work. Basically just take a .223 casing, cut it down as much as you can ahead of time (I used a dremel to get it within a few mm of my final size), lube it, then run it through the sizer to create a neck. Then trim the case to length. Any shellholders used for this should be the .223 size rather than the 7.62x25 size as they're ever so slightly different.

Once you have your new case, load it and fire it as normal. They function just fine, but the .223 brass being ever-so-slightly smaller will bulge just a tad after being fired. I made about 100 of these rounds as an experiment in long-term ammo availability so I didn't try loading the cases multiple times to check the longevity there. Just verified that if the brass ever does try up, I can basically still make the rounds with common components.

Good luck!

 

[NCsmitty]

I had a CZ-52 that I loaded for, a couple years ago, using once fired S&B brass, Unique powder and the 100gr Speer Plinker bullets. Accurate,fast and reliable, the hardest part was collecting the brass after firing.
I never had an issue with loading the 7.62x25, as it was just a mini rifle style case, and the Lee dies worked well.



NCsmitty

 

[cougar1717]

It's just like loading a bottleneck rifle case for a semi-auto, except that you have to flare the mouth to seat the bullet. I found that the Lee factory crimp die (which is a collet like the rifle FCDies) works really well at removing the bell and straightening the bullet after seating. The bullet is not held by that much of the neck and can get a little crooked while seating. The 90gr Hornady .309" XTP bullets work well. Some guys use a 38super carbide die to size the body and then size the neck with the steel die - can't speak on it since I've never tried it.

 

[armarsh]

I like Berry's 110 grain plated rifle bullets. This particular load is 6.0 grains of VV 3N37.

 

[Hondo 60]

I'm also running a thread on this caliber.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=594623

This'll give you more to think about.

 

[Clark]

I have experimented with 7.62x25mm handloading:
1) Chinese Tokarevs
2) Polish Tokarevs
3) CZ52s
4) Tokarev with 308 sniper trainer bull barrel with 7.62x25mm chamber
5) 1903 Turk Mauser with Rem700 30-06 barrel with 7.62x25mm chamber

I have experimented with 7.62x25mm handloading:
1) S&B brass reloads [Boxer]
2) S&B brass pull down [Boxer]
3) Starline brass [Boxer]
4) Polish pull down brass [Berdan]
5) Starline 9mmSuperComp brass necked down

I have experimented with 7.62x25mm handloading:
1) 71 gr
2) 85 gr
3) 86 gr
4) 110 gr

I have experimented with 7.62x25mm handloading:
1) AA#9
2) AA#5
3) [I am told by a guy from Czechoslovakia that S&B is loaded with AA#2]
4) Ramshot Enforcer [ looks, smells, same density, and works just like AA#9]
5) LIL'GUN
6) N105
7) N110
8) XMP5744
9) LONGSHOT
10) Power Pistol

I have experimented with 7.62x25mm handloading but not well documented:
1) .307" bullets
2) .308" bullets
3) .309" bullets
4) .310" bullets
5) .311" bullets
6) .312" bullets

What do I think you would be happiest with?
a) S&B brass or Starline brass, 110 gr .308" bullet, 5.5 gr Power Pistol.
b) S&B brass or Starline brass, 85, 86, or 90 gr .308" Sierra or Hornady bullet, 7 gr Power Pistol.
Either will give you about the same recoil as factory ammo with ~ half the pressure.


CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

What do I shoot in Tokarevs?
a) 10 gr Power Pistol, S&B brass, 110 gr bullet, 1.316", and not recommended for you.
b) S&B factory ammo [to get the brass]

 

[500grains]

Not only will detailed, coherent and logical posts such as that distinguish you from ALL of the gunwriters out there, the facts will undoubtedly rile some internet users and will eventually result in your getting banned from some forums. The safest behavior is to find out what gun and caliber are popular on a particular website and then act as a fanboy.

With regard to your information posted above, there is no doubt that no gun magazine in existence would ever agree to publish it. Instead, you should write something like,

"Hi Point sent us their latest .45 acp pistol. Ergonomics were excellent and it bears the quality of 22nd century engineering. I cleaned and lubricated the gun and then fired 5 rounds of ball, which all functioned perfectly and which hit the target in the black (racist), showing impeccable accuracy. Since the manufacturer is an advertiser in this magazine, I recommend their product as the absolutely best pistol out there which will very soon be adopted by the Keystone Cops, Al Quaeda, Fannie Mae, and Janet Natolitano's gynecologist."

or you could write an article like Craig Boddington:

"The rifle fired a 2.5 inch group with factory ammo, which is good huntin' accuracy. So we climbed on our horses and rode a grueling 3 miles to camp where there was a delicious dinner of granola bars and canned tuna waiting for us. The next day, I did not see an elk, but I did see a lame mule which the landowner agreed to let me take for a trophy fee of $1500, ........"

You get the idea.

 

[Tokarevsrule]

I have never reloaded anything before. I want to know if it is better to shoot factory ammo to get the brass or to buy unloaded brass?

 

[Hondo 60]

I want to know if it is better to shoot factory ammo to get the brass or to buy unloaded brass?

In your case I'd recommend getting factory ammo & shoot it.

But start reloading before all the factory ammo is gone.
That way you have some good stuff to check measurements.