Anyone else pull apart surplus to reload?

[crazysccrmd]

I have a couple hundred rounds of both 7.65x53 and 8x57 surplus and have gotten tired of the dud/multi-strike primers and extensive cleaning after shooting corrosive ammo. Since I started pulling the bullets apart and reusing the powder and bullet in a new case with a new primer my shooting fun has gone way up and my cleaning time way down. The rounds are now more consistent (equal powder loads/seating depths) and go bang every time right away. Am I the only one that does this?

 

[Kernel]

I've done it exactly like you discribe. If you got the cases already, then the bullet is the most expensive component. Why not reuse the powder, too. It's just like any number of surplus powders you could buy. I'll even adjust charge weight up, or down, based on any differences between the capacity of the original cases and the new cases I load into.

 

[FROGO207]

Yep I will do the same when I get the extra time. Usually with 303 BR and 7.62X54 R ammo. Some Russian I reworked was the original round with a JSP bullet used for hunting instead of the FMJ that was provided.

 

[Winchester101]

I spent a lot of time doing just that about 2-3 years ago. I bought cases (crates) of 8X57mm Yugo (I think) surplus ammo and some "spam cans" of 7.62X54R. Accuracy was horrible, so I started pulling and measuring and weighing.

A few things that I found;

The 8X57mm bullet weights varried from 195gr to 201gr (198 nominal), so I seperated them into groups according to weight. The powder charge weights were also all over the map. I reused the powder in commercial brass (reduced the charge and worked up a safe load) and reused the sorted bullets. Accuracy was VASTLY better.

THe 7.62X54R bullets varied in weight, but not nearly as much, and they were sorted into groups as well. The powder was reused in commercial brass with the sorted bullets and accuracy again improved markedly.

As a side note, during those experiments, I found the powder in the 7.62X54R surplus ammo to have a burning rate identical to a lot of IMR-4895 that I had on hand. Chronographed charges of both powders had an average muzzle velocity within 10 f.p.s. of each other.

In the end, I feel it was worth it. I was able to use the (then) cheap surplus ammo for components to shoot decent groups instead of just burning powder and not hitting much. Plus, I like to tinker and experiment.

W101

 

[NuJudge]

Once upon a time, I did this with WWII German 8x57, and got sky high pressures.

The 7.65x53 surplus usually suffers from terrible bullets.

 

[greenlion]

I had a crate of Czech 7.62x54 surplus that was loaded REALLY hot. I had several case splits in two different rifles. I began pulling the bullets and lowering the charge by about 5% and reseating the bullets.

 

[res7s]

I found the powder in the 7.62X54R surplus ammo to have a burning rate identical to a lot of IMR-4895 that I had on hand. Chronographed charges of both powders had an average muzzle velocity within 10 f.p.s. of each other.

W101

There's a very good reason for this. We sent tons of IMR-4895 to the Reds during WWII.

 

[Winchester101]

res7s

I said this powder had the same burning rate, but it was definately NOT IMR-4895. This powder was a flat square flake powder. Totally unlike the IMR sticks.

I was unaware of sending 4895 over there back in the day, is that possibly the source for some of the "Russian 4895 surplus" powder that I've seen advertised?

W101

 

[35 Whelen]

I did this with a bunch of surplus 7.62x54r. It's pretty simple. I chronograph the original load, pull down a few rounds, note the bullet and powder weight, then compare this info to that in reloading manuals. Turns out the powder, which was extruded, had a burning rate very similar to IMR-4895, so i loaded it as such with no problems.

35W

 

[kingmt]

Was it big square flakes? What was the charge?

 

[crazysccrmd]

My 50's Yugo 8mm I pulled apart uses square flat flake, about 1/8" square or so

 

[Winchester101]

kingmt

No, it was small squares, maybe 1/16" square? Give or take? I don't remember the charge weight in the original ammo and the log book that I noted that information in is not here where I'm at right now. It's in a storage unit. I may be near the storage unit this week, if so, I'll grab that book and shoot you a PM with the information.

W101

 

[kingmt]

I use a square flake powder that is my favorite powder. It is a fast powder that works great with every rifle combination I've tried.

 

[res7s]

Win101, I looked but couldn't find the thread about us sending the Reds powder during WWII. It was posted by Ed Harris, if memory serves. They seem to have archived several old threads regarding surplus powder.

 

[BBDartCA]

I have done this with 40's era USGI .30 ball that I bought for cheap. Its a lot of effort for an 15 cent FMJ bullet (that'd generally not great quality) and pennies worth of powder which sometimes is contaminated. Pushing hot primers out of crimped brass is also not worth it. But if the price is right and time is plentiful, why not.

 

[Clark]

I started out shooting surplus ammo.

Then just using surplus to get on the paper.

Then pulling down the surplus for the Berdan primed cases, the powder, and the bullets.

Now I let those boxes of surplus ammo collect dust.
I now load everything with new components.