Anyone try Sterling 7.62x39?

[Rockrivr1]

One of the online retailers I use has Sterling 7.62x39 in stock at $0.50 a round. Unfortunately that's a good price nowadays but I've never heard of this brand. Seems it's out of Turkey and there isn't much in regards to reviews as of yet. Anyone try this ammo yet and if so, how did you like it?

 

[tmd16556]

Thats not a terrible price. Is it brass or steel? Boxer or berdan?

 

[Speedo66]

I’ve seem some Sterling that was steel cased, not sure if they all are.

 

[Rockrivr1]

Thats not a terrible price. Is it brass or steel? Boxer or berdan?

It's steel cased and Berdan primed. Much cheaper price then other offerings which makes me wonder how good it is.

 

[Ignition Override]

Why would steel matter? Even the US military used it in small arms long ago until the costs of brass production became more competitive.

The concerns with civilian steel-cased ammo began Only because of - many years ago- ammo (then) having corrosive primers,….however hearsay/rumor was created about other factors, were repeated often enough to become “internet wisdom”.

 

[Rockrivr1]

Why would steel matter? Even the US military used it in small arms long ago until the costs of brass production became more competitive.

The concerns with civilian steel-cased ammo began Only because of - many years ago- ammo (then) having corrosive primers,….however hearsay/rumor was created about other factors, were repeated often enough to become “internet wisdom”.

Not concerned about steel at all. Shoot a ton of it through my AKs. My concern is more the low cost and lack of real review of the Sterling ammo. Turkish ammo hasn't had the best reputation in the past so concerned it might be junk ammo.

 

[AK Hunter]

That Turkish Sterling ammo is in a steel case but it has bi-metal jackets on the projectiles. That means nothing to AK & SKS shooters but the AR shooters need to beware because a bi-metal jacket is a steel jacket around lead core. So when you shoot it through a non chromed bore it's steel on steel & will wear the barrel much faster.
If you are the type that doesn't mind buying a new barrel every 3 to 4 thousand rounds I'm sure this doesn't mean anything to you. I like my guns the way they are & don't want to cause premature failure of them.
It may be cheaper to start with but you will be paying in the end.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Most 7.62x39mm firearms were designed for steel case ammo.
I have decided against steel case ammo for 5.56x45mm and .30 Carbine after comparing extractors between my Yugo M70AB2, AR15 and M1 Carbine. AR15 and M1 Carbine were designed, developed and approved with brass cased ammo.
On the other hand Kalasnikov actions were designed and intended to handle mild steel cased ammo.

 

[pharmer]

Up until very recently this ammo was $10/box. 50% increase unfortunately, worth it if'n I had an AK. Joe

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[tmd16556]

I usually care about steel just for reloading potential. Same goes with Berdan primers.

 

[Ignition Override]

Rockrivr1:

True.
So much mass, self-indoctrinated anxiety about “..they Say that Steel…”, yet the only recent well-publicized case bursts involving.308 ammo was with Brass-Cased Turkish ZXR or ZSR—-

In the early Middle Ages “they Said”
that people with reddish hair might be linked to the Devil.
If enough people say it, then….oh, and black cats!

As for the bimetal-coated bullets, the detailed test by Lucky Gunner revealed that bullets from their steel-cased ammo required about 6,000 rds. to equal similar bore wear with 10,000 copper-jacketed lead bullets. Google “Lucky Gunner AR tests” or such. Lots of pretty colored charts and graphs!

They also suggested iirc that limiting barrel temperature might reduce wear from the bimetal coatings of such bullets.
Some young guys at my club fired so much nonstop ammo in about ten minutes in their AR-15s, in warm weather, that they probably caused some damage with US-made ammo.

 

[drobs]

I always check Ammoseek for the best price. Seeing $0.42/rd for 7.62x39

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[22250Rem]

No experience with their 7.62x39 ammo but a couple years ago I picked up a bunch of Sterling 9mm, 115 gr. FMJ ammo. It's in brass cases, boxer primed, made in Turkey, and although I haven't done any chronographing or formal accuracy testing of it, so far it has been 100% reliable and seems accurate enough in a Glock 19 and a Ruger PC carbine. It's the only Sterling ammo I've seen so I don't know how much of their product line is devoted to brass or steel case stuff. Any one else out there have any feedback on Sterling ammo in general?