AP and Incendiary 7.62 bullets... Where can I find them?

[goon]

Either loaded rounds or components? I would really prefer to get the components so I could try making some handloads for my M-39s (yes, I know that the bore diameter may be too big to work correctly with a .308 bullet).
Anyhow, can anyone tell me where I can find AP or incendiary bullets for a 7.62mm?
I didn't know whether to put this here or in the reloading forum, so I apologize if I am in the wrong place.
Thanks.

 

[Chipperman]

Gun shows will often have pulled .30-06 AP.

 

[Sodbuster]

Some guy in Lake Moses, WA used to advertise AP bullets for sale in Shotgun News. Might check out a recent issue of that. It was a small ad under ammunition or reloading components or something... ingredients?

 

[000Buck]

http://www.patsreloading.com/patsrel/prices.htm

 

[Gewehr98]

Bought a couple thousand pieces of pulled .30 AP a while ago...

From Wideners online catalog. They may still list it.

Dunno about the incendiary stuff, but you have to be careful, it may be illegal in your state or county.

 

[Third_Rail]

Buck, that site made it seem like the supply of 30-06 surplus is almost gone, or that manufacturers would stop making it at "competetive" prices... what gives? I figure that with so many rounds of, say, AP left, that the supply won't really run out for a good long while. Does anyone think it will?

 

[000Buck]

From Pats:
30-06, 163 AP-FMJ, Slight Pull marks, Resized, Tumbled, ready to load, 500-48.00, 1000-$89.00

That is what I bought last year, very nice for reloading. I dont know if that stuff is drying up or not, but look for AP heads on ebay, that stuff is really expensive, and I am not seeing the stuff at gunshows that much. No one can manufacture the AP heads for civilians, these are leftovers from the 40's and 50's, so once it really is gone, there wont be anymore. AFAIK, its the only real AP round readily available to civilians. Pretty useless, but fun stuff for steel plates!

Before I found Pats website, I bought some loaded AP rounds at a show for something like $8 for 20 just for collection purposes, but its so cheap at Pats you can reload it and shoot it like any other cheapo round.

 

[sumpnz]

http://gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=15911857

I'm sure there's others, but that was on the top of the list under Rifle Ammo.

 

[Ought Six]

147 gr. .308" AP bullets:

http://www.southernammo.com/componen.htm
-----

163 gr. .308" AP bullets:

http://iidbs.com/hitech

 

[The_Antibubba]

Just what about AP ammo makes it Armor Piercing? And what kind of armor are we talking about?

 

[Snowdog]

If one were desperate enough, I suppose they could buy some of the dirt-cheap Czech silver tip steel core ammunition, pull the bullets and reload to a .308win.
I'm not sure of the legalities concerning that procedure though.

 

[Ought Six]

T_A:

"Just what about AP ammo makes it Armor Piercing?"

A hardened steel penetrator in the core of the bullet.
----------

"And what kind of armor are we talking about?"

A .30-06 AP round should penetrate a 1/2" mild steel plate without problem. Military tests have shown this round will reliably penetrate the armor on an M113 and most other lightly-armored vehicles. Level IV body armor (hardened plate, not Kevlar) is rated to stop a .30-06 AP round.

 

[Third_Rail]

Are you sure? I thought level 4 was only rated for FMJ rounds....

 

[Ought Six]

TR:
"Are you sure? I thought level 4 was only rated for FMJ rounds...."

Do a Google search on the terms "level IV body armor specifications", and you will come up with a couple dozen sites listing the NIJ requirements for it. .30-06 AP is a specific part of the requirement.

 

[Black92LX]

how do Incendiary rounds work???

 

[sumpnz]

how do Incendiary rounds work???

Not totally sure, but my understanding is that they flash-bang on impact and shower hot metallic sparks over the area. I would imagine that magnesium is somehow involved, though some incendiary rounds advertize "titanium sparks".