Bulged 7.62x25 chamber insert- what to do?

[fireman 9731]

I ordered a chamber insert for my Mosin to shoot 7.62x25 pistol ammo out of it. I already had one that shoots 32 auto or 32 SW and it works great but I wanted to be able to shoot cheaper ammo. So Sportsman's Guide has them for 15 bucks and cases of 7.62x25 ammo for about $110. Seems like a good deal, especially since I just ordered a Tokarev pistol.

I tried it out this past weekend. I place the pistol round in the insert and it chambers fine in my 1927 Tula Mosin. I aim down the sights, squeeze the trigger, and hear a much louder report than expected. I then try to extract the insert to find out that its stuck. After about 2 minutes of prying I finally get the bolt open to see a bulged chamber insert. Its bulged around the middle of the insert, as well as the end at the neck/shoulder area.

The ammo is advertised as Polish Surplus. The head-stamp reads (circle 21), 52, and a few other numbers I dont recall (I dont have the ammo handy to check) I figure that 52 is the year code. There are no split necks or anything and it looks to be in very good shape. It doesn't have the stab crimp on the necks, just a normal crimp with 4 little protrusions where the excess brass flowed to.

I called Sportsman's Guide and they were happy to refund the cost of the chamber insert, said the ammo was probably too hot for the insert and they could send a call tag to return the ammo if I wanted to. I expressed my concerns about shooting any of it out of my tokarev pistol as a chamber insert for a Mosin is probably stronger than a tokarev barrel and chamber. I don't want to deal with the hassle of returning the ammo if I really dont have to.

So my questions are this: Do you think the ammo is safe to shoot in my Tokarev pistol and has anybody had any problems out of the Polish 52 head-stamp ammo?

I know there were problems with 52 head-stamp Bulgarian ammo, but Polish too?

I'm about 2 hours away from my ammo and chamber insert and will be for a few days, so I'll try to get pics up by the weekend.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Century was clearance some of the Polish as it showed signs of having some neck cracks...

But a properly fit insert shouldn't have room to bulge.

 

[earplug]

Chamber or insert not fitting

As the rifle is a rimmed cartridge model, it will seal the chamber upon firing with the 7.62x54 if its over size. It headspaces on the rim.
I'm guessing that rifle chamber may be out of spec and the adapter was unsupported in the rifle chamber, thats why it bulged.
Or the adapter is undersize.
Curious if the adapter has a rim to hold it in position? And how does the extractor work on the adapter?
Does a fired case measure anything like the adapter? Are fired 7'62x54 brass bulged compared to unfired ?
I'm just crazy enough to suggust you try firing the adapter again.
Consider it being like case forming.
I would shoot it from a remote vice or rest.

 

[wally]

I've recently opened my sixth can of the Sportsmans Guide Polish surplus. Most has been run through my Romanian Tokarev. I've never had a problem with it. No cracked necks to be found when I stuff the mags, although if you pick up the empties its pretty easy to find cracked necks -- the stuff is almost as old as I am!

All things considered I like this old Polish surplus best of all the 7.62x25 I've tried. Stay away from the Bulgarian, similar year. Sportsmans Guide used to sell it, this stuff is very hot and erratic it come in 16 round paper packages instead of 70 or 72 round cardboard boxes like the others. If you've got some of this it may be too hot for the chamber insert.

Also they could have just screwed the pooch on the dimensions when the insert was made, making the bore or leade a bit too small. But if you rally have Polish surplus in the 70 round cardboard boxes I'd keep it for the TTC, if its Bulgarian, get rid of it!

 

[fireman 9731]

The insert wouldn't even chamber again once I got it out.

It looks just like a 7.62x54R case with a large hole in the bottom to put the x25 round into. In my 32 cal adapter the fired cases just fall out out after I fire them. The one 7.62x25 I fired I had to knock out with a punch.

I haven't had any other problems with this rifle at all. Fired cases look like fired cases. The insert has a very obvious bulge at in the middle of it and at the neck/shoulder area.

The problem is either with the chamber insert or the ammo.

 

[fireman 9731]

Anybody else?

 

[wnycollector]

I have the same chamber adapter for my M/N. I also own 7.62x25 to .308 and .32acp to .308 adapters. All require an old screw driver to be placed into the opening at the opening of the adapter. I then hit the screwdriver on the range bench to pop the spent shell case out. The new 7.62x25 to 7.62x54 adapter takes the most force out of all of my other adapters. Thus far, no bulges but I have been feeding it romanian surplus ammo, and not polish!

 

[Dentite]

I've used the same insert but only for one session so far. Fired about 20 rounds without any problem. I drilled a stepped hole in a small piece of 2x4 and insert the adapter and use a small rod to tap out the spent x25 case.

I'll report back if I have any problems down the road.