Chinese 7.62 X 39 Ammo with steel core

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Fergy35

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I just bought a case (1,100) rounds of the copper washed Chinese 7.62 X 39 ammunition. One tin of 550 is still unopened, the other was opened, by the previous owner, who shot some of it. Only a few of the strippers are missing so I guess it's a little less than 1100 rounds. I checked it with a magnet and it is steel core.

My question is, what kind of value does this stuff have? I know some folks think this stuff is special due to the steel core. I would like to sell it or trade it for a larger quantity of other ammo as the steel core doesn't mean much to me.

There is an upcoming show in Indianapolis and I thought about possibly hauling it down there and trading it with one of the ammo dealers, but I don't know how much to expect to get for it. Would I be better selling it through THR or on Gunbroker or something? Or should I just shoot it?
 
If you are SURE it is steel core, then it is steel core.

But, you can't say its steel core just because the bullet attracts a magnet.

The bullet in most x39 ammo will attract a magnet, as the BULLET JACKET (and usually not the core) is made of soft steel.

The genuine chinese steel-core stuff usually sells for somewhere around 50% more than the non-steel-core stuff. Don't shoot it at any range with a steel backstop or steel targets.
 
This is the hard way to do it.

You can measure the specific gravity of the bullet, but it's a little complicated. From Hatcher, pages 556-557:

1. Suspend the bullet by a thin light wire or thread from the pan of a balance.

2. Weigh the bullet while hanging this way.

3. Place a container of water under the scale so the bullet hangs in the water, and take the weight.

4. Subtract the second weight from the first.

5. Divide the weight of the bullet as obtained in 2 by the difference as obtained in 4. The result is the specific gravity.
Click to expand...

Just from memory, the specific gravity of steel is around 7.3, of pure lead is 11 point something.

The usual cupro-nickel jacketed lead-core bullet's specific gravity is about 10.3, again from memory.

So. If the bullet's specific gravity is less than about ten, and close to 7.3, it's steel-cored.

Easier to just cut one up or melt whatever lead is between the jacket and the core and see if it rattles afterward. :)

Unless they're tracers or depleted uranium cores. I don't know if they ever used depleted uranium in 7.62 x 39 R rounds. Boy, will that be Fourth of July-like.

And read up on Archimede's Principle.
 
The only reason it has a steel core is that steel was cheaper than lead. Anti-gunners whose knowledge is very suspect, said steel core ammo is cop-killer vest penetrating ammo.

Olympic Arms made a 7.62X39 pistol BATF at the time then determined the ammo as cop-killer vest penetrating ammo, never mind that ANY 7.62X39 also penetrates a vest. (Kind of shows the agenda don’t cha think?)

IMHO as an FFL it is not worth any more than any other 7.62X39, but Mall Ninja’s think it is. Good luck! As a private citizen you do not have the restrictions we FFL dealers have.

Also remember it is corrosive.
 
Steel core does have increased penetration in harder targets because it is deformed less while applying energy (also increasing its potential for more dangerous richochets). It however is also less dense than lead and has a significantly worse ballistic coefficient so it loses momentum faster, meaning it actualy has reduced penetration in some media, and less foot pounds of energy, and sheds its energy over distance at a much faster rate.

Steel/iron is cheaper, so iron/steel cores allow one to make cheaper rounds only using enough softer material to keep it from damaging the rifling of the firearm. In war expansion of bullets is outlawed as well, so the benefits of expansion is a mute point, which further reduces the benefits provided by more expensive lead.
 
You cannot conclude that it is steel-core because it sparks when it hits a hard surface.

Steel-JACKETED ammo with lead core will spark just as much as the steel-core ammo.

Just grab one of the bullets with a pair of pliers, and rip it out of the case.

Then, put a propane torch on the bullet. If the core melts (the base will be open), you have lead-core ammo. If it does not melt, you have steel-core ammo. Be careful with the direction you point the base, as sometimes the lead core squirts out with enough force to land in a place you would rather not have a puddle of molten lead. (ask me how I know).
 
Or ya can simply lookup the headstamp.......

here ya go,

http://www.makeyourowngear.com/Articles.php?action=detail&g=content1146681053

if its paper wrapped military then its steel core for sure...... I still got 45K rnds of it from the late 80s some of the most accurate 7.62x39 ya can get currently its been sellin at shows for $5-$6 per 20 rnds I just swapped for another 45K another collector had he needed 5.56x45 Nato and I had alot of it so we swapped round for round....... I'm happy brings me back up to where I was at the start of the first ban in 94 as far as the chicom ammo..... ya might be better off keeping it for your own use it is slightly corrosive but ya should be cleaning accordingly anyway for all military calibers...
 
Thanks for all the information.

230RN, I think I'll skip the specific gravity test for now.

Dstorm1911, great link! Thanks.

W.E.G., sounds painful. I'll be sure to point it away from me. Thanks for the tip!

It is all paper wrapped on 10rnd stripper clips and in two tins of 550 and has a 72 date on the head stamp. Based on all of that, it should be steel core. I guess I'll still pull the bullet on one just to double check.

Like I said, the steel core means nothing to me as far as being important. But if somebody else thinks its special and I can end up with a larger pile of ammunition out of the deal, then I might as well give it a try.
 
Chinese

In the fall of 62 when I was in basic we shot Armour piercing in our MI's,and that ammo was marked with a black tip, does yours have any markings that might indecate that it has an AP core.
 
This chinese ammo is steel core but is not real AP which has a hardened steel core made for penetration. As said earlier the chinese used a mild steel core just to save on lead costs.
 
Satch said:
the fall of 62 when I was in basic we shot Armour piercing in our MI's,and that ammo was marked with a black tip, does yours have any markings that might indecate that it has an AP core.
Click to expand...
The AP of which you refer uses a hardened alloy penetrator designed for armor piercing.

The commies/chinese use soft steel for their bullet cores because it's easier and safer to use than lead (maybe cheaper, who knows?). The steel in the 'steel cored chinese/commie ammo' is about the same softness as lead. It is NOT armor piercing.
 
are you sure it's corrosive ? a buddy has a thousand rounds of this, and i've been trying to get him to trade me a few rounds, just to "diversify my portfolio" in x39 ammo. but if it's corrosive, maybe i'm not so interested.
 
MIL-DOT said:
are you sure it's corrosive ? a buddy has a thousand rounds of this, and i've been trying to get him to trade me a few rounds, just to "diversify my portfolio" in x39 ammo. but if it's corrosive, maybe i'm not so interested.
Click to expand...
Do you stick your guns under the house for weeks after firing them before cleaning?

Corrosive ammo means the primer uses a mercury ingredient. The mercury salts attract water. Water causes rust.

If you clean your guns after shooting (no matter corrosive ammo or not), these salts will be removed.


Corrosive ammo isn't corrosive like pouring some high-strength industrial acid on your guns. You have plenty of time to clean them.
 
mil-dot Yes but as Nalioth says unless your gonna neglect your guns and expose em to humidity for days on end without cleaning..... no big deal, the Chicom ammo is alot better quality than any of the current commercial stuff, the 45K rnds I have left are from 90K rnds I bought while living in Oregon and it don't get any wetter than it does up there but the only time I ever saw any trace of corrosion was if I let my guns sit near a door (entry) for a couple days without cleaning then it was very mild and cleaned right up with zero issues. my first milsurp rifle was an enfield jungle carbine my dad bought me at 9 YOA for $35 at a pawn shop along with a case of surplus .303 (VERY corrosive) I still have that rifle used to shoot the hell outa it up there in the Oregon woods and today its got a nice shiny bore, I didn't know anything about corrosive ammo back then and just shot the gun BUT my dad drilled into me early on if ya shoot it then ya clean it and we had a gallon can of the old mil surplus bore cleaner so as soon as I came home from wandering the woods shooting stumps etc.. the first thing I did was pull a patch through the bore soaked in the cleaner.........
 
The first case I bought with my $99 sks in 92 was copper washed steelcore, headstamp was 71, also $99. Easily penetrated comepletely through a refrigerator . It was banned from import shortly after that. In tests it would penetrate 1/4" armor plating, but then again a 30-06 lead bullet will, also.Much ado about nothing, but at less than tens cents a round, sure was fun to shoot.
 
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