Czech 7.62x54R - What Can You Tell Me About It?

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hi all,

I picked up some Czech "silvertip" 7.62x54R made in 1963.

When I went to research the stuff, I found a website that is selling it and claims that it's not corrosive.

I have a very hard time believing that. Does anyone have proof to the contrary?

Lessee... it's 147gr and doesn't seem to be driven as fast as some other stuff. I'll let my shoulder judge that here in a few minutes. It looks quite a bit like commercial Brown Bear but it's lighter. Is it considered mild AP?

How's the accuracy compare to other milsurp?

And, how are the local prices, meaning, no shipping? I'm wondering if I got a good deal.

Anything else?

Thanks,

Josh <><

 

[LeibstandarteAdH]

The yellow tip (all lead) bulgarian ball will punch holes in things the czech silver tip and hungarian steel cores will not. It has a little less recol but i dont think thats anything thats important. It is most certainly CORROSIVE. It is pretty much gone from anywhere that would sell it in bulk for a good price (10 cents a round or so) but that does not make it not worth buying. But you can probibly get brass cased surplus stuff for just as cheap or cheaper.

For refrence i got a ton of it both from J&G and gunshows for about 1.50-1.60 per box. (maybe a year ago though) Somtimes gun show people will tell you the silver tip means its match. But thats probibly just as much BS as saying the yellow tip ball is a yellow tracer. But then again i couldbe wrong maybe cheap ass steel cased czech ball with nothing but a copper electro-plate is match grade ammo... Laquer steel case and all...

 

[Acheron]

I bought a whole case of silver-tips when I got my 91/30 last Christmas. Techically the silver-tips are mild AP, but don't expect to be shooting through steel plates or anything! This stuff is definitely corrosive. It seems to be hard to find and what I can find is usually pretty expensive. In the future you might be better off finding some Bulgarian heavy ball or even some Russian 7N1 sniper ammo. If you can't find any cheap surplus around (as it is starting to dry up) then buy some Brown Bear. Stay away from Wolf if you can-gave me nothing but trouble.

 

[armoredman]

Good ammo, absolutely corrosive.

 

[Anteater1717]

When in doubt it's corrosive.

 

[_N4Z_]

Accurate, pretty reliable, corrosive, and smells bad.

 

[Threejs]

Czech is just a little less corrosive than battery acid, if left uncleaned.

 

[Deer Hunter]

Accurate, corrosive, and makes a very nice tumbling round.

 

[oneshooter]

Mosin Ammo

How about this stuff? $79 delivered.

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas

 

[MRIman]

I think that is Hungarian light ball. The price might be fare
in todays market. I will say I was getting the same stuff
a few months ago for $81 a case(2 tins) shipped from SPG!!!
The old saying"buy cheap,stack deep" ALWAYS holds true!!!

MRI

 

[Red Tornado]

The Czech ST is normally considered one of the more accurate x54 surplus rounds in most rifles. It was in mine, however it commonly contributes to the "sticky bolt syndrome", if your rifle is susceptible to that.

I haven't really found anything that I wanted a hole in that that wouldn't make a hole in. Unless your talking a really thick steel plate, it'll punch a hole like any full power centerfire, and maybe a bit more due to the steel core.

My general rule is: 7.62x54R is corrosive if it ends in "n". Russian, Czechoslovakian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, etc. If it's x54R surplus, it's corrosive.
RT

 

[elmerfudd]

Actually, I think that's Albanian. The 440 round can gives it away. It worked alright for me. Shot about 2" groups at 50 yards with iron sights. It seemed more corrosive than usual however. I had a couple of split necks and 3 or 4 misfires out of the 440 rounds. It's not as sticky as Czech ammo is.

 

[_N4Z_]

The 21 next to the 87 on the can is the country code.

21 is Hungary. 21 is also used by Poland.

Albania is 3.

 

[ROMAK IV]

Czech comes in laquered and copper washed steel cases. Both work great in ROMAK III's, and the copper washed will work better in Moisons that are apt to stick with laquer. My SVT-40 doesn't like it but I still have to buy a gas adjusting tool for it. I'm sure it is corrosive, so just clean real good and you will be fine. The only stuff not corrosive is of course Wolf Gold and PRVI Partisan.

 

[Acheron]

Well, first off...Wolf Gold IS Prvi Partisan-made in the same factory on the same equipment. Too bad half the time the rounds are corrosive. The factory just sticks whatever primers they have on hand into them. Sometimes they use old mil-surp primers that are corrosive, sometimes they use commercial primers that aren't. I know that the box says 'non-corrosive' but they just say that to get you to buy it. So the lesson here is twofold:

1. Always, always, always clean your gun after shooting it-especially with military calibers.
2. Don't believe everything you read!

 

[MachIVshooter]

When I went to research the stuff, I found a website that is selling it and claims that it's not corrosive.

Eastern surplus=corrosive. I've yet to see anything to the contrary.

 

[_N4Z_]

Acheron, where are you getting your information to substantiate this claim.

Yes PRVI is made by the same factory (nny) as Yugoslavian surplus mil, but...

I have used many boxes of PRVI 7.62x54r in my M39's and have yet to see any evidence of corrosive residue. The rounds are brass, and the primers are boxer design. I save all this brass for reloading. Maybe I need to test a few of these post fired cases to make sure for myself.

Have you already done this, and what did you do?

http://www.7.62x54r.com/MosinID/MosinAmmo024.htm

 

[Threejs]

That tin pictured is Polish, and is pretty good ammo. Should be all copper washed steel case stuff. (http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinAmmo033.htm)

Hungarian tins look like this.
http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinAmmo004.htm

Here are some from my personal stash.

The top tin is polish light ball, the bottom hungarian light ball.

Here is what the rounds look like. Agian, the top is polish the bottom hungarian light ball.


Last but not least, the headstamps.

 

[Acheron]

N4Z, it only happened to me once. I had gone shooting w/ my 91/30 (which had been cleaned thoroughly) and shot maybe 100 or so rounds of Wolf Gold. I was busy for two weeks and didn't get a chance to clean the rifle until maybe 2 1/2 weeks later. When I did, I saw a little bit of corrosion starting to form on the bolt face and in the bore. It didn't do any damage, just needed a little extra work to clean it up.

I've also heard some other rumblings and grumblings around several forums (I think there's a thread around here somewhere) about how the European manufacturers don't care about what kind of primers they put into their ammo for the American market. Again, this only happened to me once (with Wolf Gold) but it was enough to make me clean my rifles after every range session regardless of whether or not I fired commercial or surplus.

It seems to be that most (if not all) commercial rounds are ok, I just wanted to share my experience.

 

[tube_ee]

Silvertip is good stuff.

Most Mosins shoot it pretty well. Mine will put it into around 2 1/2" at 100 yards, iron sighted, if I'm shooting well.

It, like ALL surplus 7.62x54R, is corrosively primed. I'm not even sure if current Russian military production ammo is non-corrosive. They're still using the round, but I've no idea if they ever switched primers. Doesn't matter, as they're not yet surplussing that stuff.

The biggest downside to Czech silvertip is that the lacquered cases contribute to sticky bolt syndrome. Other than that, it's probably my favorite surplus 'Gant food.

--Shannon

 

[Mark_from_Iowa]

Czech silvertip worked well in all my Mosins, but the sticky bolt issue reared its head a few times. I eventually switched to Bulgarian brass-cased x54R and never looked back.

If I ran across a pile of Czech I would probably buy it, but my limit these days is around 15 cents per round shipped. I haven't seen those prices much lately.

Good ammo, corrosive, and I paid 13 cents per round at a gun show ~1 year ago.

 

[Acheron]

I don't know why, but the Czech STs have never really given me any sticky bolt issues. I think it might be because I never shot many in one sitting, maybe 30 or so rounds per range session. And they've been pretty much all I've shot in my 91/30, except for about 100 rounds of Wolf Gold (which I had some problems with-see above).

So I would definitely buy more Czech stuff if I could find it for around 15 cents/round.

 

[Threejs]

I traded away about 300 rnds of czech, because of the sticky bolt problems. It was reasonably accurate in my M39, but would lock it up tight. The guy I traded with uses it in a Dragunov, and has no issues with it.

 

[Bluehawk]

I bought a case of Czech LPS silvertip ammo about 3 years ago to shoot in my Mosin Nagant rifles. Both rifles had the bolts freeze up tight!
The reason was not as you would expect...had nothing to do with laquered cases...it was the firing pin piercing the primers!
Seems this ammo is made for cold to mild weather climates and when fired in hot weather like here in the summers of California pressures get out of control. Once I figured out what was happening I pulled the heads...weighed the existing powder charges (50 grains) and downloaded them at 1-grain intervals. They finally stopped piercing the primers at 44 grains!
(For those who are going to ask...Yes I had measured firing pin protrusion.)
No other ammo I have used has ever had this problem...Alabanian...Chinese...Russian...etc.
Now as long as I download this ammo I can shoot it all day long in hot weather!
BTW...I recrimped the bullets in their steel caseings useing a Lee collet crimp die with no ill effects on the die.

 

[DMK]

That's interesting Bluehawk. I've always been perplexed by the sticky bolt grumblings with Cz silvertip. I've never had any trouble with it and it's my favorite ammo for my carbines. They shoot it well. Even my M39s shoot it well although they prefer heavy ball for accuracy.

Come to think of it though, I don't know if I ever shot it in warm weather. My Mosins seem to always be my cold weather range guns.