Romanian PSL ammo question

[Neener79]

I'm about to buy a Romanian PSL from my favorite dealer and have a couple questions on ammo. I've got a Mosin, so I have some of the old corrosive "light ball" ammo. My best buddy's PSL shoots OK with that, but I havent shot it very much at longer ranges for accuracy ( only pop cans at bottles at about 75 yds). I've heard that the "Dragunov" rifle is the concept the PSL was patterned after, but that the internals are completely different. I've also read that the "Dragunov" rifle is most accurate with the "7n1" or "7n14" ammunition, which is quite scarce. This leads me to five important ammunition questions:

1. Does the PSL need the 7n1 or 7n14 ammo to get its maximum accuracy?
2. If 7n1/7n14 is needed, where can I get some?
3. If I can't get any, what are some good substitutes?
4. If the possible substitutes aren't as good as the 7n1/7n14 stuff, does anyone have loading data that would allow me to replicate it as best I can?
5. What reliability issues do PSL's sometimes present, and how does ammunitioin selection affect this?

 

[Igneous]

I hope you enjoy yours. I know I enjoy mine. It has exceeded the expectations I had for it from reading reviews on the web.

1-Need? Some people's PSLs love it, some seem to find it offers nothing better than other milsurp rounds. Might try some to see what yours likes.

2-The only place I've seen some is gunbroker.com. That was at about $1 a pop.

3-Mine runs best with 80's Czech and current production Wolf 148 gr. Everything else I try (including the expensive Wolf Gold/Prvi Partizan) groups at about 5" at 100m.

4-Check out akfiles.com, the SVDs and Romak IIIs section, there have been some people's hand-load recipes. Then 7.62x54r.net has some ammo evaluations that list bullet weight, amount of powder the cartridge has, but not much more.

5-The only issue I've had with mine is the neck of the cartridge hanging on the lip of the magazine. Once the mag lip wore down a bit it has been 100% reliable.

 

[Cosmoline]

The PSL is just a giant AK, so it's a workhorse rifle. Try a variety of light ball (not heavy on these) and see what yours likes. The Wolf 148 BT FMJ should do good. And you should give the Polish hollow base stuff a try, there's a bunch on the market right now.

 

[Neener79]

what about Czech "silvertip" ammo? I've heard it's pretty accurate out of some PSL's, almost a second to the 7n1. Is this true, and if so, what are good sources for it?

As for handloading, I'm interested in trying my best to replicate the 7n1, but with a brass case. Similar powder, similar bullet style, similar fps, etc...

Perhaps someone could give me more info on the 7n1, or direct me to some sources. I've done some Google-fu on it, but haven't come up with enough info to be satisfied yet.

 

[Neener79]

also, what about wolf gold?

 

[Cosmoline]

Try a variety of light ball. Don't assume that the 7n1 is some perfect standard like GP11 is with the K31. Some folks get better results with cz silvertip than 7n1. Wolf gold light ball is also great--it's made in Serbia I believe.

As far as handloading, try a mix of light ball loads in the 140-160 grain range. Google PSL handloads and there are many threads on the subject with various loads.

 

[tkopp]

Neener, the point the gentlemen before me have tried to make is that, in a rifle as loosely made as a PSL, there will be variations. Some will like one brand of ammo, others will like another. You need to buy a variety and give them a shot.

Stay around 150gr, step away from the keyboard, and have some fun with your rifle. Then report back on what worked best!

 

[TrickyDick]

I've used Czech silvertips and they're a nice round. the only issue i've ever had was the laquer on the casings when i was breaking in the rifle. They'd have a hard time ejecting and properlly loading, but after a 100 rounds or so and some sandpaper to the internals, the rifle was a smooth action. Just be sure to smack the magazine on the rear to make sure the rounds are properly lined and pushed as far back as the can go.