surplus 7.62x54R gone?

[justin22885]

so all the places ive looked are out of stock of bulk cans of 7.62x54R ammo, has this stuff dried up or something?.. no way am i going to pay .308/7.62x51 prices for it

 

[BP Hunter]

I think my local stores still sell them by the "spam" cans.

 

[justin22885]

i havent been finding them anywhere

 

[aarondhgraham]

Oh Great!,,,

I just this morning purchased an Polish M-44 Carbine.

Aarond

.

 

[murf]

j&g has 500 rounds for about $250.

murf

 

[justin22885]

j&g has 500 rounds for about $250.

murf

yeah.. forget that, luckygunner has .308 winchester at $230 for 500, no way am i going to spend close to and certainly not more than 308 for x54R, to me its only worth it when it was $100/440

 

[sniper58]

We're lucky up here in Canada.
I can get Chinese new production 7.62x54 for $249/1000 rounds.
I've picked up Russian surplus for $219/880 rounds locally

 

[murf]

that's what happens when a cartridge gets popular. the price of everything "mosin" goes up.

murf

 

[justin22885]

if it was still 99/440 and stable at those prices, i would probably get a PSL kit and build it in a 16" carbine, but yeah, since its close to or past the price of .308, i'll look into getting an FAL or AR-10 instead to replace my MAS 49/56

 

[Panzerschwein]

It is gone, confirmed by speaking with several importera. The Ukrainian conflict caused all imports to cease, and that's where it was all coming from. There are no plans to begin reimportation anytime soon, the ammo is too valuable to them now.

It was fun while it lasted, but finally, it seems like 7.62x54r is drying up and drying up fast.

I've got around three 880 round crates stocked up. Not near enough, but something.

 

[justin22885]

the only x54R rifle i have right now is a mosin.. and i think thats about all the further im going to take it.. no more x54R rifles for me from now on

 

[Ash]

Some Mosins are worth the extra money to feed.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Some Mosins are worth the extra money to feed.

Pff. Wow, another sporterized Mosin... whoopdee doo!

 

[rtz]

Some still available:

http://www.sgammo.com/catalog/rifle-ammo-sale/762x54r-ammo

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I have a wooden ammo crate of surplus heavy ball, Berdan primed, brass case 7.62x54R

I also have a GI ammo can of commercial boxer primed, brass case 7.62x54R.

I can always take up reloading 7.62x54R to keep running my Mosins for matches. And hold the box in reserve for whatever.

I remember my best friend's dad had a 7.7mm Arisaka but ammo was impossible to find in the 1960s; now I have seen 7.7mm Arisaka advertised and available when it wasn't before.

I remember when surplus disappered and 6.5mm Carcano ammo was only available from Norma at 20 for 39.95 that's two 1970s dollars per round; now its commercially available new at same prices as new .30-30 or .308.

Times change. And times change back. Shooters become wallhangers. Wallhangers become shooters. My Mosins will always be cool historical relics to me.

 

[justin22885]

yeah, but who the heck is going to pay .308 prices for an inferior cartridge thats chambered in far, far fewer firearms?.. most people do not own an STV40, or an SVD, more own PSLs but not by much, most people who shoot 7.62x54R do it through mosins and for a surplus bolt action it just isnt worth it, so any plans i had to add more x54R to my collection is gone now, in fact, my mosin will probably get re-packed into cosmosoline and stored away soon as i look for its replacement in a different caliber.. ill probably get a mauser since i have other reasons to keep 8mm mauser ammo

 

[Ash]

Hey, Cooldill, that isn't a sporterized Mosin. It's a Finnish M28/76 Sniper rifle with nothing reproduction or sporterized about it. Bolt and barrel match, the mount is Finnish, the scope is Finnish-issue. Most of them were set up as competition match rifles with diopter sights. The same sights came with the sniper rifles, which are rarer (and much rarer with optics), which were stored separately while the optics were mounted.

Here's a site that used to sell them:

http://www.empirearms.com/28-76.htm

Also, here's another non-sporterized Mosin, a Czech VZ54/91 Sniper rifle.

The photo on the left is by Vic Thomas over at Gun Boards, one of the great experts on Mosin Snipers.

More info on Mosin Snipers can be found here:

http://mosinnagant.net/sniper section/snipertext1.asp

Mine is the the one on the striped couch with the Soviet PSO scope that came with it.

If you want one, here's one for sale:

http://www.keepshooting.com/czech-vz54-91-sniper-rifle.html

7.62x54r is not an inferior cartridge. It is the most successful military center fire round of its era, outlasting all other rounds, including the vaunted 8mm Mauser (the choices for which are today rather weak) and is still in general military use today (including in sniper rifles which require high accuracy). The most successful sniper rifles were chambered for it. Though of course there will be found precise, ultra-accurate snipers made by the US, Britain, and others rifles one could easily call better or more accurate, the most successful snipers' rifles were Mosins used in WWII and were in regular use through Vietnam across the world with superb examples being used into the 21st Century. A Finnish M28/76, using Valmet, Tikka, or SAKO barrels, is a thing of beauty and accuracy. A CZ-made VZ54/91 is also proof that the Mosin and its associate cartridge are in no way inferior. And, considering the vast number of Mosins made, and the tremendous number of them in country, they are not "far, far fewer."

 

[Pushrod]

Hey, Cooldill, that isn't a sporterized Mosin. It's a Finnish M28/76 Sniper rifle with nothing reproduction or sporterized about it. Bolt and barrel match, the mount is Finnish, the scope is Finnish-issue. Most of them were set up as competition match rifles with diopter sights. The same sights came with the sniper rifles, which are rarer (and much rarer with optics), which were stored separately while the optics were mounted.

Here's a site that used to sell them:

http://www.empirearms.com/28-76.htm

Also, here's another non-sporterized Mosin, a Czech VZ54/91 Sniper rifle.

The photo on the left is by Vic Thomas over at Gun Boards, one of the great experts on Mosin Snipers.

More info on Mosin Snipers can be found here:

http://mosinnagant.net/sniper section/snipertext1.asp

Mine is the the one on the striped couch with the Soviet PSO scope that came with it.

If you want one, here's one for sale:

http://www.keepshooting.com/czech-vz54-91-sniper-rifle.html

7.62x54r is not an inferior cartridge. It is the most successful military center fire round of its era, outlasting all other rounds, including the vaunted 8mm Mauser (the choices for which are today rather weak) and is still in general military use today (including in sniper rifles which require high accuracy). The most successful sniper rifles were chambered for it. Though of course there will be found precise, ultra-accurate snipers made by the US, Britain, and others rifles one could easily call better or more accurate, the most successful snipers' rifles were Mosins used in WWII and were in regular use through Vietnam across the world with superb examples being used into the 21st Century. A Finnish M28/76, using Valmet, Tikka, or SAKO barrels, is a thing of beauty and accuracy. A CZ-made VZ54/91 is also proof that the Mosin and its associate cartridge are in no way inferior. And, considering the vast number of Mosins made, and the tremendous number of them in country, they are not "far, far fewer."

Ash, that is totally awesome. Congratulations on owning such a fine rifle and rare piece of history!

 

[Ash]

What is really the holy grail in Finnish mosins is the TKIV-85.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Hey, Cooldill, that isn't a sporterized Mosin. It's a Finnish M28/76 Sniper rifle with nothing reproduction or sporterized about it. Bolt and barrel match, the mount is Finnish, the scope is Finnish-issue. Most of them were set up as competition match rifles with diopter sights. The same sights came with the sniper rifles, which are rarer (and much rarer with optics), which were stored separately while the optics were mounted.

Here's a site that used to sell them:

http://www.empirearms.com/28-76.htm

Also, here's another non-sporterized Mosin, a Czech VZ54/91 Sniper rifle.

The photo on the left is by Vic Thomas over at Gun Boards, one of the great experts on Mosin Snipers.

More info on Mosin Snipers can be found here:

http://mosinnagant.net/sniper section/snipertext1.asp

Mine is the the one on the striped couch with the Soviet PSO scope that came with it.

If you want one, here's one for sale:

http://www.keepshooting.com/czech-vz54-91-sniper-rifle.html

7.62x54r is not an inferior cartridge. It is the most successful military center fire round of its era, outlasting all other rounds, including the vaunted 8mm Mauser (the choices for which are today rather weak) and is still in general military use today (including in sniper rifles which require high accuracy). The most successful sniper rifles were chambered for it. Though of course there will be found precise, ultra-accurate snipers made by the US, Britain, and others rifles one could easily call better or more accurate, the most successful snipers' rifles were Mosins used in WWII and were in regular use through Vietnam across the world with superb examples being used into the 21st Century. A Finnish M28/76, using Valmet, Tikka, or SAKO barrels, is a thing of beauty and accuracy. A CZ-made VZ54/91 is also proof that the Mosin and its associate cartridge are in no way inferior. And, considering the vast number of Mosins made, and the tremendous number of them in country, they are not "far, far fewer."

Hence the winky face in my first post.

I know what you've got, and you're a lucky man. Love it!!

 

[illinoisburt]

These things ebb and flow as they are allowed into the country and the stocks dwindle. Like all other surplus arms of the past century, the Mosin has done a great job of allowing people across the country to purchase and shoot a historic full power battle rifle for little money. The rifle helped spark interest and debate about the collecting and role of service weapons and certainly encouraged more than a few new collectors. Good or bad, the big draw of the Mosin rifles has been low cost and the availability of cheap imported surplus ammo rather than the ergonomics or smooth handling design. Gone are the days of $39 rifles and $80 crates of ammo. With rising prices and limited availability, much of the appeal of the rifles is going to recede back to the serious C&R crowd who has always appreciated them. The common man on the street looking for an inexpensive beater to shoot cheap has missed the boat.

 

[Turftech1]

I think there are probably many local gun stores which still have the Bulk Mil-Surp ammo stacked in their back rooms. I was in a local gun shop yesterday, they still had 440 spam cans for $99 and the 880 crates for $199. That's more than they were last yr ($89 and $169 respectively), but still cheap shooting for a 30 caliber, fairly hard-hitting round. This was the silver tip stuff.

I would suggest calling around to local stores, and see if they have some still in stock.