Tell me if this ammo is any good?

[LightningMan]

Hello all, I was at a gun show yesterday and as of lately most dealers either have no .22 LR ammo or if they do it's $50 a brick or higher. I ran into a dealer I have known for several years, and he had a brick with a price of $40 on it. So I asked him what he would sell to me for, he said $30, but you should know it's steel case ammunition. I said thats ok, I'll take it at that price. So this brings me to here to ask; Is this ammo any good? What it says on the wraper, thats right a paper wraper, "Baikal" Sport-hunting, .22 Long Rifle Rim Fire Cartridges, Made in USSR, 500, and there is a H53 on one other side of the wraper, which I assume is the manufacture date, probably 1953. Inside the paper wraper there are 10 cardboard boxes of 50 rds. So anyone have any experence with this, and is it high velocity or standard velocity? Thanks in advance, LM.

 

[SDC]

It'll certainly work, but, more than likely, it'll also be corrosive, so you'll want to thoroughly wash and dry any firearm you use it in. The velocity is sort of questionable, because they sold different versions under different trade names for different uses; if you can post a picture of the box, it might be easier to say, but if it says "hunting" in English and Russian, it will probably be standard-velocity. They sold most of their target 22 under the "Olimp" and "Strela" trade names.

 

[LightningMan]

SDC thanks for the reply, but looking at one of the small boxes, and on its label is written "non-corrosive", so thats one good thing I don't have to worry about. I guess I'll give it a try, and hope it will function in my auto-loaders. LM

 

[SDC]

Until you can CONFIRM that it's non-corrosive, I'd want to treat it like it is; the Russians were still using corrosive priming compound through the 50s, and if the packaging isn't original, you've got no way of knowing. An (easier) way of determining if it is or isn't is to pull a bullet, then fire the primed case at a piece of steel (muzzle distance) that has been polished bright with a grinder or file. Leave that piece of steel out overnight, and if it's rusty on the mark left by the shot, it'll be corrosive.

 

[wloveless]

What year was a Stevens model 311 series H double barrell 20 ga with a serial number D598238 made?

 

[Steve C]

I have and have shot some of the Russian steel case .22 LR. It shoots and is as accurate as as typical .22 LR. I will only use it in bolt action rifles and revolvers though because it will sometimes stick in the chamber after a few rounds that with semi auto's can be problematic to remove. Take a cleaning rod with you to push out stuck cases.

I never shot a lot of it and still have most of the 500 rounds I initially purchased some 20 years ago.

 

[MedWheeler]

wloveless writes:

What year was a Stevens model 311 series H double barrell 20 ga with a serial number D598238 made?

I think you missed your target with this post. Instead of asking in someone else's thread about old Soviet .22LR ammo, try starting a new thread in the Shotguns sub-forum. Good luck!

 

[Drail]

These are truly desperate times we live in. Americans buying Russian ammo because that's all there is.

 

[xjsnake]

These are truly desperate times we live in. Americans buying Russian ammo because that's all there is.

Eh I ordered 1000 rounds of CCI .22LR from sgammo.com a couple days ago at pre-panic prices. It shipped today. You just have to jump on deals when they pop up.

 

[LightningMan]

Just looked inside one of the 50rd boxes, now I'm thinking the H53 may just be a lot# not a date. I noticed the rounds are in plastic trays with holes for the rounds to set in, which makes me think they are newer than what I thought. I just don't think they were using plastic back then, as most older .22 rimfire ammo is cardboard inside cardboard type boxes. Unless the Russians were way ahead of us in the use of plastic. LM

 

[wally]

the Russians were still using corrosive priming compound through the 50s,

Well into the 80's (see surplus 5.45x39) and maybe still are for the superior long term storage and performance in cold weather.

These are truly desperate times we live in. Americans buying Russian ammo because that's all there is

I hope Putin wants to tweak Obama and maximizes shipments of new and surplus ammo to us!