Very Strange

[7.62x51NATO]

While at the range yesterday, I was with a friend shooting at a 600 yard gong. We were alternating between firing and spotting for each other. I was shooting my Savage 11 .308 with 175 SMK handloads and hitting fairly well. My friend, however, was having some difficulty with his mosin this particular day (usually he hits the 10 inch going almost as consistently as my Savage). He took a shot..*Hit!* I call out. I look over at him and notice he had trouble ejecting the round from the chamber, so I went over to help. After we got the casing out, I looked at it and my jaw hit the floor. It was a 7mm-08 casing!! Loaded with a 7mm bullet for his other rifle ! He accidentally took a round out of his 7mm ammo holder instead of his Mosin's! Two things strike me as incredible here. First, that he HIT the thing with a very undersized bullet for the barrel diameter and second that something very bad didn't happen. Is this just a one in a million chance of actually hitting something THAT far away with an undersized bullet in a different casing altogether? *Note* My friend realized that this was a very stupid mistake and he swore he would never do it again.

 

[snakeman]

well it certainly says something for the structural integrity of the mosin platform.

 

[RPRNY]

T-72 tanks were issued with a steel mallet on a chain attached to the gearbox. The Soviets built a lot of crap, but they also built a lot of beefy stuff meant to take serious abuse.

That he hit the target really is amazing.

 

[firesky101]

too bad you dont have video of that one. Maybe not one in a million, but I doubt it would be repeatable. .284 in a .312 probably did not engage the rifling very well. So did you have to knock the case out with a cleaning rod? My mosin extractor wont even come close to engaging a .308 win case.

 

[7.62x51NATO]

We MIGHT have a video. At the time his son was spotting for him through the video camera but I don't know if it was recording or not. I'll have to get in touch with him and check it out. We were able to get the extractor to pull the case just far enough out of the chamber so that we could reach in and pull the case out by hand. When we compared the two, the dimensions were actually VERY close on the two cases. I can see how the round could chamber since they are so close. That event just added to the fun, though. I had a scare of my own before that, One of my reloads didn't get a powder charge for some reason so only the primer ignited and I had a squib stuck in my barrel. Luckily it went out easily. Quite the range day, if you ask me Back on topic, It still amazes me on how the bullet hit the target. I'd think with a .284 down a .311 or so bore, I'd think the bullet wouldn't be stabilized at all and it would be a far cry to hit something that far. But as has been said already, it really does show the strength of those Russian machines. Crude but effective!

 

[gbeecher]

Typically Russian (and a good thing too!)

Like snakeman and RPRNY said, the russians have a well earned reputation for building things that work. They may not be the nicest looking or built to the highest precision, but when called upon to function - they work and work and work! I have a Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 rifle and the more I shoot it, the more I love it - they kind of grow on you. I'll always take simple and reliable over complex and sophisticated any day.

 

[HOOfan_1]

T-72 tanks were issued with a steel mallet on a chain attached to the gearbox. The Soviets built a lot of crap, but they also built a lot of beefy stuff meant to take serious abuse.

That he hit the target really is amazing.

My dad has a Russian friend. He says that in Russia if something doesn't work, you hit it with a bigger hammer

 

[meanmrmustard]

My dad has a Russian friend. He says that in Russia if something doesn't work, you hit it with a bigger hammer

In Russia, hammer hits YOU!

 

[dcarch]

Man oh man, I hope that you did get that on video.

 

[MistWolf]

With the smaller diameter bullet, it's likely the chamber pressure was LESS

 

[7.62x51NATO]

With the smaller diameter bullet, it's likely the chamber pressure was LESS

True, however, I would have thought other bad things would happen. Now, I don't know much at all about shooting undersized calibers in rifles, but I'd think the firing pin might have protruded through the primer all the way causing safety issues of their own (Not sure if this is possible or not) But when I looked at the case the primer was punched the same as all the other 7.62x54R cases he had shot. I thought the firing pin might protrude because IIRC the Mosin headspaces off the rim of the cartridge while the 7mm-08 lacks the rim on the case. I'm just thinking out loud though. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will correct me soon enough!

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Reminds me of a picture collection of guns that went Kaboom. Lots of AR 15s with bent and cracked receivers and the one AK in that collection just had a broken case in the chamber that blew out the side without actually damaging the gun. Russian guns are my favorite.

 

[firesky101]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjQY1Jahhas

When Ak's go they are more impressive than most AR kabooms I have seen. Anything will go, but the tighter the tolerances the less room for error. For some interesting talk about mosin strength PM Clark, he is a fine connoisseur of destroying guns (I say that with utmost respect).

 

[One_Jackal]

They say "God looks after fools and drunks.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

True, however, I would have thought other bad things would happen. Now, I don't know much at all about shooting undersized calibers in rifles, but I'd think the firing pin might have protruded through the primer all the way causing safety issues of their own (Not sure if this is possible or not) But when I looked at the case the primer was punched the same as all the other 7.62x54R cases he had shot. I thought the firing pin might protrude because IIRC the Mosin headspaces off the rim of the cartridge while the 7mm-08 lacks the rim on the case. I'm just thinking out loud though. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will correct me soon enough!

Without the rim, the "worst" that would happen is the round would move forward and the firing pin would give a light strike/no strike.

Since the bullet is undersize, there is no risk of an overpressure.

The danger here is that the 7mm case might not seal the 7.62x54R chamber, thus allowing hot gas to escape. This can damage the chamber as well as blow in the shooters face causing injury (one reason why we wear safety glasses!).

Since 7mm-08 is near enough in size to 7.62x54R, I expect the brass "headspaced" off the shoulder, allowing the firing pin to get a good strike and then didn't have to expand too much to seal the chamber. Don't even think about reloading that case though!

I have seen 9mm casings that were clearly fired out of a .40S&W. The mouth of the case was blown out, but had not split and did seal the chamber. This is definitely a "don't try this" thing though!

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

When Ak's go they are more impressive than most AR kabooms I have seen. Anything will go, but the tighter the tolerances the less room for error. For some interesting talk about mosin strength PM Clark, he is a fine connoisseur of destroying guns (I say that with utmost respect).

Wouldn't surprise me if that was some Kyber pass special

 

[Don357]

Kind of reminds me of something I read where a guy was shooting .357 Sigs out of a .40 S&W. I guess you could say it was "headspacing" via the extractor, seeing as the basic case is the same diameter.

 

[mshootnit]

just cause its russian don't mean its sloppy. My Saiga 308 won't chamber slightly large resized brass that my M1a digests like all the rest.

 

[meanmrmustard]

Reminds me of a picture collection of guns that went Kaboom. Lots of AR 15s with bent and cracked receivers and the one AK in that collection just had a broken case in the chamber that blew out the side without actually damaging the gun. Russian guns are my favorite.

You and me both.

 

[skoro]

Surprises me that the 7-08 cartridge would chamber in the Moisin.

 

[WardenWolf]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjQY1Jahhas

When Ak's go they are more impressive than most AR kabooms I have seen. Anything will go, but the tighter the tolerances the less room for error. For some interesting talk about mosin strength PM Clark, he is a fine connoisseur of destroying guns (I say that with utmost respect).

It didn't kaboom. The front trunion came out of the receiver and the rifle just came apart. There was no real danger to the shooter, as all the major components stayed intact. Probably a Khyber Pass special, as FTS said.

Glad your friend's okay. Chalk up another testament to the Mosin's durability.