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Thread: South African ammo
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10-05-2020, 21:48 #21
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10-05-2020, 22:19 #22
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10-05-2020, 22:49 #23
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Re: South African ammo
I've read mixed reviews. Steel cases can be reloaded, but are harder than brass and more brittle and will crack sooner than a brass case. I don't know how easy it would be to cut a steel case to length compared to brass.
Being a harder case must mean more ware and tare on dies, but i suppose that depends on the amount of cases being run through the press. If it isn't a high volume then it is probably inconsequential.
I personally wouldn't load steel cases, i don't think there is much of a cost saving either. The steel cased 308 ammo i have is also berdan primed, so reloading them isn't an option for me.
Maybe i am also very wrong.
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10-05-2020, 23:07 #24
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11-05-2020, 07:56 #25
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Re: South African ammo
The Russians were heavy on copper washed steel ammo
Not sure how many re-loaders there were in the USSR
In the book -- "Blood Snow" a German MG43 gunner talks of the dangers of -- bad ammo ( steel cases )
Case stuck in the barrel -- IF you were lucky you had another barrel ( or two or three ) on hand
IF you want cheap try mil-surp -- far as I know 7.62 can be used in a 308 ?
There must be TONS of this stuff quietly rotting away in [NATO] arsenals
There must also be TONS of .303 -- the Rhodesians only put a tiny dent in the World supply !
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11-05-2020, 08:35 #26
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Re: South African ammo
Sometime 2003/2004 about 30 tons of .303 ammo was dumped into the sea. Was a sad day that.
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11-05-2020, 09:55 #27
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Re: South African ammo
Yeah that is why I am asking, want to know if I can reuse the cases. If they are steel I won't be buying.
You can reload with steel cases and berdan primed cases but it is a lot of work to remove the primers and alter the pocket, and I wouldn't want to wreck my dies (with a lot of reloading) with steel cases anyway, so would only reload with steel if I was really desperate.
Anyway, I sent a message to ask what the story is. Thinking of just going with some cheaper ammo like S&B for peace of mind.
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11-05-2020, 10:23 #28
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Re: South African ammo
I've reloaded steel-cased 7.62x39 (Chicom milsurp). The steel is REALLY soft (it has to be to be deep-drawn like brass), so it's no harder in dies than brass. The steel does however work-harden quickly so cracked necks happen easily.
Reloading Berdan is a messy PITA, I did it mostly to prove to myself I could.
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11-05-2020, 10:51 #29
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Re: South African ammo
Quick question a little off-topic, can you use .308 Winchester in an AR10?
Google has two different answers...
308 in an AR platform designed for 7.62, is that due to chamber diameter, that you could cause a case rupture, and or damage to your rifle, due to the difference in pressures and the thickness of the brass between the two. Also Nato is headspaced a little looser, so the rifle may not reliably even go into battery.The AR-10 can shoot 308 OR 7.62 NATO. The difference between . 308 and 7.62 is chamber size, slight pressure differences due to powder burn rates, not external case size. ... The NATO chamber is ever so slightly longer at .
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11-05-2020, 11:09 #30
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Re: South African ammo
Yes
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