Thread: Military surplus ammo

For Milurp ammunition 10 secs for a missfire is asking for trouble , a minimum of 30 is best . We have had some finally go off at 27 seconds and that was from when it was timed not from the actual firing . This only really applies to the old dodgy stuff , and then if possible put it in a metal box to keep your undies clean .

strange how no one has suggested to recock and fire again with a hangfire....easy to do with SMLE or external hammer and not possible with a mauser....
if using factory ammo which NORMALLY comes in either 150 or 180 grn you will find your rifle likes one weight way more than the other,another thing to keep in mind the rear locking actions often/usually shoot different ammo to different points of impact.... NOT a good rifle to mix and match ammo with.

It is interesting how different ammo degrades over time.

Pretty much all the German 8mm is buggered now. However the 9x19 seems fine.

The LC 3006 and .45 supplied to Norway under the Marshall aid plan is erratic at best,often the projectiles are corroded inside the case and when you pull the bullet there is a hiss of escaping gas.

A guy I know had 8000 rounds of 303 that was smuggled to the resistance during the war,it was stored in it's wooden crates that were sealed in tin.Ammo looks bright and shiney but at least 10% won't go off and as many hang fire.

I think GC is walking a fine line with there Greek HXP.

Originally Posted by norsk

It is interesting how different ammo degrades over time.

Pretty much all the German 8mm is buggered now. However the 9x19 seems fine.

The LC 3006 and .45 supplied to Norway under the Marshall aid plan is erratic at best,often the projectiles are corroded inside the case and when you pull the bullet there is a hiss of escaping gas.

A guy I know had 8000 rounds of 303 that was smuggled to the resistance during the war,it was stored in it's wooden crates that were sealed in tin.Ammo looks bright and shiney but at least 10% won't go off and as many hang fire.

I think GC is walking a fine line with there Greek HXP.

Agree. Differences between the different .303 ammo:

A: 1940s, Corrosive Potassium Chlorate primers, Throat-erosive Cordite propellant. Cordite stable to store but naturally hard to ignite.
B: 1970s, Non-corrosive lead styphnate primers, Modern throat-friendlier ball powder. ?stability of ball powder, but 30+ years younger.

I wonder if the wartime ammo is made to military specs with a more rigid primer cup, and we experience more hangfires/misfires due to our Lee Enfields simply having weakened striker springs. Consider: it's not just the ammo which is getting older.

Here is a source of replacement striker pins for Lee Enfields:
https://www.ds-solutions.co.uk/lee-e...w-and-Unissued

There are setups out there that produce double and triple strength striker springs, one outfit in the UK was selling stainless or titanium striker pins - all in the pursuit of reduced lock time - important if you shoot your rifle unsupported (as in out in the bush not on the range with a nice table for your bipod).
https://www.firingpins.com/firing-pi...eld-firing-pin

But ask yourself, how far will you supercharge a Ford-T? Heh heh. (-:

read interesting article today schooling myself up on black powder....went on to tell about cordite and what it was and the corrosion issues...seems WIKI does know a thing or three.... hardcase the WIKI how to on making black powder had simple cartoon illistrations to go with it LOL.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

read interesting article today schooling myself up on black powder....went on to tell about cordite and what it was and the corrosion issues...seems WIKI does know a thing or three.... hardcase the WIKI how to on making black powder had simple cartoon illistrations to go with it LOL.

Just as well I didn't have all that information when I making "black powder" back in school. Might have made something actually dangerous.

I dont believe the Americans or Germans used Cordite.
However there Germans used Steel cases that seem to react with their powder. Although the ball seems nice on the outside the case and projectile are corroded as well as the charge degraded.

The best you can hope for is a weak charge that produces enough pressure to push the bullet out the muzzle. The worst is a blocked bore.

The American stuff from the 1950s suffers from a charge degradation also.perhaps from the breakdown of the powder? Although the cases are brass,the powder is clumsy,has produced gas as well as the copper jacket of the projectiles corroded.

Frankly there is no ammo like new ammo.

Is there any military stuff that has aged/ been stored particularly well over time ?. I'm wondering about S.A. R1M1 7.62x51 in those plastic battle packs.

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

Is there any military stuff that has aged/ been stored particularly well over time ?. I'm wondering about S.A. R1M1 7.62x51 in those plastic battle packs.

There lies the question:

It is not so much the year of manufacturing but rather the temperature fluctuations the item has been subject to. The SA ball in it's battle packs would be fine I am sure.Since despite the outside humidity the inside environment remains the same.

Picked up a few hundred of the Greek .303 from Bronco's, but havn't used it yet. There's the odd round in there that's not Greek, a few CAC, some Brit, even the odd Sth African.

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

Is there any military stuff that has aged/ been stored particularly well over time ?. I'm wondering about S.A. R1M1 7.62x51 in those plastic battle packs.

I have used over 20k of R1M1 without a single tarnished one being seen, and without any other issues