heavy ball splitting

[nadodave]

Searched around and couldn't find anything on this.

My Mosin, which I thought I was having sticky bolt problems, is actually splitting cases. But ONLY with the non-steelcore heavy ball stuff. light ball, it shoots no problem, but heavy ball, (dated from 1940's) every case splits, and I have to hammer open the bolt.

Any thoughts? I'll be doing research of my own, but thought I would post here, (and on one other forum I'm on) as well.


Thanks.

[Josh Smith]

Hello,

Sounds like it's machinegun ammo.

You'll also get batches of surplus that's not properly annealed and splits at the neck or shoulder.

Up until around 1907 the 7.62x54R load was a round-nosed cupro-nickel-jacketed bullet pushing around 2100 to 2200fps.

In 1905 the Germans came up with the spitzer. The Russians, to keep up, switched in c.1907 to 147 grain pointed bullets themselves.

All, or most, heavy ball after that was for machinegun use and likely of higher pressure (I'm guessing at this last).

The Mosin receiver usually will not let go with less than a compressed case of Bulleseye, but you will get pressure signs like sticky bolt in rifles that usually do not have that problem.

Regards,

Josh

[nadodave]

Thanks for the info, Josh.

Is there anything I can buy that will reliably run the heavy ball? (besides a machinegun...)

If not, I guess I've got some ammo to sell!

[TRAP55]

You'll also get batches of surplus that's not properly annealed and splits at the neck or shoulder.

Most common problem, ask anyone that shoots 7.62x25.
Do they all split, or just a few?
Are the cases brass or steel?
What's on the head stamp?

[Josh Smith]

Dave, those particular ones, if they're splitting in your Mosin and your Mosin is in spec, would probably split in machine guns as well.

Difference is wartime (1940s) Soviet Union really couldn't bother with much QC. If it didn't blow up their machine guns, then they were good enough.

The Mosin will reliably digest anything. The Dragunov is designed around light ball only.

The SV-98 could probably shoot it, but you'd have the same problems as with the Mosin and good luck finding one for sale, anyway!

High pressure (overpressure?) is high pressure, and you might be best off pulling the bullets and reducing the loads (slight danger in doing this as you don't know the powder used) or pulling the bullets and selling them alone.

If you do reduce the loads, I would not go less than 42 grains. It's probably something along the lines of IMR 4064 (we donated a lot of that to Russia during WWII) but assumption is the mother of all F-ups, as you know.

Could be something like H4350, which is very slow burning and could flash over with light charges.

Were I the one with these rounds, I'd probably pull the bullets, dump the powder, and replace it with 42 grains of Varget before reseating the bullets.

I know this load is on the lighter side -- not cat sneeze, but not heavy -- and pretty danged accurate from the Mosin given decent bullets. (I would likely weigh the bullets while they were out, too!)

Just depends on how many you have.

Regards,

Josh

[SailorDave]

http://62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinAmmoID.htm

They have charts there to identify the markings and bullets on surplus ammo from the eastern bloc and china. You might be able to match it to yours and find out exactly what you have.

[vincentvangerven]

post some pics of it? interested in buying it from you if the price is right/normal.