unusual 7.62x51 NATO surplus ammo

[AreWeNotMen?]

Got about 200 rounds of this, I've never seen silver-colored projectiles in 7.62 surplus before. Head stamp MEN92F0002 (Metallwerk Elisenhütte G.m.b.H., Nassau, Lahn, Germany). I'm guessing date manufacture is 1992...does anyone know about the projectile construction/composition? (i.e., why it's not copper washed).
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[Garbcollector]

Looks like some good m1a ammo

[Dirk Tungsten]

yeah, that's really good ammo, but check the cases for pink corrosion. Honestly i can't remember if the corrosion was an issue with the DAG or MEN surplus ammo, but either way it's good stuff. There was some argument online about whether or not it's a cupronickel jacket, but it's def a lead core projectile.

[Duck Killer]

Just a different jacket. Bullets are jacketed not copper wash.

[smle-man]

I think they have cupro-nickel jackets

[jarhead714]

Attracts a magnet as I recall, known to have surface corrosion due to cardboard packaging. Good, accurate stuff. Hit the cartridges with a little steel wool and they’ll clean up real nice.👍🏻

[jsanch03]

Definitely cupro-nickel material similar to some 8mm Mauser

[AreWeNotMen?]

Thanks everyone, I learned something new - "cupro-nickel" (wiki - Cupronickel or copper–nickel (CuNi)...sounds naughty🤭)

I read a bit more about these types of projectiles over at snipershide and they were reported to be very accurate, no concern over bore wear due to being harder than copper jackets, and no reliable support for causing abnormal fouling.

A magnet does stick to the projectile; and there is precious little corrosion/discoloration on the rounds. They'd been stored for at least 20 years in ziplock bags, in an ammo can, in a safe. I'll take them out on my next 7.62x51 (via M1A & M1A Scout, AR-10, and Rem 700 5-R) shooting session and report back.

[sigstroker]

If it's 92 it's prob not surplus, it was prob originally sold on the retail market.

[AreWeNotMen?]

If it's 92 it's prob not surplus, it was prob originally sold on the retail market.

Hmmmm - I'd thought that anything with the NATO stamp and crimped primers would be, by definition, surplus once it hit the commercial market. Even if it was never sold to a NATO force, it would still, by definition, be surplus (i.e., pallets of it sitting at the manufacturer's warehouse, unsold = surplus).

PS - I shot some yesterday, along with other makers for comparison (Fiocchi 147 FMJ, "surplus" B81 R1M1 head-stamp, IMI 169 auto-match, and 175 Sierra MK handloads with 44.5 Varget). The MEN shot about the same as the other "non-match" loads. Velocity ave = 2754, ES = 38 FPS. Note - I only used my Rem 700 5-R as I was short on time; they were very difficult to chamber - so they'll be used in my gas guns only.

[Dirk Tungsten]

Hmmmm - I'd thought that anything with the NATO stamp and crimped primers would be, by definition, surplus once it hit the commercial market. Even if it was never sold to a NATO force, it would still, by definition, be surplus (i.e., pallets of it sitting at the manufacturer's warehouse, unsold = surplus).

PS - I shot some yesterday, along with other makers for comparison (Fiocchi 147 FMJ, "surplus" B81 R1M1 head-stamp, IMI 169 auto-match, and 175 Sierra MK handloads with 44.5 Varget). The MEN shot about the same as the other "non-match" loads. Velocity ave = 2754, ES = 38 FPS. Note - I only used my Rem 700 5-R as I was short on time; they were very difficult to chamber - so they'll be used in my gas guns only.

It's absolutely surplus- it was sold off in the early to mid 2000's. I bought a bunch back then. Again, good ammo. The poster above may be thinking of the MEN produced for the commercial market in the early to mid 2010's.