Reloading 7.62x54r

[D23]

Hi everyone, I have a stockpile of surplus Russian and Bulgarian 7.62x54r ammo and am wondering about reloading it. Advice would be appreciated. I think they're berdan primed, and the cases are copper or whatever the hell they are. Thanks!

[D23]

Been researching it. Apparently it's too difficult, so no one does it. So save your remarks about how I should have researched it before asking. If anyone's done it though I'm all ears. I don't know why I couldn't resize the cases and convert the berdan to boxer primers.

[Bumslie]

Been researching it. Apparently it's too difficult, so no one does it. So save your remarks about how I should have researched it before asking. If anyone's done it though I'm all ears. I don't know why I couldn't resize the cases and convert the berdan to boxer primers.

It's not that it's too difficult, it's just time consuming.

I've reloaded berdan primer, steel cases for 7.62x39 with a cast bullet. I modified a boxer primer to work with a berdan case and super glued in the primer.

I haven't seen berdan primers in a while. Probably due to import ban. I have 100 sitting around for just on cast.

Use main junkers, aka the ammo channels video to convert.

https://youtu.be/AkKJfvMyuDg

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[Bumslie]

https://youtu.be/GwmmsZ-aX4g

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[hambam105]

I was practicing reloading the MN magazine with a stripper clip. After countless successful attempts, I got one helva metal splinter in my thumb from the steel cartridge case. Poor Me.

[rsrocket1]

Hi everyone, I have a stockpile of surplus Russian and Bulgarian 7.62x54r ammo and am wondering about reloading it. Advice would be appreciated. I think they're berdan primed, and the cases are copper or whatever the hell they are. Thanks!

The cases may be copper colored but are probably steel. Copper is much too soft by itself and a non-steel case is brass. Use a magnet to test them. A magnet does not stick to a brass case. The valuable stuff is brass. Steel cases are considered "useless" but you can actually get a few reloads out of them. The primer type is the real issue. Use a flashlight and look down the case. If you see 2 little holes, they are Berdan primed and you have another issue to overcome. If there is one bigger hole in the center, it's Boxer primed and easier to reload.

There are ways to reload Berdan primed cases, anywhere from prying out he primers with a tool or hydraulically slamming the primers out and reloading with Berdan primers to driling out the flash hole and converting them to use Boxer primers but it's most useful if you do this with brass cases.

The good thing about reloading 7.62x54R is that you can tailor your loads anywhere from full power down to mouse fart loads that recoil just a little more than a rimfire and shoot them for as little as 6 cents a round (if you cast your own bullets).

[Bainter1212]

I have reloaded steel .45acp cases, and I can tell you that you MIGHT get 2 reloads out of them. Many of them cracked after the 2nd firing.
Berdan vs boxer will be your primary problem. The only reason to experiment with it is for SHTF purposes, unless you have a metric ton of time to kill.

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[baih777]

If you buy PPU 7.62x54r they are boxer primed.
But trying to find surplus bullets to make it worth while.

[rsrocket1]

If you cast your own bullets, it's easy but taking up casting just to reload and shoot 7.62x54r is not economical. It's a fun cartridge to play around with.

[ptmn]

Keep an eye on RMR Reloading. Every once in a while they have unfired 7.62x54r primed brass from pulled ammo. Yes it's a one time loading due to the berdan primer and copper washed steel case, but they sell it so cheap, you won't mind reloading once, then tossing the fired brass.