What kind of 7.62x39 is this?

[David Sinko]

Recently a guy at a gun show was selling some odd 7.62x39 cartridges. They were packaged 20 each in hard smoke colored plastic with no label whatsoever. They were RN configuration and very light in weight. The seller insisted that they are blanks, pointing to loose cartridges with crimped brass next to them and saying that they are the same. The crimped stuff obviously was blanks, but the stuff in the plastic box was obviously different. He insisted again that they are the same and wanted to argue with me, so I just walked away.

A few weeks later a guy at the range is shooting this same stuff. He said they are not blanks, as they definitely put holes in targets at 50 yards. He gave me one and I took it home to examine it. The case is a lacquered greenish steel with the numbers 10 and 90 on the head, which I guess is either Bulgarian or Russian manufacture. The bullet is VERY light in weight and attracts a magnet. So... what is it and what's the intended use?

Dave Sinko

 

[Frank237]

I'd hazard a GUESS some sort of practice ammo?

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[Mack]

Sounds like East German short range practice ammo loaded with plastic bullets. Headstamp info and photos would help.

 

[thndrchiken]

That bullet is seated pretty far out, much farther than any 7.62 ammo I've seen.

 

[nightshade2x]

That is East German plastic-core short-range practice ammo. Packed in blister packs per image.

NOT blanks and still VERY dangerous as the do penetrate quite aways. Same rules as regular ammo...

Have fun and be safe.
Nightshade2x

 

[jdh]

The stuff I have looks like that BUT the bullet will stick to a magnet. The package is marked M43.

 

[Dragon88]

One description I have found describes the bullets as plastic core, steel jacketed. That's probably why the bullets will attract a magnet. You can do a google search for "7.62x39 practice ammo forum", and read more in threads on other forums.

The dealer should not have been describing them as "blanks", that is very dangerous. Anything that sends a projectile out of the bore can be lethal, even if the bullet is plastic or rubber. Heck, blanks can be lethal at short range.

 

[Trooperdan]

As said, short-range practice ammo but will do a dam-dam on anything of flesh withion 100 yards for sure! Bullet is a steel jacket with a plastic core.

 

[CTG_COLLECTOR]

As said, short-range practice ammo but will do a dam-dam on anything of flesh withion 100 yards for sure! Bullet is a steel jacket with a plastic core.

Spot on.

I shot several packets of this ammo in my SKS and it functioned 100%. Wish I had bought more...

 

[EricInAZ]

I have a case of some NATO headstamped 7.62x51mm ammo with translucent plastic bullets. Just to see if they really had any punch, I fired one into a phonebook leaning against my orange tree. I now have an orange tree with a plastic bullet embedded deeper into it than a short length of coathanger will reach.

 

[Ironhand]

Yup, East German practice ammo. It was also labeled as "anti-terrorist ammo" by a few U.S. importers, for silly reasons.

Corrosive as heck, like East German M43 ball ammo, but good shooting stuff. I quit shooting it in my Russian SKS due to the rifle going F/A with this ammo, but my Type 56 folder loved it. The slug will penetrate both sides of a Toyota Celica car door, but I found it struggled to get through the heavy cardboard backing at the 100 meter line. Others have reported that this ammo is still deadly at that range, but I must have gotten a different lot, as it didn't have much penetration "oomph" left at 100 meters.