PMC 7.62 x 39 primer pockets..........

[3006guns]

I used mostly Winchester or Lapua 7.62 x 39 brass when reloading for my sks's. Tonight I had about 30 PMC cases picked up from somewhere and the primer pockets are evidently crimped...quite a surprise for "civilian" ammo! After reaming and bevelling, not once but several times, I was able to get a CCI large rifle primer in with considerable effort. Not a lot of fun and time consuming examining each case to make sure the primers were deep enough.

Has anyone else run into this with PMC brass or was it just my lucky day?

[turtlezx]

yes
there too tight
set them aside and ream the pockets out all at once and there good to go

[3006guns]

Thanks...........the odd thing was that even after reaming/bevelling they were STILL tight. Maybe that's what PMC stands for......."Pockets Made Crimped". I think after these get fired I'll try my RCBS swager and see if that helps.

They were a bugger!

[plainsman456]

I use the RCBS large swager to remove them,just like doing 308 military brass.

[JIMinPHX]

I believe that PMC is Pan Metal Company. I don't believe that they actually make any of their own ammo, but rather just brand label stuff that they buy from various sources. I don't have any of their ammo in front of me now to look at, but I remember seeing made in Nevada & made in Italy on some of their boxes. It varies all over the place. Crimped ammo from them may mean that they are buying from a military contractor now. Perhaps they bought an overrun lot or something like that.

PMC went Chapter 11 several years ago & then somehow came out of it. I don't know if the original management reorganized or if someone from the outside bought them out & started them back up. What they are doing now may be different from what they did in the past.

[HighHook]

I bought a ton of that stuff in the middle 80s. If I remember right it was from Korea.

[Multigunner]

Crimped primers are more reliable in a milspec (plenty of slack) autoloader, as the vast majority of 7.62X39 chambered rifles are.

[Buckshot]

..............PMC makes sporting ammo without crimped pockets. They also sell military type ammo (generally FMJ) what WILL have crimped pockets. I typed 'PMC makes' in the first sentance but it could simply be that PMC 'sources' ammo from various makers, just like Hansens did back in the 90's. I have PMC headstamped 6.5x55 with crimped pockets which came loaded with a 142gr FMJ, and the same with uncrimped pockets which featured a SPBT (I forget the weight now).

Ditto 30-06. I recall that during the first large re-importation of M1 Garands from Korea I'd go to the range and find PMC 30-'06 in piles around the benches. Same as the Swede brass. Military FMJ = crimped, sporting type = uncrimped.

...............Buckshot