Is this clandestine ammo? "7.62mm" headstamp

[dmclark523]

Sorry if this is the wrong area, seemed like the best place to post.

I recently received a pile of 7.62x51 mil-surp ammo. It came from the family of a gentleman who recently passed away, and they know nothing about it's history.

As the pictures show, the ammo comes packed into 15rd waxy-paper boxes. The boxes have no markings of any sort. The headstamp only reads "7.62MM". No factory markings
or symbols.
I did some research and this was the only forum post I could find on this ammo: http://m14forum.com/ammunition/66580...headstamp.html

I can also confirm, after pulling one, this is the same: Berdan primed, red sealant around what appear to be curved primers, 146-147gn FMJ.
It reminds me of some old 1970-1980's Commbloc 7.62x39 ammo I shot a while back (although that had factory markings).

If anyone can tell me anything else about this, knows any history, or even has a theory, i'd love to hear it!
It came to me clean, dry, and i'm sure it will go bang. Just not sure if I would be better off saving some or trying to sell it, if it's worth anything?

[Scharfschuetze]

I'm not familiar with it. The domed primer and the stab type crimp look faintly European to me.

[Uncle Jimbo]

I use this site to help id cartridges and it says that MM is made by
Musgrave Manufacturers and Distributors (Pty) Ltd, P O Box 183, Bloemfontein, Republic of South Africa. Maybe this is it.

http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=headstampcodes

[dmclark523]

I use this site to help id cartridges and it says that MM is made by
Musgrave Manufacturers and Distributors (Pty) Ltd, P O Box 183, Bloemfontein, Republic of South Africa. Maybe this is it.

http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=headstampcodes

I think the MM part of 7.62MM stands for "7.62 millimeter".

[tomme boy]

Yugo made

[17nut]

I'm not familiar with it. The domed primer and the stab type crimp look faintly European to me.

The Berdan primer should be a dead giveaway on that!

Next thing it has to be a NATO member that uses 7.62x51.

Maybe some clues: http://m14forum.com/ammunition/66580...headstamp.html

[leebuilder]

Not sure
but it is packaged excating like alot of yugo ammo i have had in the past, 15 rds per box same lid, same primer sealant.
But all that stuff had was marked NNy or PPU. I had 8mm, 303 and 7.62x54r good ammo top quality brass but it was hot.
It has no maker mark or NATO standard mark, possibly from Serbia during the Yugo wars in the ninetys.
Hope this helps.
i have a pile of the south african ammo, very good ammo but the boxes are slighty different and 20 rds per box and they were stamped PMP for Pretoria Metal Pressings, also top quality ammo. Never seen MM ammo i am sure it is for milimeters but seen many Musgrave made 308 target rifle, also top drawer j-thingy launchers,,,,,, possible link.
Berdan primer is not nessesarily eastern european. All that PMP ammo i have is berdan primed, i have recent produced german, austrian and english ammo all berdan primed.
be well

[tomme boy]

I had some other 308 ammo that was sold as Eastern Euro back in the 90's. It looked really good but was absolute junk. They actually took 8x57 cases and trimmed and necked the cases down to a 308 case. They were all FMJ. I remember looking at the headstamps and stopped counting at 15 different stamps. I don't have anymore of these. I pulled them all down and scrapped the cases. I reloaded them into real 308 cases and then they were actually not bad as they actually had a consistant charge.

[Scharfschuetze]

The Berdan primer should be a dead giveaway on that!

Not always true 17nut, although that is an easy assumption to make. The rounds could easily come from South America or Central Asia. I've been to both of those places and shot their ammo, but their ammo just looks different to the eye. South Africa produced a bunch of 7.62 X 51 also. South African forces as well as the former Rhodesian Forces made a lot of cross boarder incursions into surrounding countries in the 70s and the 80s. Sterile ammo would certainly have been of use on those ops.

By the way, all those places listed above use Berdan priming for much of their ammo so that is not always a specific indicator of where ammo was made.

[higgins]

Just because it's 7.62x51 and looks good, don't assume it's noncorrosive. It does have a Yugoslavian "look" to it. The Yugoslavs loaded corrosive 8x57mm right up through the 70s and into the 80s. It could be corrosive, so clean accordingly.

[samari46]

Red primer sealant and domed corrosive primers are the same as the Yugo heavy ball I have at home. Same type sealant and primers are also on the 1200 round cases of 7.62x39 I've seen at gunshows. Treat it as corrosive in any event. A similar question came up on the gunboards forum recently and the general consensus wat that it was yugo and corrosive. Frank

[salpal48]

I have seen That ammo before. I was told It was From Portugal. Portugal even Though a NATO country. will Make ammo for any Country Or whatever as Long as they Pay. since It does Not have the NATO + (cross.) it does Not have to meet nato standards and Therefore classified as Unknown . Clandestine, maybe shipped To a Country not on The Nato List of approval.. Portugal 5.56 Has that same Look with the Red primer seal

[tomme boy]

Yugo ammo with the red and orange colored primer sealant are corrosive. It is not until you see it made with the green sealant that it goes non corrosive and boxer primed as well.

[tomme boy]

The Portugal ammo I have seen has either green or no sealant. Has been marked with FNM,BF.

Yugo sells their ammo and Arms to whomever pays. They will make it without any headstamp if you want.