7.62x54R Blanks

[petroid]

Don't know if this is the right place. Mods?

anyway, was at LGS today and they had 15rd boxes of 7.62x54R blanks for $8.99 it was PPU brass and was full case length extended past the normal mouth and crimped. I assume it was boxer primed and was wondering if the brass could be cut and trimmed to use as regular reloadable brass. A little expensive just to get the brass but in a pinch???

[richhodg66]

The PPU ammo I have used is boxer and good stuff. I haven't looked for any for a while, but is it so had to find that this would be worth considering? I think I'd keep looking for PPU brass or loaded ammo.

[GhostHawk]

I think I paid 15$ recently for loaded rounds of 7.62x54r PPU SP, so in theory, potentially worth doing.

I think the price is perhaps a bit high.

But I've seen boxer primed brass sell for more than that for several calibers.

I'm no doubt a bit strange but I have been pulling apart some of those PPU Soft points, saving the bullets, reloading them light with IMR 4895, and my cast .312185. I need to get to the range and see how those shoot. The bullets I've been reloading into 7.62x39 for hunting loads, as I simply was not finding much in the SP for it, and the ones I did find tended to be pricey.

[petroid]

Ghost hawk I have a box and a half of those still because they are no fun to shoot with that steel buttplate. One day I'll just go pill the bullets like you do and load them lighter. Should be fine for deer to 100 yards.
Ive also been thinking about getting an m95 steyr and wonder if the blanks could be formed into 8mn mannlicher

[GhostHawk]

Petroid I tell you true, first time I pulled the trigger on the Mosin I'm dang glad I was sitting at a bench. It reminded me of back when I was 135 lbs dripping wet, and a guy handed me a .300 weatherby magnum to try. I lined it up, touched it off, got up off the ground, dusted myself off, handed the guy back his gun. Thanked him for the experience, he thanked me for not letting go of his gun or letting it hit the ground.

WHAM shaking my head, white as a sheet, my buddy looks at me "You ok ghosth?"
I'm sitting there, looking at the Mosin, the target, my buddy, the mosin, around and around the circle.
Yeah, reckon I will be, was a bit more than I was expecting from this old girl for sure.

I fired a few more but it was kicking like a mule and about to give me a flinch.
So I thought about it and started looking at how much I can lighten those loads.

I suspect a good cast 150-185 grain bullet with a 20-25 gr charge of 4895 should shoot reasonably straight and be a whole lot more comfortable.

I also have some ideas about that steel butt plate. Fine if your a soldier and knocking in heads. But not so great for a 60 year old guy who's mostly shot shotgun and .22lr for the last 20 years.

[petroid]

Haha yeah they have a little punch. I shoot the 312185 over Ed Harris' "The Load" and it's much more comfortable. So far I've only gotten about 2" at 50 yards but my latest batch of boolits I think have some promise. I had an alignment issue with the mold that I think I've finally got sorted and the boolits are coming out really nice now. I've PC'd and sized to .315 and hoping to improve the group.

[NuJudge]

Is the actual headstamp 'PPU' (which would probably indicate recent production, intended for non-military), or is it 'nny'? My guess from the 15 round packages is you will find the actual headstamp is nny, which is Cyrillic for PPU. My guess is that you will find it is surplus, corrosive, and using .254" Berdan primers.

I like PPU rifle brass, even the Berdan primed cases, but nobody has imported .254" Berdan primers since 1990.

[petroid]

Yes it is PPU headstamped blanks. They have them on Natchez if you want a pic. Brass has a second shoulder at case mouth and is extended as if it were a bullet and crimped closed on the end. I actually think they might work well for forming 8x56 Mannlicher

[mold maker]

I just got some PPU brass from Graffs.

[jr612]

I'm aware of the age of this thread but I was wondering what happened, that is, are the blanks usable for reloads?

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Military blanks were often made from brass which had been found unsuitable, for one reason or another, for loading as standard rounds. It could well have been decided before they were trimmed to length.

But if you fire one at a piece of brightened carbon steel plate, and stand it in a humid place for a day or two, you will pretty soon see if it is corrosive or not.

[jr612]

well I already ordered a few ppu blanks so I'll see if they work or not.

[jr612]

In case anyone else is wondering here are my findings so far.

http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii593/jr612/DSCF1442_zpskebn8j8w.jpg (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/jr612/media/DSCF1442_zpskebn8j8w.jpg.html)

Both cases are stamped PPU, both have the same wall thickness, and both weigh the same. So it's safe to say these blanks will work for what I intend to reload.

[tomme boy]

What about the size of the flash hole. Regular blanks for pistol are larger holes to burn the powder better.

[jr612]

The flash hole is the same. Other than having the longer neck, the blanks appear to be exactly the same are the regular rounds.

[jr612]

Actuality there is a rather significant difference that I didn't notice initially. Anyone who's looked into homemade cases will know what I'm talking about. There is a notifiable seam between the case rim and body.

http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii593/jr612/DSCF1448_zps4yavodqo.jpg (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/jr612/media/DSCF1448_zps4yavodqo.jpg.html)

Even with this new finding I am fairly certain the cases will do fine with light to medium cast loads.

[nagantguy]

Not goshple by any means but a buddy of mine who works at a local plant that makes bullets and brass buy the train car load under contract for ours and other governments says blanks are usually made thinner in the neck and shoulder and often of metal deemed substandard for use in regular ammo.

[jr612]

In conclusion, I have gone as high as 20grs of 2400 without any indications that this brass is being pushed to it's limits. 16.5gr seems to be the most accurate for me so I think I'll be fine. Also, this brass may be inferior, and may not be intended to be used with max loads with jacketed bullets. But that's not why we are here is it?