VZ-52 / 7.62x45 from PPU Blanks

[spencerhut]

I have a supply of Buffalo Arms Hornady 220 Swift converted to 7.62x45. They work fine, but are like $2 each. Just for the hell of it I got some PPU 7.62x39 blanks to try and convert them to 7.62x45.
1st attempt - clipped off end of live blank with snips. Dumped powder, opened up end of blank with tapered punch and hammer to fit into decapping die. Decapped, annealed, and resized in 7.62x45 dies. Fail Case split.
2nd attempt - Fired blank in AK, grind fired case to approx length on belt sander, anneal, lube with Rooster's Red, and resized in 7.62x45 dies. Result had shoulder in the wrong place. Loaded it anyway, (wavy case mouth and all) 26g of IMR4198 and Hornady 123 SST, salvaged primer from another blank. Fire formed almost perfectly. Hit 100yd gong. Lubed, resized, trimmed and loaded again with Win LR Primer, same bullet and powder. Hit 100yd gong, again. Repeated this for a total of five firings. All five hit the 100yd gong. Case looks great. Should be good for several more loads. 286975

[Kuato]

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/197610

easier route
unless you just have to keep it 7.62x45 that is.

[edp2k]

That type of sleeve notoriously had problem in Garands attempting to convert 30-06 to 308.

[Kuato]

That type of sleeve notoriously had problem in Garands attempting to convert 30-06 to 308.

Indeed they did.. i meerly pointed to another option... do inserts have issues? of course. OP can convert from 6.5x54 mannlicher-schoenauer brass which seems to be the best parent case. Other than that, keep forming the blanks i guess..

[Texas by God]

If PPU or Starline ever made 7.62x45 mm brass; I might still have a SHE- neat guns. I tried forming from the PPU blanks but didn't have the luck going.

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[Rooster]

Any value to old, rusty x45? I've got two cardboard boxes full of rusty ones I bought years ago for the projectiles. Steel cased. Did I mention rusty?

[Kosh75287]

What are you using as a basis for reloading data, once you have formed the cases?

[spencerhut]

I use QuickLoad. But using 7.62x39 data as a starting point will be safe.
7.62x39 = 45k PSI
7.62x45 = 62k PSI

[Hanzy4200]

Very cool. My LGS has had one collecting dust for some time, and I've wondered about the ability to load for it. I figured there were shenanigans involved. I'll save that one for this winter.

[paul edward]

You can make cases from 6.5 Carcano or 6.5 Mannlicher Schoenauer. A word of caution, however, the PPU 6.5 MS I bought for conversion to 7.35x51 are a bit larger at the base, measuring .452". Much will depend on tolerances of your chamber.