Mystery 6.5 Swede Powder

[Maximilian225]

I have some powder I got when I pulled about 250 of the 6.5 X 55 Gallery loads.(was after the primed brass for Lee Cruise Missiles)
I figure this is some sort of fast pistol powder given the gallery cup weighs less than 10 grains.
does anybody have any idea what powder this stuff is close to. :confused:
If pics are needed I will take a couple and post on 2/8/09

Thx in Advance Guys

:castmine:

[Dutchman]

In Swedish military circles it was known as Gevärsexerciskrut 1.

Exact translation is: rifle exercise powder 1
How it was relayed to me: rifle practice powder 1.

It is very close to Unique. I've heard differing opinions as to whether its faster or slightly faster or... To me its just about the same.

Examples of loads I've successfully used with this powder:

In all the following rifles:
1891 Argentine 7.65x53
Finnish Mosin m/1891 (with B-marked Belgian barrel)
m/1903 Springfield
m/1917 Remington

200 gr Lyman 311299 .312" hard cast 12 grains Swede Gallery Powder.
Shoots the same as 12 grs of Unique. In the Argentine Mauser and the Finn Mosin this load will put 7 of 10 rds into one hole at 50 yds.

In the m/1896 Swedish Mauser 6.5x55 with 140 gr Lyman .266" 10.5 grs gives outstanding accuracy at 50 yds. Velocity about 1,500 fps.

In handguns I've loaded for .455 Webley and .45 Auto Rim using the Swede Gallery powder but for reasons of prudence I decided to keep this powder use restricted to rifles. Not saying anything negative happened just that the margin for error is much less in a MkVI Webley so I stopped using it in all handgun applications. But in rifles I've loaded thousands of rounds with this powder with nary a problem.

I'm just now ready to break open my 2nd sealed case of this ammo.

I use small 4" Visegrips set to just grab the cup bullet and twist to remove. The primed case is then put into a Lyman M die .26" and its loaded with powder and crimped with Lee factory crimp die and that's that. Throw away when done. I've not had one single mis-fire with the primed cases. Most were loaded and packed in 1963 it seems.

When these cases of 1,400 rds were $60 with free shipping from Century Arms they were a bargin. But those days are past. I wouldn't pay what they bring now.

http://images45.fotki.com/v1450/photos/2/28344/1676633/ammo1b-vi.jpg

Dutch
http://dutchman.rebooty.com

[Maximilian225]

Dutchman I thank you for this info many times over.

I will most likely utilize this powder under my 170g Lee Cruise Missiles in my 96 Swede.

$60 for 1400 primed cases + powder, Wow would I have liked to got in on that one.

Thank you again sir.
Max

:castmine:

[Doug Bowser]

A Lt Col in the Swedish Army told me that the gallery ammo was made from condemned brass. It should not be used for loading any ammunition taht is near the working pressure of the 6.5x55. The same is true for USGI blank brass. I had a friend that lost an eye when a .30-06 blank case burst near the primer pocket.

Israeli 7.62 NATO Blank brass is also suspect. It is not worth a rifle or your body parts to save money by using condemned brass to load full charge loads. Of course it would be ok to load blank brass for light cast bullet loads.

I had 2 cases of gallery ammo. I gave one case to Phillip Zinke's Son and I still have the other one in my shop. I fire a few rounds now and again but I never would reload the brass.

[twotoescharlie]

the case that I have was manufactured by 'NORMA'

TTC

[Dutchman]

hi Doug

We have conflicting information.

The kammerpatron gallery ammunition is made from once fired cases. Reloaded ammo was commonly used in the Swedish military. Generally those boxes marked "not for automatic weapons" was made from reloaded brass. Soldiers were encouraged to save fired brass.

Dutch

[trooperdan]

I have a couple of cases of the gallery loads as well and I subscribe to the belief that the gallery load was loaded in regular fired ball cases. There is always a Heinz 57 mixture of headstamps, even in a sealed case. That being said, I only use the primed cases for light cast boolit loads anyway!
That gallery load is a lot of fun! Certainly not quiet though.. and I cannot recall the velocity of the little copper cup that is the projectile but it sure makes a neat hole in light sheet metal! I was using empty combloc ammo cases for target backstops and those little cups punched the neatest holes I've seen since I was using a big hydraulic punch on aluminum!

[Dutchman]

9 grains (.6 grams)

velocity of about 1,673 fps (510 m/s)


Dutch

[Doug Bowser]

hi Doug

We have conflicting information.

The kammerpatron gallery ammunition is made from once fired cases. Reloaded ammo was commonly used in the Swedish military. Generally those boxes marked "not for automatic weapons" was made from reloaded brass. Soldiers were encouraged to save fired brass.

Dutch

Dutch,

We do have conflicting information. A lot of the brass in my Norma reloaded pracitice ammo was made in the 1920's as well as brass made in Denmark (HA VI46) in the 1940's. All these early cases were originally primed with corrosive primers, the Danish ammo was manufactured with Mercuric Primers. I ahave always been warned of using cartridge cases that were loaded and fired with corrsive priming for full powered loads in rifles. Especially cases loaded and fired with Mercuric Primers. Since the Swedish Military was encouraged to have ammunition reloaded, how did the 1920's manufactured cases escape reloading for that long a period of time? I personally would never use the brass from a blank, practice or any other low pressure cartridge manufactured for any military organization for full power rifle loads. The brass used could be of inferior quality and still perform the duty that was required of it.