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OT: Reloading surplus 7.62x39?

C

capital7

Cast Iron
Joined
May 20, 2016
Location
Barrie
Hello all,

Recently turned 18 (Age to acquire PAL in Canada) and have been looking to get my first rifle, just for range shooting.

I've been looking at the surplus SKS in particular, cheapest rifle I can get, and surplus ammunition is fairly cheap (~$350 for 1500 rounds, although it has corrosive primers)

My question is, would it be worth while reloading the cases?
Are 7.62x39 easy to reload?
Is documentation readily available?

I know .22 is the best price wise, but I want something with a little more kick.

Other caliber suggestions are always welcome!!

Thanks,
Capital7
 
Hello: That is a good rifle (SKS) even the cheaper ones function quite well and are fairly accurate however corrosive ammo in my opinion is not worth the trouble of reloading.. First off it is Berdan primed usually with two flash holes instead of the center flash hole in boxer primed cases..I have reloaded many cartridges of that caliber and can say that you are far better off with boxer primed cases....Remington and Winchester both make cases for that caliber here in the USA the only difference is one takes a large rifle primer and the other a small rifle primer (boxer)..One good thing about the foreign corrosive ammo in steel cases is that they just rust away after being fired...

On another note always remember to clean your rifle thoroughly after using corrosive ammo as rusting starts usually about three hours after the last round is fired.. Hot soapy water, cold soapy water, or just water as the old British ww2 manual says but GET THE RESIDUE OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.. Ramsay 1:)
 
ramsay1 said:
Hello: That is a good rifle (SKS) even the cheaper ones function quite well and are fairly accurate however corrosive ammo in my opinion is not worth the trouble of reloading.. First off it is Berdan primed usually with two flash holes instead of the center flash hole in boxer primed cases..I have reloaded many cartridges of that caliber and can say that you are far better off with boxer primed cases....Remington and Winchester both make cases for that caliber here in the USA the only difference is one takes a large rifle primer and the other a small rifle primer (boxer)..One good thing about the foreign corrosive ammo in steel cases is that they just rust away after being fired...

On another note always remember to clean your rifle thoroughly after using corrosive ammo as rusting starts usually about three hours after the last round is fired.. Hot soapy water, cold soapy water, or just water as the old British ww2 manual says but GET THE RESIDUE OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.. Ramsay 1:)
Click to expand...

Good to know about the different primers!

I haven't seen any casings for the 7.62x39 on their own for reloading in Canada yet (Possible because of the amount of surplus) I tried Cabelas, looked online a little bit, I don't think I'm looking hard enough.

You said
One good thing about the foreign corrosive ammo in steel cases is that they just rust away after being fired...
Click to expand...
Why is this a good thing?

And I am a little OCD with keeping my toys clean :P A field strip and a good cleaning after every outing, plus a full disassembly and clean once or twice a month should be fine :)

Thank you!
 
It's hard to suggest a rifle when the only requirement you've expressed is that you want a rifle.

In that case, an SKS is a rifle. You can apparently afford it. So it's a good choice.

I don't know what prices are like in Canadia, but reloading 7.62x39 would be... questionable... in USA. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone reloading x39 for any reason other than because they already had the equipment and too much time on their hands, or a desire to see "how accurate" of an AK type rifle they could build... and so were trying to make very controlled and precise ammo for it.

Though nowadays the prices have gone up, even here.

While possible, you should just tell yourself that you cannot reload Berdan primed ammo. Stick with the Boxer primed ammo if you want to buy stuff specifically to reload.

If you don't own the machines to reload yet, I fail to see any reasonable ROI for reloading the ammo after buying equipment. I think you should wait until you've owned and shot the rifle for over a year to see how much you -really- will shoot, to estimate whether it's worth reloading or just buying spam cans of ammo as-needed.
 
Quite a bit of the surplus ammunition in that caliber is Berdan primed, which will make you work harder assuming you can find Berdan primers.

An SKS is not a bad little rifle but about the only practical point I could see for trying to reload for one was if it were the only rifle you had and needed soft-point hunting cartridges and AFAIK those are commercially available although not at super cheap price.
 
JNieman said:
It's hard to suggest a rifle when the only requirement you've expressed is that you want a rifle.

In that case, an SKS is a rifle. You can apparently afford it. So it's a good choice.

I don't know what prices are like in Canadia, but reloading 7.62x39 would be... questionable... in USA. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone reloading x39 for any reason other than because they already had the equipment and too much time on their hands, or a desire to see "how accurate" of an AK type rifle they could build... and so were trying to make very controlled and precise ammo for it.

Though nowadays the prices have gone up, even here.

While possible, you should just tell yourself that you cannot reload Berdan primed ammo. Stick with the Boxer primed ammo if you want to buy stuff specifically to reload.

If you don't own the machines to reload yet, I fail to see any reasonable ROI for reloading the ammo after buying equipment. I think you should wait until you've owned and shot the rifle for over a year to see how much you -really- will shoot, to estimate whether it's worth reloading or just buying spam cans of ammo as-needed.
Click to expand...

Ahh yes, I guess I should have mentioned what I'm looking for in the rifle...

Something reliable, I'm not a gunsmith, but would like to get into it eventually.
Something with decent accuracy, I'm not looking to go to competitions.
Iron sights to start with, then maybe a sight, or scope.
Semi or bolt action, not single shot.
cheap(ish) ammunition, but something with a bit of kick, hence why I ruled out .22 (if I get one it will be a Ruger 10/22)
And preferably sub $500 Canadian (SKS being $200 at current prices)

As per Ramsay1's mention of the different primers, now that I think about it there would not be much point in reloading, as the surplus rounds are Berdan, and not easily reloaded if I am getting the right message.

I'll take your advice and wait a year, see how much I shoot, and see if it is worth the extra for reloading.

Thanks!
 
Scottl said:
Quite a bit of the surplus ammunition in that caliber is Berdan primed, which will make you work harder assuming you can find Berdan primers.

An SKS is not a bad little rifle but about the only practical point I could see for trying to reload for one was if it were the only rifle you had and needed soft-point hunting cartridges and AFAIK those are commercially available although not at super cheap price.
Click to expand...

I don't currently hunt, but I would like to try it, I have friends that hunt.

If I were to take up hunting I would probably get a different rifle specifically for hunting, something more accurate to avoid injuring the animal without putting it down, I'd like to keep it humane.
 
capital7 said:
Good to know about the different primers!

I haven't seen any casings for the 7.62x39 on their own for reloading in Canada yet (Possible because of the amount of surplus) I tried Cabelas, looked online a little bit, I don't think I'm looking hard enough.

You said
Why is this a good thing?

And I am a little OCD with keeping my toys clean :P A field strip and a good cleaning after every outing, plus a full disassembly and clean once or twice a month should be fine :)

Thank you!
Click to expand...

Old cases rust away leaving no mess....Many of the SKS rifles have chrome lined bores and chambers but any part that is not plated and is carbon steel will begin to rust quite rapidly if not cleaned thoroughly ... Potassium chlorate is a type of salt left behind from corrosive primers... Do not depend on sweets or hoppe's 9 or any other modern bore cleaner to remove the residue..Soap and water is best!... Try Midway USA for your cases....

Hornady Bullets 7.62x39mm (31 Diameter) 123 Grain Spire Point

Winchester Reloading Brass 7.62x39mm

I use to buy the cheap Chinese ammo that was steel core copper washed steel case until our idiots in congress (schumer) and the like declared them "cop killer bullets". None have ever killed a cop but that does not matter.. Happy reloading! Ramsay 1:)
 
An SKS is not really my choice for many things. They typically are not that accurate. I know many people have killed whitetail deer in the midwest with them, but I prefer a better rifle, I guess. Some of them aren't bad. I do know some that were pleasant to shoot and were not worn to shit by the time the owner got it, and so shot well. But still, shooting "well" for an SKS is not that fantastic. But it's good enough for "pie plate at 100 yards" like most people only care to have.

In the case you do use it for hunting, there are good hunting bullets for it. They have been linked above. Your typical big box outdoors store likely has something.

You could do worse than an SKS but don't set your expectations very high.

Gunsmithing is expensive. Real gunsmithing requires special tools, jigs, etc. Professional gunsmiths don't make much money. It's typically a profession they just love, IME. A rare few get rich, but mostly it's not from the gunsmithing work itself. As a hobbyist or at-home guy, the price of precision tooling to get simple jobs done will likely make you shy away. Borrowing tools or renting them might be good enough for you. Many suppliers will have a 'rental' price for some of the tools.
 
Complete ammo is too inexpensive to allow reloading for economic reasons.
(Though I did just purchase 30 rounds of Lapua at well over $1 each just to see how they were made.)

Bullets of any quality cost a quarter of a dollar, with better ones double that. A complete round of Tula sells for 27 cents.

Then there is the primer thing. Berdan are laborsome to remove and new ones can be scarce to purchase.

But.

The SKS is a fine 100 meter plinker /hunter. The 123 grain and 154 grain SP loads are useful in the field, and the FMJ poke nice holes in paper and pumpkins. The rifle is extremely simple to clean and maintain. It will be at it's best with some knowledgeable trigger work and a rear aperture sight such as the Tech-sight. SKS Products | Tech Sights. The only reason for a scope would be if you have problem eyesight.

Down side is accuracy, 5-6 MOA is about all you can expect although you might get lucky from time to time. ;-)
I'm thinking that little CZ-527 would be fun in X39. That I would put a 4X glass on.
 
ramsay1 said:
Old cases rust away leaving no mess....Many of the SKS rifles have chrome lined bores and chambers but any part that is not plated and is carbon steel will begin to rust quite rapidly if not cleaned thoroughly ... Potassium chlorate is a type of salt left behind from corrosive primers... Do not depend on sweets or hoppe's 9 or any other modern bore cleaner to remove the residue..Soap and water is best!... Try Midway USA for your cases....

Hornady Bullets 7.62x39mm (31 Diameter) 123 Grain Spire Point

Winchester Reloading Brass 7.62x39mm

I use to buy the cheap Chinese ammo that was steel core copper washed steel case until our idiots in congress (schumer) and the like declared them "cop killer bullets". None have ever killed a cop but that does not matter.. Happy reloading! Ramsay 1:)
Click to expand...


Good to know about not using Hoppe's 9! A friend of mine has a Mosin Nagant and uses that, not sure if he has fired the surplus ammo he got yet!

Not sure what our laws are on those rounds up here, if not banned already...
The surplus that we have up here is all marked Russian from what I've seen, although it may be the Chinese stuff marked for Russia (They have a funny way of labeling stuff :p)

Funny, small calibre "Cop killer" bullets are banned... But you can still buy .50 BMG rounds and a .50 Beowulf in some states I've heard :p

And up here... god forbid anyone have a little .25 or .32ACP... But have all he 9mm or 45ACP you want :nutter:

5 rounds per rifle, 10 per pistol (Or 10 in your rifle if its a pistol cartridge)
No limit on .22LR though..... 110 round drum mags for the 10/22 are readily available...

Is it just me? Or does this not make sense?
 
Another thing to be aware of with an SKS is that many of them have stocks made of very soft wood. Some of the Chinese ones probably could be described as firewood grade.

I don't know what you are looking for in a rifle but IMO a good used bolt-action rifle in a popular caliber might be a better buy. The two most popular calibers in the U.S. are probably .223 and .308 and I suspect also in Canada.
 
CalG said:
Complete ammo is too inexpensive to allow reloading for economic reasons.
(Though I did just purchase 30 rounds of Lapua at well over $1 each just to see how they were made.)

Bullets of any quality cost a quarter of a dollar, with better ones double that. A complete round of Tula sells for 27 cents.

Then there is the primer thing. Berdan are laborsome to remove and new ones can be scarce to purchase.

But.

The SKS is a fine 100 meter plinker /hunter. The 123 grain and 154 grain SP loads are useful in the field, and the FMJ poke nice holes in paper and pumpkins. The rifle is extremely simple to clean and maintain. It will be at it's best with some knowledgeable trigger work and a rear aperture sight such as the Tech-sight. SKS Products | Tech Sights. The only reason for a scope would be if you have problem eyesight.

Down side is accuracy, 5-6 MOA is about all you can expect although you might get lucky from time to time. ;-)
I'm thinking that little CZ-527 would be fun in X39. That I would put a 4X glass on.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the accuracy insight!

I play paintball and have pulled apart the trigger groups too many times to count, I know its not the same by any means, but with some research it should help me get on the right track.

Reason for the scope was that I already have a few laying around from paintball (Bought a marker off a guy who put $300+ scopes on them and couldn't hit anything) but if he accuracy on he SKS is that bad then I wont bother :) I'll save them for a better rifle.

I also like the compatibility of the 7.62x39, AK variants (Canada....) Some AR-15 variants, and some others that I've seen.
 
Scottl said:
Another thing to be aware of with an SKS is that many of them have stocks made of very soft wood. Some of the Chinese ones probably could be described as firewood grade.

I don't know what you are looking for in a rifle but IMO a good used bolt-action rifle in a popular caliber might be a better buy. The two most popular calibers in the U.S. are probably .223 and .308 and I suspect also in Canada.
Click to expand...

.223 and .308 are both common in Canada, I'm only looking at the SKS as a starter rifle, something to get my feet wet and have some fun at the range. I will eventually get a nicer rifle (I like the bolt action feel) for hunting.

EDIT: The surplus ones at Cabelas say they are authentic Russian surplus, and there are also different aftermarket stocks to choose from if need be.
 
JNieman said:
An SKS is not really my choice for many things. They typically are not that accurate. I know many people have killed whitetail deer in the midwest with them, but I prefer a better rifle, I guess. Some of them aren't bad. I do know some that were pleasant to shoot and were not worn to shit by the time the owner got it, and so shot well. But still, shooting "well" for an SKS is not that fantastic. But it's good enough for "pie plate at 100 yards" like most people only care to have.

In the case you do use it for hunting, there are good hunting bullets for it. They have been linked above. Your typical big box outdoors store likely has something.

You could do worse than an SKS but don't set your expectations very high.

Gunsmithing is expensive. Real gunsmithing requires special tools, jigs, etc. Professional gunsmiths don't make much money. It's typically a profession they just love, IME. A rare few get rich, but mostly it's not from the gunsmithing work itself. As a hobbyist or at-home guy, the price of precision tooling to get simple jobs done will likely make you shy away. Borrowing tools or renting them might be good enough for you. Many suppliers will have a 'rental' price for some of the tools.
Click to expand...

Gunsmithing would just be a hobby for me, and just simple stuff (If there is such thing :p)

And the SKS would just be something to take to the range, have some fun, try and hit the target till I get a better rifle that I can make groupings with.
 
I have three SKS, one I think a parade model because it is so nice...all still new in the original box.. and never shot.
I think it would be a fun gun but not highly accurate, perhaps 4” to 8” at 100 yards.
Ok deer gun to perhaps to around 150 yards.
Not the best scope mounting.
Still not knocking the SKS it will be a fun gun to shoot
The 243 or like offers more bullet weights and so also a fun gun to shoot. But 243 shells are higher priced.
Reloading for cost savings not a big deal unless you are doing a whole lot of shooting IMHO. Not worth it for the SKS as it would be hard to load for 25 cents..

Can you come to the states to buy you gun?
Better price in Canada..44 Not Found 1

7.62x39 Ammo | Bulk 7.62x39 (AK-47) Ammunition For Sale Cheap
 
Get one, It can always be sold later if you don't want it, But for their cost, just keep it as "the first".
Purchase 500 rounds so you can go out and put some lead out there without running back to the store to buy more.
5 rounds goes quickly. (I've cut down a spare magazine cover purchased just to make a five round only version. It's sleek and a great "gunsmithing" project. (We have a 5 round limit when in the field for game)

Be sure to completely disassemble, clean and inspect the bolt face and firing pin. Pierced primers and jammed pins leading to slam fires (full auto actually) have been an issue for some. CLEAN AND INSPECT! The FP is free floating. Keep it that way

Check with "Kavaari" on the trigger work. http://www.kivaari.com/. Or do your research and DIY . Another worth while gunsmithing project. But it is NOT a simple trigger to understand in regards to geometry and interrupts.
 
CalG said:
Get one, It can always be sold later if you don't want it, But for their cost, just keep it as "the first".
Purchase 500 rounds so you can go out and put some lead out there without running back to the store to buy more.
5 rounds goes quickly. (I've cut down a spare magazine cover purchased just to make a five round only version. It's sleek and a great "gunsmithing" project. (We have a 5 round limit when in the field for game)

Be sure to completely disassemble, clean and inspect the bolt face and firing pin. Pierced primers and jammed pins leading to slam fires (full auto actually) have been an issue for some. CLEAN AND INSPECT! The FP is free floating. Keep it that way

Check with "Kavaari" on the trigger work. http://www.kivaari.com/. Or do your research and DIY . Another worth while gunsmithing project. But it is NOT a simple trigger to understand in regards to geometry and interrupts.
Click to expand...

Canada has he 5 round rifle limit, so all magazines are pinned to 5, I've 3D printed 5 round stripper clips :p

I'll definitely pull it apart and give the whole thing a good cleaning when I get it.

I'll check out Kavaari, as well as do my own research for future reference.

Thank you!
 
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