7.62x39 conversion info.

[rabiddawg]

I agree vascar2.

If I ca get hornady for $1.00 or less I stock up and save my brass.

One thing about the x39 deal, it's nice to have that option if it's the only game in town.

[oldbarnowl]

Lapua 7.62X39...

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/506066/lapua-reloading-brass-762x39mm-box-of-100

Box of 100 $66.99

Lapua 6.5 grendel :

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/823572/lapua-reloading-brass-65-grendel-box-of-100

Box of 100 $ 104.99


While I understand manufacturer's economics around a smaller volume item, the price difference keeps me buying 7.62x39 brass. I buy Hornady ammo and Hornady 123 gr. Bullets to reload with. I appreciate their efforts, as well to
support the caliber.

[LR1955]

Lapua 7.62X39...

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/506066/lapua-reloading-brass-762x39mm-box-of-100

Box of 100 $66.99

Lapua 6.5 grendel :

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/823572/lapua-reloading-brass-65-grendel-box-of-100

Box of 100 $ 104.99


While I understand manufacturer's economics around a smaller volume item, the price difference keeps me buying 7.62x39 brass. I buy Hornady ammo and Hornady 123 gr. Bullets to reload with. I appreciate their efforts, as well to
support the caliber.

OBO:

I could at best get four loadings off of one 7.62 X 39 brass before the primer pockets opened up too much for my liking. I can get at least 20 loadings per piece of Lapua brass. Five times more loadings. That means for every $104.00 one spends on 100 pieces of Lapua brass, they need to spend about $280.00 on 7.62 X 39 brass. Not sure how many pieces of 7.62 X 39 brass you ruin when you size them down. For me it was about 10%. So, at least in my case, it would cost about four times as much for 7.62 X 39 brass as Lapua brass.

LR55

[oldbarnowl]

OBO:

I could at best get four loadings off of one 7.62 X 39 brass before the primer pockets opened up too much for my liking. I can get at least 20 loadings per piece of Lapua brass. Five times more loadings. That means for every $104.00 one spends on 100 pieces of Lapua brass, they need to spend about $280.00 on 7.62 X 39 brass. Not sure how many pieces of 7.62 X 39 brass you ruin when you size them down. For me it was about 10%. So, at least in my case, it would cost about four times as much for 7.62 X 39 brass as Lapua brass.

LR55

I believe you, and I probably ruin 10% easily. I was mostly frustrated with the price differential of virtually identical brass, Metallurgy of the two Lapua cartridges must be similar, probably made on the same line.

[LR1955]

I believe you, and I probably ruin 10% easily. I was mostly frustrated with the price differential of virtually identical brass, Metallurgy of the two Lapua cartridges must be similar, probably made on the same line.

OBO:

Roger -- I hear you on the frustration part. If the Lapua 7.62 X 39 brass uses small primers, you may get a few more firings. The problem with the 7.62 X 39 brass aside from it taking much less powder and thus having much lower velocities is the primer pockets open up very fast. That is why you get a couple firings then have to discard the brass.

Oh yes, you may want to take a internal neck reamer and cut out the donuts that will form in your 7.62 X 39 brass after the first shot. They will cause higher pressures which probably contributed to the primer pockets opening up in a couple of shots.

LR55

[454bore]

The best results I got using converted fire formed brass is using 95 grain v-maxs over 31.7 grains CFE.
I turned the necks about 70 percent and used cci 200 primers.
Seated them 10 thou off the lands.
Pretty good velocity and half inch groups at 100 yards.
Primers are holding up better than previous efforts.
CFE seems to work well for holding pressure down and getting good accuracy.

[pinzgauer]

I'm still shooting converted IMI 7.62x39 from way back. Yep, it won't last as long, but I'm seeing 5-6 reloads on average.

Primer pockets are what go, and I've started testing for loose ones two ways:
1) If it's very soft seating the primer, I mark it and retire the brass after shooting
2) I use the Lee pilot from the trimming tool to try to hand press the primer out after shooting. Any which I can are immediately retired.

Yes, case capacity is lower, so you have to work up to loads. But, interestingly enough, velocity is not down as much as you would expect. IE: It's not linear.

I pretty much only shoot 100-123g bullets, so any of the long ones might be at more of a disadvantage.

At this point, it's not worth buying 7.62x39 and converting it. False economy, LR is right.

But if I was given a decent lot of same headstamp 7.62x39 brass I'd have no problem using it, especially for training/plinking.

One other trick: I had a fireforming load using AA2230 and 100gr that shot very close to the POI of my 123g AMAX and Nosler CC loading at 50-100 yd ranges. So fireforming was never wasted shots for me.

All that said: All my Lapua Grendel cases have individual names and serial numbers. I have a hard time not hoarding them back from when they were unobtanium. :-)

the point will come when my IMI fireformed brass is retired. But until then, I'm still shooting it