This arrived today from SGAmmo. 300 rd. can of 1948 production soviet 148gr. ball. SG has some GREAT deals on 7.62x54R btw. Opened the cardboard box and there was the absolute nastiest ammo can I've ever seen! Appears to be galvanized steel with white powdery corrosion all over the outside. Extremely thick bead of soft solder around the top. Looked like something that sat in the magazine of a soviet ship for 70+ years.. lol

I was a bit stumped on how to open the thing. I have a "can opener" for the usual steel spam cans, but this had no lip to hook on to. Noticed a sort of tab on one corner. Got out the channel locks and tried pulling, rolling, twisting..finally a seam opened up and it wasn't hard to get the lid off after that. Smelled like 1948 when that lid opened too... The reason I bought it was because it's on original soviet strippers, not easy to find. I wasn't expecting anything good but the ammo and strippers are pristine. Can't wait to send some downrange!

The pic actually makes the lid / can look better than it does to the naked eye..

Yep, my case of 7.62x25mm Tokarev was identical. If I recall correctly, I stuck a big flathead screwdriver into the seam, pried up an edge, and peeled it right open.

I think I got some Hungarian HB in a can like that. Can is probably toxic waste, but the ammo is good. Your stuff (1948) is some of the older x54 surplus I've seen.

I got some Albanian in a can where the string on one of the paper bundle got trapped in the seam and was sticking out of the can. Crude but effective.

I believe that the white stuff is white lead oxide. The stuff that was used to make really good paint before 1972. It is toxic.

Yeah, the can was galavanized, not painted other then the stenciling on the lid. And it performed its function well, 78 yr. old ammo that looks factory fresh.

I did, however, wear nitrile gloves while handling / opening the can. And the boxes were all removed to a .50 cal ammo can shortly after I took the pic. Can and lid bagged up and disposed of.

I've been shooting from a can of Bulgarian '77 ammo that my rifle really likes. Interested to see how this much older stuff compares.

I have some stuff from 1947. Shoots REALLY well, perhaps some of the best shooting 7.62x54R available.

I got some same stuff from 1947 from AIM, the stenciling was rubbed off the top of the can , was wondering how to open those cans. i didnt see the 54r with stripper clips on Sportsman Guide site

Mine was 1946 from SG and it's awesome. Age is a non issue with corrosive primers, if it was stored well it will last 100 years easy.

Yeah good ammo, smells like piss though. I get rid of the cans ASAP and put the boxes into ammo cans. I've had some corrosion on the cases and got split necks with some of it. Still surefire stuff though.

Yep. I've opened both the spam tins and these and these are by far the easiest. If you use a pair of needle nose pliers and snip off the roll every once in a while, they open as quick as Greek .30-06 tins.

I got one of these from SGAmmo as well.

Question though.

After I opened and removed/relocated its contents, I had a plan to clean the box up and give it to my nephew. Put a hing on the "lid" that came off so he can have an ammo box. He liked the idea.

Is it really not safe to handle? Otherwise I'll give him a .30 can and be done with it. He could spend an hour with windex cleaning it up if I told him to.

Well the solder probably has a lot of lead in it, the galvanized box itself should be no more dangerous than the typical chain link fence post or guardrail. If you look at the inside it should still have that freckled appearance like new galvanizing does. I guess it depends how old he is and whether you think he will spend time licking the lead solder.

Yeah, total bitch to open. Used vice grips, but the tab ripped off. Ended up hacksawing into the end, then prying the lid off with a brake adjusting spoon.

The little cardboard boxes are massively over-engineered with cardboard padding and twine.