I have some old russian 762x39 ammo that is steel cased and all copper-washed(not lacquered) like the old Norinco ammo, with a 539 head stamp (Tula) over a backwards N (Acrylics for I ?).

I was hoping it was steel core and when i pulled one of the bullets it was a 1.04" boat tail bullet but when I cut it open it was a solid lead core FMJ with no hollow nose as seen on most Russian ammo these days and had steel disk underneath the base.

Possibly some of the Remanufactured ammo that used Russian steel cases from a few years ago.

I believe the M 43 Spec called for Steel core from the beginning.

After the import ban some companies pulled the steel core bullets and replaced them with newly manufactured lead core bullets.

I know for a fact a bunch of Hungarian and East German ammo was done this way.

I can't see the picture.

The "backwards N" / Cyrillic " I " is a date code for the year 1955.

Agree that this is from one of the several lots of remanufactured ammunition where the original projectile (steel core ball, tracer, etc...) was removed and replaced with lead core to make it importable.

Never saw one with a steel disc in the base of the projectile though.