I have a line on one of these tins. 550 rounds of "mild steel core" ammo. mostly just need to know if its corosive or not, outside of that, im curious as to how it shoots etc.

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Pull a bullet, dump the powder and fire the empty cartridge at 1-2 inches against a bare steel sheet.  Check it in 24-36 hrs for corrosion.

Or assume it is.

Interesting. I cant shoot within city limits and the the range would probably give me a hard time too. Thanks. I was hoping someone already knew...

All Chinese military 7.62x39mm is corrosive. Non-corrosive (for the commercial market) did not get imported until the late 80s - early 90s. The ammunition in question is 1975 and 1977 vintage.

What you have there is garden variety Chinese Type 56 steel core ball. I personally consider it better than some of the more recent Russian stuff, but keep in mind it is over 40 years old...

FWIW, the can is a different manufacturer and year than the ammo in the second pic. Still the same basic stuff though.

Chinese steel core ball is generally corrosive.  It's not bad ammo overall, just a PITA to clean the rifle.  


Side note, it was banned in part because it is somewhat AP...not really true AP but it does penetrate well as it fails to expand at all.  FYI in case you have backstop issues.  It will spark and start fires...

Awesome. Than you all for the info. I'm trying to decide if 69 cents per round is worth having a tin of this stuff set back...

For corrosive stuff, would a spray down with windex and a good wipe down/oil neutralize it?

Good article on cleaning after shooting corrosive ammunition.

I use Ballistol.

It used to sell for $1.00 per round to the right buyer (guys who think this is AP) Factoring in the value of 55 stripper clips reduces your per-round cost.

Steel core is not AP. Not even close. It does penetrate cover, like wood and masonry, better than lead core though. The tradeoff is that it tends to leave a less damaging wound track than flat based lead core projectiles like Yugo M-67.

You don't "neutralize" corrosive ammo residue, you dissolve it with water because it is a salt and wash it away. Lots of methods out there but soap and very hot water works fine, followed by regular oiling.

It’s corrosive.

I am Pretty sure you are correct.

I bought tins of this ammo back in the day for $39 a tin if I remember right. I always cleaned with water first, then regular cleaning with Hoppes. I have never had any problem with corrosion if I did my part on cleaning. I still have several hundred rounds of this ammo. Excellent ammo.

added: I also have cardboard boxed 20 round Chinese ammo from the early eighties. Per most peoples thought at the time it was new, consider all Chinese ammo corrosive even when marked non-corrosive.