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Posted: 4/2/2008 9:56:33 AM EDT
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Due to the increasing cost of ammo I am looking to purchase a few cases of 7.62x39 ammo. I have been doing a lot of research on ammo prices and the best deal going right now is from Centrury Arms. They are offering 700 round cases of Hotshot 7.62x39 Soft Point for $125.87 (free shipping on orders over $500.00, I would take advantage of this). FYI: The sale does not show on their site yet when you add to cart but the rep told to mention the sale in the comment box and I'll get it. I am wondering if the Hotshot ammo is any good? I'll be paying around .14 per round w/the free shipping. If it's not that great I'll probably go with 1000 round cases of Golden Tiger FMJ from ammoman for $195 shipped - .195 per round. Copes had some good deals on the GT but they are out of stock I have never heard how Hotshot ammo is so I'm wondering how it compares to GT, Wolf, Branauls etc. Also I kind of wanted FMJ but I guess the Soft Point wont be bad - would cause more tramua on un-armored personnel but wouldn't punch through the hard stuff as well as the FMJ. So, - Is Hotshot good stuff? - What would you rather in 7.62x39 - SP or FMJ or both? |
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Here is product description from Century's site Product ID: AM1401 HotShot 7.62X39MM Soft Point Ammo Discounts Apply! Receive A Discount on AM1401Until April 30th! HotShot 7.62X39MM Soft Point Ammo (123GR) Berdan Primed / Non-Corrosive Steel Cased 20rd/box 700rd/case http://www.centuryarms.biz/products.asp?cat=58&pg=2 The discount still does not show up but it is 125.87 per 700 round case |
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I would not buy a large quantity of SP until I knew for a fact that it fed 100% reliably in my rifle. Some AK's don't like SP ammunition. This new Romanian "Hot Shot" brand is OK ammo. Not the best, but not crap either. GT has received very positive reviews and you might be able to find it even cheaper than $195 per K with shipping if you look around more. If I had to buy any 7.62x39mm ammo, which fortunately I don't, I would go with GT or Barnaul FMJ. D.D. |
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Never used Hot Shot so I don't know how good it is. But even if it doesn't have great terminal ballistics, it's cheap. Nothing wrong with stocking up on it as range, plinking, or training ammo. Save better stuff for more serious uses. And BTW, according to my math, $125.87 per 700 rounds equates to $0.179 per round or $179.81 per 1000. |
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Well I could have went with GT and paid $585 for 3k rounds. I went w/the Hotshot, ending up paying $40.00 more and got another 500 rounds. I spoke with a guy from Century who seemed very honest and he advised he likes the Hotshot better than GT. A fellow not affiliated w/century told me he has had both, likes them = and has never had reliability issues with either. The hotshot 7.62x39 is Romanian Military Ammo being marketed under the "Hotshot" name - thus I do not think it is one of the crap SP cartridges that have issues. |
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The "Hot Shot" is NOT Romanian military ammo. The military does not use SP. True, it is made at the same factory that used to make 7.62x39mm for the Romanian military, so it is most likely made to the same standards as the miltary issue ammunition with the exception of the projectile. The "other" SP out there is not "Crap", it is simply a fact that some AK's do not reliably feed SP's no matter the quality of the cartridge. D.D. |
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How many documented cases do you know of to support this claim. Is it 1,2,3, people who have complained about it online? I have been doing research online and in person and you are the only person thus far who told me about some AK's not liking SP. Were the AK's that did not like it lower end AK's or has the issue been with higher end AK's as well? |
You must not have been doing much research then buddy. There are plenty of AKs out there which have trouble feeding some hollow point or soft point rounds. That is a fact. I have personally seen 1 and heard of 1 other from a friend that had trouble with non FMJ rounds. That is not counting all the instances of it I have read about online. Devildog1 isn't blowing out steam for you, he knows his stuff. He is just trying to save you the grief of purchasing a couple thousand rounds of this soft point stuff and the chance (maybe 1 in 10) that your AK will not feed it perfectly 100% of the time because you didn't test it before hand... |
| Copy, I believe DD knows what he is talking about, I am not trying to sound like a dick, I am just concerned and truly have not come across this info before. I called Century and had them knock 1 case off my order, just to be safe. I am hoping I will not have issues with my remaining order, I'll post a review when I hit the range with it. |
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Some AK's do not have a beveled edge at the bottom of the chamber, a "feed ramp" of sorts. Chinese AK's are well known for this. My pre-ban Norinco Type 56 clone does not have this feature and would not reliably feed HP and SP ammo as a result. I have read numerous accounts on the 'net of similar issues. Certainly more than a few, and enough to warrant a tutorial that someone posted a while ago on how to fix this problem. It is a simple fix with a dremel tool to put a slight bevel in. I do not think that this "problem" is related to wether the rifle is "high end" or "low end", it is simply a matter of the Kalashnikov design. The HP and SP cartridges we have now are not like the FMJ that the rifle was first designed to function with. Another good example or analogy is the G.I. M-1911-A1 pistol. My beat-up old G.I. .45 pistol, made in WWII would feed and function with ball ammo all day long. Try to feed certain HP or wadcutter types, and it would jam. Not the gun's fault, it was designed for FMJ. It is prudent to make sure that before you buy any ammo in bulk, for any firearm, that it works in your rifle. D.D. |
Can anyone post pics or a link to pics showing this? Beveled VS. non-beveled? Also, maybe how to fix it? Thanks |
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