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Posted: 12/27/2003 1:03:38 PM EDT
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Was visiting my folks over the weekend and found 650 rds of 5.45 for cheap so I picked it up, but I'm not sure what it is. I've looked through other theads and have not found a perfect match. -White Box -25 rds. to a box -box has 3 symbols: RNC in diamond, PCT, and a circle w/ arrows exiting in opposite directions -headstamp: 5.45x39, 86 and circle with arrows -bullet has cannalure -no sealant on bullet or primer -FMJ L.C.B. Can anyone lead me to headstamp symbols for Tula, Uly and Barnaul? Is this stuff any good? |
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Well, if I read the headstamp with the primer being the bottom then both the 5.45x39 marking then the date would be 86. However, the date looks "right" if I flip it over thereby reading 98. The primer is gold in color and from other research I've gathered, this means non-corrosive, as the corrosive primers are gun metal grey. I've also found that the RNC in the diamond is merely a quality marking that exists regardless of factory. Of course, don't believe everything you read...right? |
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barnaul is 58-59 grain air pocket. iirc, wolf is about the same. the uly i bought (in 1999) was much heavier...70 gr if my feeble mind is working. test is for corrosive properties by pulling a bullet and sticking a shiny nail in the powder (mercuric primers were history many, many years ago.). treat all ammo as corrossive until you KNOW otherwise. guns are exspensive. cleaning supplies are not. back in the day, ALL russian ammo came in plain white boxes...polyany, molot, barnaul, klimovsk, etc. the rnc may (or may not be) a russian trade organization. barnaul jsc, wolf, silver bear, brown bear, etc. are just marketing names for the repackaged ammunition still made at the old state owned (now privatized by the oligarchs and russian mafia) factories. |
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I am not aware of any ammo coming from Ulyanovsk or any new production ammo coming from Russia that had corrosive primers. If it was made in Ulyanovsk in 1998 I am 99.99% sure that it has non-corrosive primers. I can check with the Ulyanovsk plant. Can you give me a lot number...should be on one of the flaps of the box... or if you have the case still, should be on the case. Let me know and I can check with the factory and find out for sure. Y- |
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The 96 stuff was corrosive without a sliver of a doubt, rust would start to grow on the bearing surfaces inside the gas tube within a couple of hours on a damp day. Like I said, I shot up two spam cans of that stuff and a couple of cases(in white boxes exactly as described above) of the 97 Uly with the gold primers. It said non corrosive on the box and regardless of weather or time, the gas tube would not begin to rust. The 98 should be fine. |
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