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Posted: 4/20/2006 10:43:51 AM EDT
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Looking for advice about reloading for the WASR-10, seeking suggestions about successful loads, dies, bullets are all issues. I'm just getting started in the R&D of the hunting load for this rifle. Appreciate your input. Have acquired about 100 brass cases and looking to bring them on line. Thanks oz |
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goto General --> Reloading I reload 762x39, I have a stash of Winchester 762x39 123 gr FMJ and also some of the GWB bullets mentioned above. I use AA1680 powder but am just about out of it. My load is 24.0 grains behind CCI Large rifle primer. Accurate Arms reloading data is here www.accuratearms.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Rifle/Standarddata(Rifle)/308Cal(7.82mm)/7%2062%2039mm%20Pages%20284%20and%20285.pdf When I run out of AA1680 I have some kegs of WC680 from gibrass.com I'll tap into, supposedly you can use AA1680 powder, but work up a load first as always. As with any rifle cartridge you'll required to lube the cases. Make sure you trim the cases if necessary. I use a Wilson case gauge, but one thing I found is AK's are hard on the rims of 762x39 brass and even though the case will size fine, it wont fit in the gauge because the rim is boogered up. If that's the case you'll have a) to measure OAL with a caliper to see if it needs to be trimmed which is slow and tedious or b) keep your brass in lots, when one needs to be trimmed, trim them all or c) or just trim it anyway and take chance little or no metal will actually be trimmed from the brass ETA: yeah, AK's will ding the side of the case and it'll look terrible and you'll wonder if you can reload it. Yes you can. You'll see multiple dings on some of these cases here  As for brass: FC, Winchester, RP dont have swaged pockets. PMC does. You'll have to ream or swage out the military crimp on PMC brass I recommend using the Lee Factory Crimp on 762x39. My dies are Hornady rifle dies. |
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Some questions by someone looking at getting into reloading.... How much, per round, can you reload 7.62x39 for? How many times can you reload the same case? Can you reload and get 2390 FPS with 123 gr. bullets? Most of the load data I've seen gives weak performance with even 'maximum' loads. |
Secret to minimizing your cost is buy components in bulk. WC680 powder is $70 a jug? $70/8lb that's $70/56000 grains, 1 load will use 24 grains, call it 25, so you'll get 56000/25 = 2240loads out of a $70 jug of powder or $70/2240 = 3.125 cents a load for powder Primers are 1.5 to 1.75 cents each, call it 1.75, so we're up to 1.75+3.125= 4.875 cents a load for primer/powder projectiles are $110/2000 from GWB shipped, that's 5.5 cents a projectile, so total cost to reload is 5.5+4.875= 10.375 cents a rd or $103.75/K That's about as cheap as you can get, you might shave off .25 cents a primer as I did my primer thread, then my cost would be 1.50+5.5+3.125 = $101.25/K I'm getting 4-5 reloads per case ETA: just checked GWB, 2000 762x39 projectiles are now $120 shipped, I paid $110 Oct 2005, I wont redo the math |
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Cool. I may not reload for 7.62x39 in the near future, but I would bet it would be a wise decision to start saving brass 7.62x39 cases, because you'll never know when the ten-cents-a-round Wolf stuff is going to dry up. I know people who reload the Wolf steel case .223, it has boxer primers. I also have seen reloads done with .45 ACP steel cases, for what it's worth. I've got a press but that's about it. I got it off a friend who found it in his garage when he moved into the house. It's just a basic RCBS single stage press, but I intend to start reloading the several hundred .30-06 cases I have with 150-grain bullets to M2 Ball specs for my M1917 and M1 Garand. I've also got a bunch of .45 ACP and 9mm cases and I'm saving 7.62x25, 7.62 NATO, 5.56 NATO, 7.5x55, and .303 British cases as well. Thanks for the info! |
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I am not going to tell you what to do, but only advise. I would strongly advise not to use reloads of 7.62X39 if you are going to use it in any soviet or eastern block model AK. The result could be a slam firehemMilitary spec 7.62x39 tends to have deeper set and harder primers to prevent slam fire. Just my two cents |
If you use CCI No. 34 primers you should be perfectly OK provided that you seat them to the proper depth. They are made a little harder to prevent slam fires in semi-automatic rifles. http://www.cci-ammunition.com/default.asp?menu=1&s1=3&pg=10&prod_id=30 If you really want to be sure, you can uniform the primer pockets too. |
and they're on sale ! Widners |
Is $.10/rnd wolf ammo still available? If so wherehinking After reading this, I'm back to seriously thinking of starting reloading... |
| I have considered reloading for the AK, but considering I would probably lose half my brass each time I went out. Would not be cost effective for me to have to keep buying brass all the time. I reload for my more expensive calibers, like 30-06 and .50 AE, but of course a Garand and a Desert Eagle do not fling brass half way across the range. |
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