Since the previous poll about Barnaul has been archived, I have started a new thread to collect more information as this ammunition is still for sale, and questions come up at least once a week in the ammo forum. The previous results were:

65 TOTAL votes
53 Have Not had any problems at all
7 Had some problems, but would continue to use the ammunition
5 Have had major problems, and would not use the ammunition again.

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY VOTED IN THE PREVIOUS POLL, PLEASE DO NOT VOTE AGAIN.

I will add the totals and generate a correct count for the ranking in the Ammunition review thread

Please add your personal experience with Barnaul ammunition to this thread. When you do, please give information about:
1) Firearm used in
2) Approximate number of rounds fired.
3) Ammunition type

I am trying to solicit only information about your PERSONAL experience with this ammunition. If you haven't used it, then please don't clutter up the thread. Information about proper functioning (or lack thereof) is obviously the most important, but factors such as the accuracy or other peculiarities you've noticed are informative also. If you have had problems with this ammo which were severe enough to cause you to stop using this ammo, then please describe them. And one more minor request: keep your reviews objective.

bigdb1
1K of the 62 and 500 55 FMJ's in a 20 inch 1:7 Colt HBAR. No failures of any kind. Accuracy only fair with the 62's working better in my rifle. Dirty, but not enough to cause any problems in 2-400 round range sessions.

2Manchu
500 rounds of their 62-gr. BTHP load through an Olympic 14.5" CAR97M4 w/ SS barrel. No functioning problems. Accuracy was about 3"@100-meters, rested. Edited to say that this ammo wasn't as dirty as the PMC that I've tried.

out4trout
500+ rounds thru my RA M-96. No problems with sticking, failure to extract, failure to eject, torn rims or the like. Of course my RA M-96 shoots everything without complaint. Not real tacking driving ammo, but OK. Here's the way I rate it: Better than Wolf About the same as S&B Almost equal to SA Not even in the same league as IMI, Fed 193, X193 or Win Q3131A Is it good enough for casual plinking? You bet. Do you want to use it at the range to show off your new Bushie to your buds? I doubt it, there's always the confusion of is it the ammo or is it the rifle. Would I bet my life on it? NO WAY, stick with the good stuff.

DavidDetroit
I would echo the last guy exactly. Better than Wolf. Not as good as SA. Not in the same world as XM193. I can't get it to group better than 2" at 100 meters out of my Oly PCR 1. Not great, but not as bad as Wolf. I can't get the Wolf to group in the same State. Value is the relationship between quality and price. This ammo is a good value for average ammo at a great price. When I find it below $50/500, I stock up.

photoman
My only experiance with burnaul was with the 62grHP. And I'm not happy with it. I've shot 1k rounds of the stuff from an olympic PCR1 with a bushie 14.5in/ y-comp M4 profile 1/9 (marked match) barrel. It's the only Russian ammo I've tried that I've had problems with. Though the problems may be mag related. It won't feed reliably from orilite mags. And it actually wouldn't feed from a colt mag either. Though that one has to be the mag as it would not feed them in a friends gun out of that mag either. He also was having problems with the ammo feeding from his orilites. I'll try their 62gr FMJ before i decide to not use this stuff anymore, as I've had not one problem from the wolf 62gr FMJ. Other than that no other problems.

QuidProQuo
62 gr Barnaul. Underpwered and inconsistent as usual. Does not hold back bolt in any of my ARs. Very occasional short stroke in one of them. Have reserved it for the Mini-14 where it performs flawlessly for plinking.

555R
well my vmatch seems to like this quite well not that I am a great shooter or anything but grouping around 5 inch avg at 100 yds off the bipod and EoTECH. good enuff for me seems loaded hotter than Wolf no failures after 200 rounds today went thru steel and aluminum plate like butter its the red box wrapped nicely in a paper sheet. nice stuff I want more FYI I usually get 3 inch groups with XM193 off the bench I didnt have the bipod that day so to me the 5-6 inch groups offhand arent bad and still on the silhouette. green fingers and all

geoffdaniels
FWIW, I have the least amount of experience of anyone that posts here, but I have fail to ejects about 30% of the time with JSC/Barnual. Never had a FTE or FTF with Q3131A. However, my crappy Ruger Mini-14 eats the stuff flawlessly. Flawlessly means 8" groups at 100 yards though, as opposed to about 3" with the good stuff

makattack
Don't have alot of experiance with it. Just shot about 350 rds of the 55gr fmj. yesterday. no problems.Really good for cheap ammo. About 21/2" groups @ 100 yds if I do my part. Seems a little weak though. I does function well in My 16" AR. Alot of richoches( think thats how you spell it).Steel jackets like to bounce more than any ammo I've ever fired.

al_bum
I ran 1k rounds through my armalite M-15A2 20" and RRA LAR-15A2 16" without a hitch. Just some mag related probs, that being they were bad mags anyways. Groups were 2"-4" @100yds. Didn't really matter cause I used'em for shooting steel. As compared to Wolf, I can't tell alot of difference cause I don't use either brand that often. Seemed abit hotter and accurate. I say go for it if you're looking for cheap plinking ammo; something I have a habit of not doing when I probably should.

thumbho1e
I bought 500 rounds on sale just before Y2K, I just brought it out recently and have been shooting it in my standard bushmaster 20" hbar. With iron sights at 100 yards I get very acceptable tactical accuracy. Not as good as South African but good enough for me. Figure about 2 inch groups if I shoot from a rest. This is the 55gr stuff.

Zhukov
Shot about 1000 rounds through my RRA M4, and it feels about the same as Wolf. Most definitely loaded lighter than M193, as I mixed up a mag of XM193 and Barnaul. The Barnaul still has the red neck sealant, but I guess it's fine in my rifle which shoots Wolf without complaints also. I got the ammo for a very good price, and would buy more, but the new Wolf Polymer coated stuff sounds like it's the way to go now...

trapguy
I tried some of there 62 grain fmj in my colt 20" a2 and had about 30% of them stick in the chamber. Accuracy wasn't to bad but i think i'll burn the rest in my mini14 and give up on the commie 223rd.

yekimak
I have shot about 1200 rounds of this through an armalite 180b, it has a tight chamber and has not been cleaned in a while. recoil is heavier than wolf, and indistinguishable from q3131a. Had one FTF (bolt did not close all the way), but all rounds have fired without a hitch otherwise, only a couple mag related problems (USA ACK). This is by far my favorite blasting ammo. It is half the price of xm193 up here.

RELOADER-BOB
I got 7k of 55gr Barnaul from Widener's on a closeout sale last spring. My sons and I have run about 2k of it thru 3 Olympic Arms parts kit guns with no problems. Loads good and fired every time. Just used it for blasting though.

Brerarnold
55 gr FMJ in a Colt HBAR 20 in. No problems. Accurate enough for plinking ammo. I will keep using it, as it is about the cheapest I can buy hereabouts that shoots well in my AR.

pas59
I've shot 2500+ rds of SMA223FMJ 223 AMMO 55GR FMJ $56.00 / 500rnds from Widener's in the last few months.
No failures, no problems. Excellent plinking ammo.

passgas55
I shoot the 62 gr hp with no problems. I have a 1/12 twist ak chinese that I should buy some 55 grainers for.

I bought a case of 500 for $65 and I like it. Same accuracy as any $5 a box stuff. It cycles fine (unlike Wolf) and have not had any problems with the laguer coating. I will shoot and buy more.

RRA
Kreiger 24" 1 in 12
Scoped

I've shot 1,000 rounds out of a "mutt" gun.  No problems from them....goes bang every time, but this stuff stinks to high heaven.  Cleaned the gun at the 500 mark.

I use this ammo for practice only.  I wouldn't consider taking it to a class or trusting my life with it.

Fired 100 rounds total out of an iron sighted Mini-14.  No failures of any kind.  Could detect no difference in group size between the Barnaul and the other stuff that I usually shoot (handloads).

Could be that my Mini is equally innacurate with any brand, but like I said previously, I can't tell the difference unless I'm shooting an optically sighted rifle from the bench.

Locally, the stuff sells for $3 for a box.  

Friend gave me 460 rounds for it choked his gun.(He's known for never cleaning his untill they break)I shot them all,and they ran flawlessly.62g laquered.SP1 A2 upper with1X12twist and dpms lower with JP trigger.