Sure this should probably go in the ammo forum, but as its pretty dead in there, im sure ill get some replies here.

Picked up a case of 7.62x39 ammo for my friends SAR1. Its an orange box of 20 rounds with a striped tiger next to a target on the front. Its labeled as:
7.62x39 FMJBT
124G LEAD CORE
STEEL CASE
NON-CORROSIVE

Compared to the wolf dark green case, its a more offgreen/greygreen color, but still turns your fingers yellow. The back of the box reads:

Importer and Distributor:
Star-Vector Corporation
blah blah
[email protected]

Manufacturer:
Federal State Enterprises
"Vympel", Russia

The headstamp is 7.62x39 above a B with the bottom part of the B not being closed.

It has purple sealant on both the bullet and primer. Anyone shot this stuff/know any velocity info? So far 750 rounds of it shot flawless, and seems to go bang just as loud as the WOLF stuff.

Thanks guys,

Alex

www.amursk.ru/vympel/index.htm

This is the Vympel plant in Amursk Russia.

A little ammo in 7.62 x 39 and 5.45 X 39 has come in but I have never seen any.

They were one of the six big ammo plants in the Soviet Union.  They were rhumored to have closed down ammo production when the Soviet Union fell.

Looks like they are at it again.

I really know nothing about their quality. Sorry.

hi , first post here .

i e-mailed them (Vympel)for some tech data on their ammo but all they sent me was a color add poster. happily , it had 'sectioned' pics of what they're selling here in the states. 3 762x39 loads , 2 545s a 556 and a 9x18 makarov .

the 124grn  762x39 FMJ-BT and HP-BT are similar to wolf's with some minor difs . the 123grn JSP is an enclosed cuppedbase short bullet like US types but the pic shows it has a quite bluntish rounded tip .
all listed as 2345fps.

the 2 545s , 59grn FMJ and 58grn HP are listed as 2788fps . these have smallish airspace tips and not boat tails but rounded buts .

the 556 56grn fmj is long as 62grn'ers normaly are , has a B-T though not labled as such , and a deep-truncated cone-hollowbase. 3116fps .

the MAK seems to be copperwashed rather than lacqured . 96grn fmj at 967fps .

havent seen any of it yet so i cant comment on quality . but could it be all that bad ? (well maybe )

im just glad to have another FMJ-BT improved load to choose from . ive done a number of tests with all kinds of 762x39s and the impact of the shorter M67 and even shorter US bullets really is neutered beyond 300M . even at 300 , there is a noticeable diff .

I'd never seen it until last weekend, so I bought 1K Rds of it. I then proceeded to fire 400 rds of it...Not a single problem.  I will buy more.

$100 for 1K Rds, not a bad deal.

I like the fact that the 7.62 x 39 has an airpocket in it, if I can find any of this ammo I will get some for sure.

Wolf and Barnaul also have the air pocket it them. I have not sectioned Uly. ammo, but I think it does as well.