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Plastic core ammo

Mark IIMark II Member Posts: 247 ✭✭✭
edited September 2001 in General Discussion
Ok, I have a bunch of this stuff laying around in 7.62x39, and I got to wondering what it is used for. It doesn't cycle well in my maadi, unlike everything else, so I don't shoot it unless I have nothing else. My guess is that with the lighter weight, it has less penetration, which would be good for crowded/hostage scenarios. Can anybody back this up or shed some light on this for me?
"To meet with ill fortune is to meet with good fortune. To meet with submission is to meet an enemy."
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Comments

  • UmpimahkenUmpimahken Member Posts: 36 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was told when I bought some that it had been used by East German troops as practice rounds, so the cost of firearms training would not be so high. don't know if that is the truth or not, but it fires OK in my SKS.
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  • IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Mark, I would have a better idea if I had a scan & headstamp to work with, but many nations (including the US in some circumstances) use plastic or plastic-cored projectiles for training. Over a reasonable distance, the trajectory is close while the light bullet has many advantages: lead-free (environment), down range safety & cost. Germany & France were really the pioneers in this field, but specimens have been observed from a variety of nations.
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  • Mark IIMark II Member Posts: 247 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ok, these rounds are in blister packs of 10 rounds each. On the front of the package is "10 Stuck M 43 Ub -2-"The bullets themselves are grey, and the cases are green. The headstamp has "05" at the 12 o'clock position, and "86" at the 6 o'clock position. The primer has a little bit of red around the edges.My conclusion is that these are german. Other than that, I have no information.
    "To meet with ill fortune is to meet with good fortune. To meet with submission is to meet an enemy."
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  • lrarmsxlrarmsx Member Posts: 791 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What you have is the East German 7.62x39 plastic core ammo. It came in back in the mid 1990's. Standard packaging was a 10 round pack, although they were occasionally found in 20 round boxes. It is corrosive. It won't cycle all AK's or SKS's. However if the gun is smooth enough and broken in, it will usually work. It was made as a training round and close range terrorist load. A standard load of 7.62x39 used in an urban environment would go through way too many people, walls, etc. Also it is better for indoor ranges where the regular ammo would tear up the back stop.
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