Syrian army using 7.62x54R surplus?

Syria got loads of weapons and ammunition from the Soviet Union and other Soviet satellites over the years.

They may even have an arsenal making their own ammo.
 
The 7.62x39 has the same shortcomings the 5.56 has-it lacks range and punch. Hence the need for 2 different types of ammunition. And the 7.62 was to the ComBloc and their client states what the 303 British was to the Empire and Commonwealth-THE round.
 
Can you get those 7.62x54 links for machine guns anywhere? I would like to get a link to use a decoration with some ammo in it
 
In countries which use Warsaw Pact made and designed weapons (much of the Third World), 7.62x54R is still quite popular for use in firearms such as the SVD and PSL sniper rifles, SG-43 and PKM machine guns, and even older weapons such as the Mosin-Nagant rifle and DP-28 light machine gun. Because Syria uses a great number of Soviet made and designed weapons and/or variations thereof, it is unsurprising that they would also be using a good deal of 7.62x54R ammunition.
 
That is certainly 7.62x54R, but it is most likely not surplus. As has been pointed out, the round is still in active use in sniper rifles and machine guns both inside the former Soviet Union and in nations who use similar arms. The 7.62x54R is manufactured new and in large quantities. It is just as effective as it ever was.
 
As long as you have army's using AKs, you're going to have armys using Mosins for extended range and accuracy.
 
The Soviet 7.62x39mm lacks punch? Really?

I will give you the lack of range (and even some accuracy) but it hits pretty hard for a non-rifle ("true" rifle) cartridge. The longer cartridge used for weapons like the various sniper rifles and light/medium machine guns takes care of the range issue pretty well.
There are still weapons being produced in both calibers and enough already produced to result in them being commonplace in battle for the next (conservatively) 30 years.

Literally millions of AK variant weapons were produced during the Cold War (nevermind those made since it's end) along with warehouses filled to the rafters with ammunition for them.

I am more surprised to see anything besides Soviet designed weaponry in conflicts not directly involving major NATO countries.
 
I am told for some time that the 7.62x54R is the longest continuously serving cartridge in history, being still in use today. Effective machinegun round, I hear.
 
It's easy to tell the sound difference between the 7.62X39 and the 7.62X54R.

In SE Asia when we dealt with snipers over 300 yards away using the AK, we tried to ignore them, we were afraid they would replace them with someone with a Mosin.

Those suckers can shoot if one takes the time to learn to shoot them.

You're right, the 7.62X54R is the longest reining military round still in use to day.
 
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