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Who Made The Ammo
- Thread starter 44caliberkid
- Start date
44caliberkid
New member
Me too.. BTW I'm 68...
Jim Watson
New member
Beats me. 7.62 sounds like something from the Continent but the box label looks British. That groove in the head should remind me of something but I can't think what.
Hope you wet cleaned the rifle, lots of foreigners were later going noncorrosive than us.
Got any left? Pull a bullet and look for Cordite, Ball, extruded NC, or flake.
What IS the bullet, gilding metal "copper" jacket, cupronickel, copper, nickel, cadmium plated steel?
Hope you wet cleaned the rifle, lots of foreigners were later going noncorrosive than us.
Got any left? Pull a bullet and look for Cordite, Ball, extruded NC, or flake.
What IS the bullet, gilding metal "copper" jacket, cupronickel, copper, nickel, cadmium plated steel?
Last edited:
georgehwbush
New member
the ruptured cases are probably from powder decay inside the case... corrosion eating up the metal. you might wan to pull a bullet and see what they look like on the inside.
i don't know who made it, and neither does the internet at this time...
sorry john i was typing when you posted.
i don't know who made it, and neither does the internet at this time...
sorry john i was typing when you posted.
bamaranger
New member
wiki
Wiki says an SF headstamp is french "Societe Francais.....etc" If there are some stars on the headstamp SF ammo is for export. Take it for what it's worth
Wiki says an SF headstamp is french "Societe Francais.....etc" If there are some stars on the headstamp SF ammo is for export. Take it for what it's worth
There are several possible causes for case splits with old ammo. Powder degradation is one of them. Less than perfect annealing of the brass during manufacturing is another. Age hardening or "season cracking" is something that can happen to ammo made with less than the best, but "good enough" quality. Improper storage over possibly decades can screw up even properly made ammo, as well.
The only useful component is the bullet. IF it is French (quite likely), its berdan primed, the cracking of cases means the brass is fit only for scrap metal salvage, and only an idiot would try and use whatever it has in it for powder.
The bullets should be ok for reuse.
I would tumble clean them and do some measurement checks but they ought to be ok.
The only useful component is the bullet. IF it is French (quite likely), its berdan primed, the cracking of cases means the brass is fit only for scrap metal salvage, and only an idiot would try and use whatever it has in it for powder.
The bullets should be ok for reuse.
I would tumble clean them and do some measurement checks but they ought to be ok.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Yep, French.
Made for French rifles and machine guns supplied by the US.
Made for French rifles and machine guns supplied by the US.
That would put the manufacture after WWII probably the 50s, possibly the 60s, and it would be berdan and corrosive primed.
If the brass was ok, I'd say shoot it, and then clean the gun properly for corrosive primed ammo.
Since the brass is cracking on firing, I say (possibly) pull the bullets for future use, if you feel its worth the effort, and toss the rest.
If the brass was ok, I'd say shoot it, and then clean the gun properly for corrosive primed ammo.
Since the brass is cracking on firing, I say (possibly) pull the bullets for future use, if you feel its worth the effort, and toss the rest.
Mike Irwin
Staff
The brass cracking on firing could be either internal corrosion, as someone mentioned, flaws in the brass during manufacture, or it could be either inadequate, or no, annealing during manufacture.
Or a combination of any or all of the above.
Given that 2 of 20 have had case failures, I'd be inclined to not shoot any more of it.
If the powder is decaying, some interesting things could possibly happen, virtually none of them good.
Or a combination of any or all of the above.
Given that 2 of 20 have had case failures, I'd be inclined to not shoot any more of it.
If the powder is decaying, some interesting things could possibly happen, virtually none of them good.
Yep. I've inadvertently shot decaying powder surplus before, and even though mine was not corrosively primed and even though I cleaned the bore well, a month later I had a solid coat of fine red rust induced by the acid compounds in the breakdown products. It took a little work to remove every trace.
The SF headstamp is used by the French and by Argentina (Fábrica Militar de Cartuchos San Francisco, San Francisco, Argentina). But while Argentina came up with their own nearly-30-06 cartridge, the 7.65×61, and rechambered some of their 7.65×53 1909 Argentinian Mausers with them for target shooting just before WWI, I don't have any first-hand knowledge of them manufacturing or using 30-06, much less issuing it to their military, as the Columbian military did. So I think these are French, as already suggested. Probably 1955 from their first line, or perhaps it's the first batch of the year, but you would need to contact the French to see if they have and can share records. If you get a sharper photo of it, someone on a French BBS might be able to get more specific.
The SF headstamp is used by the French and by Argentina (Fábrica Militar de Cartuchos San Francisco, San Francisco, Argentina). But while Argentina came up with their own nearly-30-06 cartridge, the 7.65×61, and rechambered some of their 7.65×53 1909 Argentinian Mausers with them for target shooting just before WWI, I don't have any first-hand knowledge of them manufacturing or using 30-06, much less issuing it to their military, as the Columbian military did. So I think these are French, as already suggested. Probably 1955 from their first line, or perhaps it's the first batch of the year, but you would need to contact the French to see if they have and can share records. If you get a sharper photo of it, someone on a French BBS might be able to get more specific.
Mike Irwin
Staff
That large circular "bunt" between the primer and the headstamp elements are almost a dead give away that it's French.
Generally only the French used that (although it's seen on some other European military rounds from the late 1800s/early 1900s) element.
Originally it was functional, part of the system that allowed pointed bullet cartridges to be loaded into the tubular Lebel magazine. The "bunt," or annular ring, was designed to catch the tip of the bullet behind it in the magazine and keep it away from the primer during recoil.
After the French dumped the tubular magazine, they still, for some reason, kept the annular ring. You'll see it on a lot of 7.5x54 ammunition, and that round was never chambered in a firearm with a tubular magazine.
Generally only the French used that (although it's seen on some other European military rounds from the late 1800s/early 1900s) element.
Originally it was functional, part of the system that allowed pointed bullet cartridges to be loaded into the tubular Lebel magazine. The "bunt," or annular ring, was designed to catch the tip of the bullet behind it in the magazine and keep it away from the primer during recoil.
After the French dumped the tubular magazine, they still, for some reason, kept the annular ring. You'll see it on a lot of 7.5x54 ammunition, and that round was never chambered in a firearm with a tubular magazine.
44caliberkid
New member
Thank you for the replies/ information.