The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Is this Portugese 7.62 ammo I bought junk?

JRiggs · August 17, 2001, 07:47 PM

Well, I took my M1A out of lawaway today! I also bought a 200 round battle pack, and about 10 loose boxes of Portugese 7.62 ammo. I was told the ammo is non-corrosive by my dealer, whom I trust. But I noticed that the loose boxes have a date of 1981, with FNM on the headstamp, along with the NATO symbol. Im confident in these. Now the battle pack, when I opened it, I noticed that the ammo is packed in the same 20 round boxes, only the date is 1978. The box has the NATO symbol, but it is nowhere to be found on the cartridge. It simply says, 7.62 and
"H1", "HD", or "HO" on the headstamp. There is also some green stuff on the primers, its either a sealent ot tarnish. Is this stuff going to be corrosive, or a squibb load? Id hate to destroy my $1400 rifle. Thanks for your help.

August 17, 2001, 07:47 PM	#1
JRiggs Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2001 Location: Ohio Posts: 272	Is this Portugese 7.62 ammo I bought junk? Well, I took my M1A out of lawaway today! I also bought a 200 round battle pack, and about 10 loose boxes of Portugese 7.62 ammo. I was told the ammo is non-corrosive by my dealer, whom I trust. But I noticed that the loose boxes have a date of 1981, with FNM on the headstamp, along with the NATO symbol. Im confident in these. Now the battle pack, when I opened it, I noticed that the ammo is packed in the same 20 round boxes, only the date is 1978. The box has the NATO symbol, but it is nowhere to be found on the cartridge. It simply says, 7.62 and "H1", "HD", or "HO" on the headstamp. There is also some green stuff on the primers, its either a sealent ot tarnish. Is this stuff going to be corrosive, or a squibb load? Id hate to destroy my $1400 rifle. Thanks for your help.