Reloading 5.45x39.5

[five40five]

Looking for some new and updated information on reloadind this round.I've checked the search threads but all seem to be a couple of years old.Has anything changed or is there anything new to make it feasible to concider reloadind the 5.45,I know surplus ammo is cheap right now.I know that the steel case presents some problems,how about brass or copper plating them?I always wanted to reload and as I am retired now and getting back into shooting,I think it would be the perfect hobby.I do have a .357 mag and a .44 mag and a .45 auto along with a Springfield 1903-A3 with a Rheinhart Fagen mannlicher stock in 30-06,so I will have other calibers to reload.Thanks from a new guy...

[keebo52]

Midway has RCBS dies listed for the 5.45 but they are expensive. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...tnumber=527524 I read somewhere that 222 Rem brass can be formed for the 5.45. Also the bullet diameter is smaller (.221?). I've been waiting for cheaper dies and brass to become available but with cheap milsurp ammo that's not likely to happen. If you find more info, let us know.

[okiefarmer]

Mr. five40five,

You missed the cheap milsurp ammo by about a year and a half. Early in 2009 was about the end of cheap ammo. Everyone and their dog started buying up and hoarding, fearing THE ONE might enact some more new firearms laws. I bought thousands of rounds of 7.62 X 39, 5.56, and .308 milsurp before the big runup for an average of 8 cents a round. I haven't seen any of it for less than 35 cents now on the X39 and .556, and closer to 50 cents a pop on the .308. It's began to soften just a bit lately.

I think it's just plain old 5.45 X 39. There is no .5 on the end of it. If you micced one and got 39.5, it's just a bit off spec, but still shootable.

The steel case is not likely going to be your biggest issue. Getting the old Berdan primer out of the case and then finding new Berdan primers to put back in. Kinda like looking for hen's teeth these days. Then, if ya find them, get your checkbook out. Don't worry about plating the cases with another material. There are those that claim that the steel case stuff is hard on barrels. They are full of it. The steel case has a lacquer coating on it to prevent rust (duh), but just look at a few cases after firing. I doubt you will hardly find a scratch on most of them unless you have a very violent extractor on your gun. AKs ar notorious for htis, but I still only notice dings in the bottle necks, and no scarring on the main body of case. And this is done at ejection, not when it slams home chambering the round. If has done little to no damage to the thin lacquer coating, then the steel case never came into contact with the barrel steel.

I have a bucketfull of X39 brass I accumulated over the years for if/when the milsurp every dried up. I won't use it until I absolutely have to. Brass X39 does not last too long in an AK due to the issue addressed above. The extractor pulls little chunks of the rim off at extraction sometimes, brass don't last too long. I much prefer shooting steel out of the AKs, they were designed for steel, not brass. It's a combloc rifle, and they have never made very much ammo out of anything but steel.

I wish you all the luck in your new endeavor, but even life long reloaders have more than a few times cussed at reloading steelcase, and given up. Perhaps you will find a new way to skin that cat.

Okie out.

[five40five]

Thanks again all,I think that if I do go the reloading route,I will go the way way of the .221 as that seems the to me less frustrating...Thanks

[rbernie]

As far as I know, there is no commercial source of bullets for 5.45x39.

[keebo52]

A Lee Lube and size die in .221 can be used to reduce .224 bullets to .221. I've pulled FMJs from Wolf ammo and replaced with resized .224 soft point bullets a few times just to see if it can be done. Worked ok but much more testing is needed.

[five40five]

Thanks again,I think I'll save the tinkering for later and just shoot the cheap stuff for now.I know what you mean about the steel cases on all accounts and as far as extractor bites maybe annealing the case head will help,maybe not,still I think building some later may be fun even if fruitless.

[radom]

I ran across a article on loading the things some where that I can't recall now. They where using GI 5.56 brass trimmed and sized to 5.45 then sizing the .224 diameter slugs to .221. I would think that with some work on reducing the loads a bit .224 would work as its only a .003 differance. From checking trimmed 5.56 brass in my AK it looks like the trim and size deal would work just fine. Its not perfect but looks like it will work. So far with the cost of 5.45x39 loading dies its not worth the effored to me. Someone comes out with a die set at around 50 bucks or less I may give it a try but thats a big if I think.

[five40five]

Thanks to all.....