50s Bulgie Tok ammo

ks_wayward_son · September 30, 2011, 02:43 PM

Century has some tins of 800 for 180 bucks. Ive only shot the Polish through my Yugo. Been wanting to get some more rounds especially since the shortage. I know tok ammo will probably skyrocket further. What do you all think...maybe a case or two?

B. Lahey · September 30, 2011, 03:24 PM

The Bulgarian 7.62x25mm that I bought popped a lot of primers ("hey, lookey there, I didn't think hot gas was supposed to come out of that part of the gun!"), smelled like a dead animal on fire, and was packaged in decaying purple toilet paper wrappers (I'm still finding little bits of them). Worse than the 50s Czech I had, which is really saying something. Probably the worst ammunition I have ever purchased.

I still have a bunch, and have no idea what I'm going to do with it; I'm certainly not going to shoot any more of it.

ks_wayward_son · October 1, 2011, 03:25 PM

I don't think I'll be getting any of the Bulgarian stuff. Everybody probably knows or has heard about the bad lots with the "52" on the headstamp. There may be a good chance that there is a bunch of the 52s being mixed with other lots in the Century tins. I would probably have chanced it if it were a couple years ago...when ammo was 10 cents a round. However, when figuring shipping and what have you, the cost is now about a quarter/round. And, with the old stuff, there is bound to be cracks already in the brittle brass...definitely would want to discard them. I think I might wait for the Polish stuff again, maybe some other production...just not worth blasting apart my Yugo or my face.

Also, thanks for the warning, Lahey. Its what I sort of expected, but just wanted to see if there were some other opinions also.

viciouskitty · October 2, 2011, 02:13 PM

I shot about 800 rounds of the bulgarian 50's stuff. There was many cracked necks but i shot them all thru my yugo tokarev anyway and i had no problems didn't run across any popped primers either.

ks_wayward_son · October 8, 2011, 10:06 PM

Went ahead and ordered some of this ammo...although it was from Classic Arms. They had a much better deal. 120-something for 800 rounds, plus a couple more 100 round packs for 20 bucks. I haven't shot any yet, but the rounds I looked through had no blemishes/cracks. Also, the entire lot, if I noted correctly, was 1954 production. Centerfire Systems and SOG also has similar prices. Additionally, Centerfire has the Polish production ammo available...9.00 for 70 rounds. I believe now is THE time to stock up fellas.

Whoops...just saw that the Polish is unavailable now.

B. Lahey · October 8, 2011, 10:56 PM

Ha! Hopefully you'll have better luck than I did.

Be careful to avoid catching a lungful of the stank. Seriously, it will choke you out. Hopefully a pistol won't put out as many stank units in close proximity to the face as the carbine I shot mine out of.

retiredcoasty · October 11, 2011, 07:43 PM

I have never had any problems with Bulgarian ammo and have shot a couple cans of the stuff. The necks tend to crack but I never suffered a misfire. I just laid in over 850 rounds of Chinese ammo too and it seems to shoot okay. I guess we need to buy it while we can!

Webleymkv · October 14, 2011, 01:14 PM

If it's the stuff in 16-round paper packets, I've used it before in my CZ-52 without any complaints. The only problems I've ever had from surplus 7.62x25 ammo was misfires, the worst being Czech stuff on 8-round stripper clips (3-5 misfires per magazine).

The best ammo, next to S&B or Norinco commercial, is 80's manufacture Romanian, but it seems to have dried up.

September 30, 2011, 02:43 PM	#1
ks_wayward_son Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2007 Posts: 332	50s Bulgie Tok ammo Century has some tins of 800 for 180 bucks. Ive only shot the Polish through my Yugo. Been wanting to get some more rounds especially since the shortage. I know tok ammo will probably skyrocket further. What do you all think...maybe a case or two?

September 30, 2011, 03:24 PM	#2
B. Lahey Senior Member Join Date: March 17, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 2,857	The Bulgarian 7.62x25mm that I bought popped a lot of primers ("hey, lookey there, I didn't think hot gas was supposed to come out of that part of the gun!"), smelled like a dead animal on fire, and was packaged in decaying purple toilet paper wrappers (I'm still finding little bits of them). Worse than the 50s Czech I had, which is really saying something. Probably the worst ammunition I have ever purchased. I still have a bunch, and have no idea what I'm going to do with it; I'm certainly not going to shoot any more of it. __________________ "A human being is primarily a bag for putting food into; the other functions and faculties may be more godlike, but in point of time they come afterwards." -George Orwell

October 8, 2011, 10:56 PM	#6
B. Lahey Senior Member Join Date: March 17, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 2,857	Ha! Hopefully you'll have better luck than I did. Be careful to avoid catching a lungful of the stank. Seriously, it will choke you out. Hopefully a pistol won't put out as many stank units in close proximity to the face as the carbine I shot mine out of. __________________ "A human being is primarily a bag for putting food into; the other functions and faculties may be more godlike, but in point of time they come afterwards." -George Orwell

October 1, 2011, 03:25 PM	#3
ks_wayward_son Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2007 Posts: 332	I don't think I'll be getting any of the Bulgarian stuff. Everybody probably knows or has heard about the bad lots with the "52" on the headstamp. There may be a good chance that there is a bunch of the 52s being mixed with other lots in the Century tins. I would probably have chanced it if it were a couple years ago...when ammo was 10 cents a round. However, when figuring shipping and what have you, the cost is now about a quarter/round. And, with the old stuff, there is bound to be cracks already in the brittle brass...definitely would want to discard them. I think I might wait for the Polish stuff again, maybe some other production...just not worth blasting apart my Yugo or my face. Also, thanks for the warning, Lahey. Its what I sort of expected, but just wanted to see if there were some other opinions also.

October 2, 2011, 02:13 PM	#4
viciouskitty Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2010 Location: South Texas Posts: 316	I shot about 800 rounds of the bulgarian 50's stuff. There was many cracked necks but i shot them all thru my yugo tokarev anyway and i had no problems didn't run across any popped primers either.

October 8, 2011, 10:06 PM	#5
ks_wayward_son Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2007 Posts: 332	Went ahead and ordered some of this ammo...although it was from Classic Arms. They had a much better deal. 120-something for 800 rounds, plus a couple more 100 round packs for 20 bucks. I haven't shot any yet, but the rounds I looked through had no blemishes/cracks. Also, the entire lot, if I noted correctly, was 1954 production. Centerfire Systems and SOG also has similar prices. Additionally, Centerfire has the Polish production ammo available...9.00 for 70 rounds. I believe now is THE time to stock up fellas. Whoops...just saw that the Polish is unavailable now.

October 11, 2011, 07:43 PM	#7
retiredcoasty Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2009 Location: Central Massachusetts Posts: 139	I have never had any problems with Bulgarian ammo and have shot a couple cans of the stuff. The necks tend to crack but I never suffered a misfire. I just laid in over 850 rounds of Chinese ammo too and it seems to shoot okay. I guess we need to buy it while we can!

October 14, 2011, 01:14 PM	#8
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,446	If it's the stuff in 16-round paper packets, I've used it before in my CZ-52 without any complaints. The only problems I've ever had from surplus 7.62x25 ammo was misfires, the worst being Czech stuff on 8-round stripper clips (3-5 misfires per magazine). The best ammo, next to S&B or Norinco commercial, is 80's manufacture Romanian, but it seems to have dried up.