Availability of brass?

TripHlx · November 26, 2011, 11:31 PM

Hey guys, I was hoping to get some information on why certain brass is harder to find. I understand that some cartdridges are pretty obscure, and thus decreased demand causes decreased availability.

My main issue is with 7.62x54r brass. I just can't seem to find any out there, except for Lapua which seems VERY pricey.

It seems to me that 7.62x54r is a common enough cartridge, especially with the growing popularity of the M-N platform. I just don't understand why availability of fresh brass is so spotty. Am I just not searching hard enough? Looking in the wrong places maybe?

Appreciate your replies in advance guys!

chris in va · November 26, 2011, 11:43 PM

54R was primarily Berdan primed and non-reloadable, milsurp. Same with 7.62x39 and one of the reasons why I sold my AK for an AR.

Brass will be very difficult to find, at leas the reloadable Boxer type.

Orochimaru · November 26, 2011, 11:58 PM

Prvi Partisan makes 7.62x54R brass, but it is hard to find. Prvi also makes loaded ammunition, so if you can't get the brass directly, you can get some when you shoot Prvi ammo. I've seen it from 14-18 per box of 20. A lot more expensive than milsurp, but the brass is great!

The last time I saw some Prvi brass come up was on Grafs, I think. I hesitated and lost... Every time I've looked since, it has been out of stock.

m&p45acp10+1 · November 27, 2011, 12:09 AM

Also for the 7.62x54R is the fact that so many people just buy and shoot the surplus corrosive ammo, and just clean thier rifles afterwards. It is so cheap it can be hard to find components cheaper. I know I will not be reloading for my 91-30 any time soon. 2 crates with 2 spam cans of 440 in each crate. I shoot maybe 40 rounds in 6 months time. My decendants will be shooting it up after I am gone I am sure.

Please not I have never seen brass milsurp ammo in this caliber. All that I have found have been steel case ammo which should not be reloaded due to the fact that it is not only Breaden Primed, but will scratch, and scar dies. There are some other reasons as well.

TNT · November 27, 2011, 07:27 AM

If your willing to work and it is time consuming you can get a swagger and expand the primer pocket to accept boxer primers I got one for 30.06 cases it works well for the military surplus ammo that you find. http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/con...263/?viewImg=1

Jim243 · November 27, 2011, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Same with 7.62x39 and one of the reasons why I sold my AK for an AR.

Not hard to find, just expensive.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/139...2x39mm-russian

Most just buy the cheap steel case ammo, I still reload for it. But an AR is not a bad idea.

Jim

frank_1947 · November 28, 2011, 11:06 AM

we work in brass sales at a indoor range and have never seen that cartridge and we seperate 9 to 14 5 gallon buckets of brass a week, now they may be steel but we run a magnet through our brass and never look at them.

FrankenMauser · November 28, 2011, 11:39 AM

Quote:

we work in brass sales at a indoor range and have never seen that cartridge

Much of that is probably due to the fact that your primary (sole?) supply of brass comes from an indoor range.

I have never fired surplus ammo or steel-cased ammo in my 7.62x54R.
It has only seen boxer-primed brass cases, containing my handloads.

I use Prvi Partizan (PPU or "NNY"-cyrillic) and Sellier and Bellot (S&B) cases, as well as "Win" stamped cases. One lot of the Winchester cases was drawn by Prvi; and the other was drawn by S&B. It's decent brass. Current Winchester ammunition is using the S&B brass.

People on these forums are constantly talking about how difficult it is to locate, but several of my local shops keep the "Win" stamped primed brass in-stock. So, I don't understand the difficulty.

Find a local reloading supplier that sells S&B ammunition, and ask them to look into ordering some brass for you.

FrankenMauser · December 5, 2011, 08:12 PM

Did you manage to source any brass with the information I PMed you?

TripHlx · December 7, 2011, 09:32 AM

Aye I did!

Sorry for not replying to your PM, I'm easily distracted at times.

FrankenMauser · December 7, 2011, 01:20 PM

Not a problem. Glad I could help.

I may have to go talk to that shop about commission, though...

I've sent 7 or 8 people there, for "mail-order" 7.62x54R brass.

November 26, 2011, 11:31 PM	#1
TripHlx Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2011 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 110	Availability of brass? Hey guys, I was hoping to get some information on why certain brass is harder to find. I understand that some cartdridges are pretty obscure, and thus decreased demand causes decreased availability. My main issue is with 7.62x54r brass. I just can't seem to find any out there, except for Lapua which seems VERY pricey. It seems to me that 7.62x54r is a common enough cartridge, especially with the growing popularity of the M-N platform. I just don't understand why availability of fresh brass is so spotty. Am I just not searching hard enough? Looking in the wrong places maybe? Appreciate your replies in advance guys! __________________ "If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's ridiculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid for." - Clint Smith

November 27, 2011, 12:09 AM	#4
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	Also for the 7.62x54R is the fact that so many people just buy and shoot the surplus corrosive ammo, and just clean thier rifles afterwards. It is so cheap it can be hard to find components cheaper. I know I will not be reloading for my 91-30 any time soon. 2 crates with 2 spam cans of 440 in each crate. I shoot maybe 40 rounds in 6 months time. My decendants will be shooting it up after I am gone I am sure. Please not I have never seen brass milsurp ammo in this caliber. All that I have found have been steel case ammo which should not be reloaded due to the fact that it is not only Breaden Primed, but will scratch, and scar dies. There are some other reasons as well. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you. Last edited by m&p45acp10+1; November 27, 2011 at 10:40 AM.

November 27, 2011, 07:27 AM	#5
TNT Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: Back in glorious Nebraska Posts: 606	If your willing to work and it is time consuming you can get a swagger and expand the primer pocket to accept boxer primers I got one for 30.06 cases it works well for the military surplus ammo that you find. http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/con...263/?viewImg=1 __________________ "In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man and brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot."

November 28, 2011, 11:06 AM	#7
frank_1947 Member Join Date: August 9, 2008 Location: MO Posts: 76	we work in brass sales at a indoor range and have never seen that cartridge and we seperate 9 to 14 5 gallon buckets of brass a week, now they may be steel but we run a magnet through our brass and never look at them. __________________ Frank NRA Certified Rifle Inst.

December 5, 2011, 08:12 PM	#9
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Did you manage to source any brass with the information I PMed you? __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

November 26, 2011, 11:43 PM	#2
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	54R was primarily Berdan primed and non-reloadable, milsurp. Same with 7.62x39 and one of the reasons why I sold my AK for an AR. Brass will be very difficult to find, at leas the reloadable Boxer type.

November 26, 2011, 11:58 PM	#3
Orochimaru Member Join Date: September 11, 2011 Posts: 47	Prvi Partisan makes 7.62x54R brass, but it is hard to find. Prvi also makes loaded ammunition, so if you can't get the brass directly, you can get some when you shoot Prvi ammo. I've seen it from 14-18 per box of 20. A lot more expensive than milsurp, but the brass is great! The last time I saw some Prvi brass come up was on Grafs, I think. I hesitated and lost... Every time I've looked since, it has been out of stock.

December 7, 2011, 09:32 AM	#10
TripHlx Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2011 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 110	Aye I did! Sorry for not replying to your PM, I'm easily distracted at times. __________________ "If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's ridiculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid for." - Clint Smith

December 7, 2011, 01:20 PM	#11
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Not a problem. Glad I could help. I may have to go talk to that shop about commission, though... I've sent 7 or 8 people there, for "mail-order" 7.62x54R brass. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.