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Ammunition and Reloading Forum All about ammunition, reloading and reloading equipment |
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09-30-2022, 05:47 PM | #1 | |
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Cetme Santa Barbara 7.62x51
Shooting what you can get?
I bought a 500 round can of Cetme Santa Barbara 7.62x51 at a gun show several years ago and stashed it away for a rainy day. Well, it was feeling a bit damp outside, so I pulled it out to give it a try in my FAL and M14 since this ammo had the oldest manufacture dates - late 50's and early 60's. Loaded up in the FAL - wouldn't cycle. Crap. Okay, adjustable gas system for the win, right? Nope. Couldn't get it to cycle at any setting. Okay, figured I'd try it in the M14, knowing what was going to happen. Yeah, single shot. Damn. Okay, powder must be bad, so I ordered a collet puller for my reloading press and pulled down the rest of the can of ammo. I'll just put some fresh powder in, as the primers all went off - even if they probably are corrosive, I know how to clean my rifles. I have some Varget and some British surplus 4895 that I know will work fine. Now, what weight were those bullets, again? I put them on the scale - 5 different ones, actually. Weights were 111gr - 113 gr. WTF?? Should be 147-150 for NATO ammo. Check my scale using calibration weights. It's dead on. Did a little research and came up with this gem: https://www.cartridgecollector.net/7...-spanish-cetme Turns out the bullets are a jacketed, plastic core, and lead base. Quote:
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09-30-2022, 11:51 PM | #2 |
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I know the Santa Barbara Mauser m98 actions were pretty rough. I would not doubt their ammo lacked quality control also
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10-01-2022, 11:24 AM | #3 |
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I'll have to think about this. The CETME brass, primed, weighs in at 152-155 grns. Some deprimed WCC brass weighs in at 168-170 grns and deprimed Lake City brass is 180 grns. I found some Hornady brass, and it weighs in at 169-171 grns with primers still in.
So, the brass seems a bit lighter as well. I don't think I'll be loading anything full pressure in it if I do decide to put something in it, which it isn't looking too likely I will. The bullets might be fun in a .300 Blackout, though. |
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