[cheapdad1]

I stumbled upon a stash of ammo--7.62x54r, Bulgarian 1948, Lion/19/48/ВФ.
heavy ball? it is a yellow"ish" tip, not on stripper clips, packed in paper wraps.
also--there are several unopened cans-they look like the 8x56r cans I have--how many rounds are in each?
Good shooting?
Cheapdad

 

[Louie]

Those cans came in both 250 and 300 round tins. Good shooting stuff, but leaking primers will give you a halo on your pristine bolt face.

 

[cheapdad1]

Louie, thanks for the info.
how would I tell if it's 250 or 300 rounds..the outside of the can has no markings--or they've worn off.
The 1 open can is only partially full, it has paper wrapped and tied ammo, the paper is very fragile and breaks up easily.
The cans look very similar to the zinc coated cans with carry strap that I have in 8x56r.
Is the bolt face etching bad? Ive been looking for heavy ball for a while--and it seems to be all gone!
...and I'm still shooting some of that 1950's Romanian from Zanders!
Thanks
Cheapdad

 

[Louie]

It is probably 300, but the damn Bulgies didn't mark them other than 7,62 and maybe a few letters also. Most of the heavy ball came in 300 round tins, but the light ball came in both. It is good ammo, brass a little brittle, so you will get cracked cases at neck, shoulder, etc, but no case failures with all the stuff I have shot. The halo is cosmetic, the hot gasses burn a halo on the bolt face after a few rounds. It gets deeper w/ more rounds fired. If it's a pretty used bolt no big deal, but I just got a pristine Polish m44, and you can tell he shot leaky primed ammo through it. Only blemish on a perfect gun. If it is a shooter, and has been through 1000's of rounds go for it.

 

[cheapdad1]

thanks!
Cheapdad

 

[DocAV]

B Phi 1948 Lion Bulgarian Ammo...7,62x54R using 8x56R type headstamp ( I think 1948 was the last year they did this, before changing to the Communist "10"-Star-year for all Bulgarian Ammo.) The brass cases continued into the 1950s,( with the Soviet .254 primer) and is good quality.
Early primers ( up to 1949) are .217 Berdan and Corrosive.

As the Brass quality is good, one can reload these cases ( www.DAGAMMO.com for .217 Berdan primers) , especially if the "unsplit" cases are annealed before reloading. I regularly reload (Berdan) Wartime Bulgarian cases ( 8x56R)Both Steel and Brass) with very little cases loss, even after 4-5 reloads. If one is really concerned with either the corrosive primers and /or the "brittle" cases, one can dismantle the ammo, remove the Primer, anneal and replace with a noncorrosive primer, and relaod to a suitable "medium" load for comfort ( I do this regularly with all types of old and primer-unreliable ammo)

Cans were (for 8x56R) 250 rounds, Loose paper wraps or Clipped Paper Wraps; I don't know for the 7,62x54R cartridges...maybe 300 would fit ( unclipped)...the Loose stuff was for Loading LMG mags and MG belts ( as in 8x56R cans...2x1 Label inside can usually said" Za Karabina, Pushka, v Kartechnitza" ( for Carbine, Rifle and Machinegun); cans with Clipped ammo the label was usually "za Karabina v Pushka" ( for Carbine and Rifle).
Other details on Label of Factory date of packing, and Powder Load and Lot/type.

With the leaky primers, two things must be attended to: the Corrosive primer residue on the bolt (beyond the Bolt face erosion -"primer ring") and the Cases will also corrode ( "black oxidation") if left more than a few days...I wash them in Washing Soda ( Sodium Carbonate) and Hydraulically decap them straight away...No corrosion of the brass. ( Old pre-WW I wash for US Cases for Military reloads ( "Gallery")

Aslo, the 1946-49 Bulgarian Lion HS 7,62x54R cases are a "Rarity" in collecting circles, so don't shoot them all off. They are part of the History of Bulgarian transition from a Monarchy to a Communist Dictatorship ( Lion was still the Bulgarian National and Royal crest, the Star was the Communist crest.)

regards,
Doc AV
AV Ballistics

 

[mr44]

whats a can of 300 yellow tip worth these days?

 

[cheapdad1]

good question!
a can of the Russian 440 rounds is 75-80 dollars.
heavy ball, 300 rounds? as cheap as possible!
Cheapdad