From: ahahma@utu.fi (Arno Hahma)
Subject: Re: Finnish/Swedish Steel Jacketed Ammo
Organization: University of Turku

In article <34nogo$5a7@tekgen.bv.tek.com>,
Klaus J. Ferfort <klausf@tekgen.BV.TEK.COM> wrote:

#Might some of our dear Finnish and Swedish friends please take a good
#look at some of the ammunition they have?  Specifically, take a close
#look at the projectiles, and determine WITH the use of a magnet, whether
#the ammunition has steel jacketed projectiles?

None of the Finnish ammo made for the civilian market has any steel in
it, except possibly the primer.  Everything is made of either brass or
copper and lead cored. The only bullets that contain steel are armor
piercing ones and even then, in the core. These ones probably are
imported, not made by Lapua or Sako.

Then there is some steel jacketed, copper plated 9mm ammo, but that one
was made during wartime and up to the sixties by both Sako and Lapua.
The steel jacketed ammo was only available for the army, it was never
sold to the public.


ArNO
    2

From: ahahma@utu.fi (Arno Hahma)
Subject: Re: Finnish 7.62x39 ammo -- any experiences?
Organization: University of Turku

In article <39s1vg$23c@infmx.informix.com>,
Colonel Panic <aland@informix.com> wrote:

#I came across something I hadn't heard of before -- cases of Finnish
#7.62x39 ammo, boxer primed, supposedly noncorrosive, in 30-round boxes
#and 1500 round cases ($13/box, $11/box in case lots).

Sounds like Lapua ammo; packaged in hermetically sealed, 750
round zinc boxes, two such in a wooden box?

#Does anybody have experience with this ammo?

Sure. It is about the most accurate 7,62x39 ammo available, provided
your gun has tight barrel. The bullet diameter is 7,87 mm (.310") and
if your gun is made for that, the rounds are accurate. However, many
AK-47s and Norincos have a somewhat larger bore barrel (up to
7,90..7,92 mm, maybe due to manufacturing tolerances?) and do not shoot
well with Lapua (if any) ammo.

The powder (RS04N26) used in the ammo is made in very large quantities,
since the 7,62x39 ammo is the largest manufacturing item at Lapua.
That means the quality of the powder is high and the powder factory
does not have to mix different powder lots, which always causes some
variances from round to round.

The 4N26 burns extremely clean since it has not been mixed with other
powders. It smells strongly after firing because of the pretty high
percentage of stabilizers and barrel preservatives it has. The powder
is designed for military use and therefore it has to withstand a long
storage time; hence the high percentages of additives.

As a note, the 6PPC cases are made from the 7,62x39 mm cases, they just
leave a smaller primer hole. Otherwise, they simply extract the cases
from the 7,62x39 mm line and neck them down to 6 mm. That should give a
clue about the case quality.

The primers are non-corrosive, made by either Vihtavuori or
CCI. If they are nickel-plated, they are CCI, if brass colored, then
Vihtavuori.

The bullets are made of CuZnPb (90/9,5/0,5) jacket and Pb/Sb core and
weigh 8,1 grams. Lapua makes their ammo out of non-ferrous metals only
and uses high percentages of copper in all components. That is why
their ammo is expensive - the only drawback I find in them ;(.



ArNO
    2