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Chinese 7.62x39

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7.1K views 14 replies 11 participants last post by  gew98  
#1 ·
Found a box of Norinco China Sports 7.62x39. From what I read online ammo from China was banned in 1993. Cost at time of being banned was around $3.00. This is the red box having copper washed cases headstamp is 351 over 93, and it is loaded with 124gr soft points. I see online that there is as many as 8-10 other box styles out there. I am collecting this mainly to go with my Norinco SKS.

Does any of the membership have any from back in the day or recall quality of ammo or lack of?
 
#2 ·
I always thought that the Chinese steel core. copper washed shot better in my SKSs than any of the european ammo including the brass case lead core Yugo which came in 2nd. I imagine that there are more than a few cases of it rat holed away.

We had a SKS side match here last week. Offhand at 50Y, using a small 6" black bull NRA target. Although I have a few nice ones (SKSs), I elected to shoot a VN Chinese built Bring Back that looks like it had laid years in the jungle! I mean really ugly as in VERY rough wood & big rust pits every where. Inside though it was fine. Used the same ammo that you are talking about & won the match easily.
I have great respect for Mr. Simonov's rifle, having been on the receiving end of it. By the way, that is the same ammo that the VC were using. We captured & burned a lot of it.
 
#15 ·
Back in the early 80's 7,62x39 was a real hard round to find. I had a blade bayonet Chinese made SKS that was a VN bringback...and like yours it was super rough. It even had a bullet strike in the buttstock and another that compromised the hadguard/gas tube. In Keng's firearms early days they had a few rough imported parts for SKS's and I got a serviceable gas tube assy from them so my SKS was no longer a single shot. In the mid to late 80's I could buy 1100 round cases of Chinese 7,62x39 - two tins per crate and in 10 round chargers at $79 delivered. All late 60's through early 70's dated and it all went bang and shot nicely. I had as well a tula 1951 all matched but the mag box VN bringback in minty shape. The beater Chinese sks outshot the russki example all day long. The Chinese knockoff SKS rifles made in the 60's and 70's were fine rifles. Much more than their russki counterparts. I see anymore some fellas selling that era steel cored Chinese ball like it's rare. It's not. But some think it's equivalent to AP..it's not. Nonetheless it's good ammo but not worth what the market types want for it. Several of my friends stashed a lot of that ball ammo away when it was dirt cheap back then , can't blame them.
 
#3 ·
Is the chinese sks a lot different than the russian? Is it a better shooter, more quality? One would instantly think of course the russian would be leaps better, but there seems to be tons of the chinese rifles and they seem to keep going and going. I passed on a Tula made one for $350 exactly 2 years ago this month, I recall cause I had just got married and that "helped" me pass lol
 
#7 ·
I still have some Old Chinese Norinco in a silver box. On the front it has a picture of kids playing with what looks like fireworks---it is a drawing in black line on the silver box. The picture of happy kids playing. Originally it came inside a 600rd spam can. It has FMJ head and was banned because it is steel core ammo.
 
#8 ·
Thirty,
At one time there was several cases of 7.62-39 ammo here, A mixed lot boxes from different makers. I'll take a look and see whats left. I sold off all my SKS Norinco rifles and a lot of the ammo years ago. Don't know what may be lurking in the hoard of ammo cans. Back in my day of SKS playing, I was buying NIB Norinco rifles for $69.00 each. (had 10 of them at one time still in original boxes) Wish I had them now. 1000 round case of ammo was $75.00. The good old days of burning lots of ammo.
`57
 
#12 ·
Yes good Ol Days of cheap SKS and Norinco RPK's. Used them for hunting pig as a beater rifle that you just did not care about cosmetics.