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Ammunition Question

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8 comments

  • DerBarbarian
    I received a couple of boxes of ammunition and wonder the country of origin and shootability.

    It comes a white box of 20 with the following information:

    It has a picture of an arrow in a zigzag with a star inside a circle with 8 points.

    20 BUTIR
    MUNISI KALIBER 7,62mm
    MU - 2Tj
    Lot No. 39/85
    PT. PINDAD (PERSERO)

    The ammunition looks like it is .308 with 'AD' and '85'

    The primer has 3 crimps and green sealer.

    Thanks in advance.
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  • KEVD18
    i cant answer your second question.

    as to your first(why the normally more expensive ammo is cheaper), it could be they bought it in bulk and got a good price on it and passed that savings on to you. they might have had it in inventory for a long time and are reducing the price to get rid of it to make room for new stock or to avoid paying taxes on the inventory. from time to time a retail business will select a product to sell at very little profit or perhaps in some cases at a loss to generate traffic. this doesnt always work as some people will come in just for the sale item; but many will buy something else while they're there.

    then of course, it could be a combination of any of the above ideas.
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  • DerBarbarian
    Thanks for the input, I appreciate it. Sorry if I didn't phrase that correctly, I was just curious why the better of the two would be a little bit cheaper, I'm just wondering if shooting the AP Penetrator ammo, assuming it has a steel core if it's any harder on the barrel then regular lead coated copper. Which I don't think it would be since they both have copper jackets, but was just curious about that as well.
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  • Mobuck
    I'd be sure to ask specifically if the AP bullets are NEW vs demilled/pulled and reloaded.
    It's possible the local market is not good for AP ammo due to range restrictions or demographics therefore, the seller has some AP stuff he isn't getting sold and/or it is older stock that didn't sell well.
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  • babun
    ""I was just curious why the better of the two would be a little bit cheaper,""

    The AP is not "better", it is better suited for a specific use. The "std" fmj ammo
    should be more accurate.

    The "better" ammo is the one that fits your intended use at the time...plinking,
    targetshooting, hunting, hard target destruction, and so on.

    Also as stated, markets determine price alot. Think back when .380 ammo
    was almost a buck a round.[xx(]
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  • sandwarrior
    DerBarbarian,

    The reason the 'penetrator' ammo is cheaper is because the military discontinued having it made since the mid-late nineties. Originally it (the bullet only) was called SS109 and has a hardened steel core.
    The reason the military went away from it was because it tended to penetrate like an ice pick. One poke and it was through. Which is nicer for hardened targets, but against mostly unarmored targets it wasn't doing near the damage as was hoped for. So, sometime pre-2000 we started contracting 62 gr. bullets without the penetrator to be built. For some reason (international liability?) they never changed the nomenclature (M855) of the different loaded cartridges.

    So, in short, the 62 with penetrator is over, not being used and there is and has been a ton of surplus for years. 62 gr. without penetrator is just coming onto the surplus market. I'm thinking give it a little time, and away from an election year, and the prices will come down.
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  • competentone
    quote:Originally posted by sandwarrior
    So, sometime pre-2000 we started contracting 62 gr. bullets without the penetrator to be built. For some reason (international liability?) they never changed the nomenclature (M855) of the different loaded cartridges.

    So, in short, the 62 with penetrator is over, not being used and there is and has been a ton of surplus for years. 62 gr. without penetrator is just coming onto the surplus market. I'm thinking give it a little time, and away from an election year, and the prices will come down.


    Really? Can you provide any sort of documentation supporting your comments?

    I won't hold my breath waiting for it....
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  • Riomouse911
    Didn't the military go to the M855A1 non-lead bullet a few years back? This might be a reason "leaded" M855 is becoming surplus as they switch over to the lead-free round.

    I've also seen "out-of-spec" M855 sold at places like "Sportsman's Guide"...the description said these were lots where the ammo didn't quite reach the velocity that was called for.

    In any case, it's good stuff for your AR/mini etc.
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