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What's the deal with magnets & 7.62 ammo?

Workingzombie
I've picked up bits & pieces of posts talking about magnets,
7.62 ammo, and shooting in an indoor range. There is a problem
that some russian ammo that attracts magnets? I'd appreciate someone explaining this.

Thanks!
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Comments

5 comments

Date Votes
  • 11b6r
    Some military loads used a steel cored bullet, which is not kind to Mr. Backstop on indoor ranges. A lead cored bullet is not pulled to a magnet, steel cored is.

    "I have good news and bad. Make it through, you don't have to prove anything to anyone the rest of your life. Bad news- you have to prove it to me first." CSM, US Army Ranger School.
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  • v35
    I believe but need corroboration that much early 7.62x39 had both a copper washed steel jacket and solid steel core and some had only the copper washed steel jacket and a lead core. Both would be magnetic.
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  • chunkstyle
    Well, steel-CORED ammo is actually quite rare, anymore. Moswt of the magnet problem is due to steel jackets. Most imported 7.62x39 (and 7.62x54R) has steel jackets, so that's the problem.

    My indoor rifle range uses old shredded tires as a backstop. Every so often, they seperate out the lead from the rubber, and recycle it. Steel somehow interferes with this process. So they ban ammo with magnetic bullets from the rifle bay.

    "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
    ~Sinclair Lewis, It Can't Happen Here

    "Our enemies...never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
    ~President George W. Bush
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  • Iconoclast
    Virtually all milsurp ammo from the former or current Communist nations had / has steel jacketed projectiles. Some - but nothing deserving the "cop killer" hysteria loadings also had steel cores of various hardness depending on its intended purpose. In many cases, it was simply that it was a cheaper material than lead while in the remainder some degree of AP capability was intended. The former situation is nothing new - much of the Nazi small arms ammo of the last eight months or so of WW2 was fabricated with mild steel cores and galvanized steel jackets (as well as other substitution designs) simply because they were virtually out of lead and copper.

    Many ranges have restrictions on full patch ammo - liability from ricochets, damage to facilities, etc.; steel jackets just raise the potential negative effects of the FMJ ammo in peaceful uses.

    "There is nothing lower than the human race - except the french." (Mark Twain)
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  • rsnyder55
    Thirty years ago I had some Czech 9mm ammo imported by Interarms that had steel bullets. The bullets damaged the steel plates at an indoor range to where bullets would riccochat (sp?)back at the shooter instead of down into the pit.

    After that the range checked everyones ammo with a magnet.

    NRA Life Member
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