AK Ammunition
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AK Ammunition Nomenclature 7,62x39 mm Model 43 7.62x39 Russian (Soviet) 7.62 mm Soviet 7.62 mm Warsaw Pact 7.62 mm ComBloc.30 Short Russian.30 Short ComBloc M67
AK Ammunition Comparison 7.62x39 approximately as powerful as the.30-30 Winchester similar ballistic profile About 2,300 fps with about 1,500 ft-lbs of muzzle energy M43-123-grain boat-tail FMJ bullet with a steel core M67-123-grain FMJ bullet (no steel core)
AK Ammunition 7.62x39 Usage AK Rifle Variants RPD Machine Gun SKS RPK Valmet VZ-58 Former Soviet Union Former Warsaw Pact People's Republic of China Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, India, Iraq, Iran, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Russia, Turkey, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen
AK Ammunition Timeline 1632 Tula Factory established 1936 Novopodolsky designated factory 188 1943-7.62x39mm cartridge was invented by the Russians (Adopted as the M-43) 1944 - RPD adopted in Russia, Light Machine Gun designed to fire the 7.62x39 1945 - SKS Adopted in Russia, Rifle designed to fire the 7.62x39 1947 - AK-47 Adopted 1947 Cold War Begins 1959 - AKM introduced - Soviet Russia 1960 - Novopodolsky renamed Klimovsk Punching Plant (now factory 711) 1961 - RPK adopted Soviet Russia 1974 AK-74 adopted Soviet Russia 1974-5.45x39 5N7 cartridge introduced 1976 - Vympel founded to produce 5.45x39 ammo (factory 7) 1987-5.45x39 7N6 cartridge introduced (steel rod penetrator) 1991 - Cold War Ends 1991 - Russia produced 5 billion rounds of ammunition 1992-5.45x39 7N10 cartridge introduced (improved penetration) 1992-15 million rounds of German (DDR) 7.62x39mm M43 ammo imported into U.S. (Century Arms) 1994 - BATF Banned steel core (AP?) ammo (in a letter to FFL dealers and importers). Feb, 94 1994 - U.S. Import ban on Chinese Munitions. April, 94 1998-5.45x39 7N22 cartridge introduced (armor-piercing) 2000 - Silver Bear ammo imported 2001 - Brown Bear ammo imported 2002 - Russia produced 50 million rounds of ammunition 2004 - Golden Bear ammo imported
AK Ammunition Collecting 7.62x39 Ammunition availability in the US The Cold War U.S. Foreign Trade Policy U.S. Interpretation of Federal Law Break up of the Soviet Union National Military Contracts Yearly Factory Output Lack / Loss of Records Cost of raw materials / shipping A lot more
General History Early Days Pre Ban AWB Ban AWB Sunset
AK Ammunition Collecting Rewarding Hobby Low Cost Easy to Accumulate Easy to Store / Secure No way to loose $$ Learn (History, Geography, Politics, Mechanics, etc) More fun @ Range More fun @ Gun Shows
AK Ammunition Identification Bullet Color Codes Cyrillic Letter Codes Date Codes Factory Letter Codes Factory Number Codes Factory Logos
AK Ammunition Bullet Color Codes No color Ball White bullet tip Reference Ball Silver bullet tip Light ball with steel core Yellow bullet tip Heavy ball Blue bullet tip white band Green bullet tip white band Short range, tracer (Czech designation) Green bullet tip Tracer Green tip / headstamp Entire cartridge green Red bullet tip Spotting charge, incendiary Magenta bullet tip red band Armor piercing incendiary tracer Black bullet tip red band Armor piercing incendiary Black bullet tip red shell Black bullet tip yellow band Armor piercing incendiary Phosphorus Black bullet tip Armor piercing Short range ball (Hungarian and Czech designation) Subsonic ammunition for silenced weapons Armor piercing incendiary with tungsten carbide core
AK Ammunition Cyrillic Letter Codes Bullet Type Б БС БК БП БР БТ БЗ БЗТ ПС ЛПС ПТ Tracer ПЗ / ЗП Incendiary Armor Piercing AP Special (tungsten carbide core) High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) Armor Piercing Armor Piercing / Tracer Armor Piercing / Incendiary Armor Piercing / Incendiary / Tracer Ball / Mild Steel Core Light Ball / Mild Steel Core Case Type ГЛ Brass Cartridge Case ГЖ Gilding Metal Clad Steel Cartridge Case (95% copper, 5% zinc) Steel Cartridge Case ГС Packaging Type В Separate Ammo (loose / bagged) У Fixed Ammo (stripper clips)
AK Ammunition Early Letter Date Code Г 1952 А 1953 Е 1954 И 1955 К 1956
AK Ammunition Factory Code Letters Czecheslovakia ZV - Sellier & Bellot, Prague, (now Czech Republic) Factory in Zbrojovka Vlàsim aym - Povázské Strojárne Národný Podnik, Povázská Bystrica bxn - Sellier & Bellot, Prague, (now Czech Republic) Factory in Zbrojovka Vlàsim Cuba PMV Yugoslavia IK - Igman Zavod, Konjic, (now Bosnia-Herzogovina) ИK - (Cyrillic inverted N) POBEDA, Gorazde, (now Bosnia-Herzogovina) П П У Prvi Partizan Namenska Proizvodnja, (Now Serbia) producing ammunition since 1928 PP - Prvi Partizan Namenska Proizvodnja, (Now Serbia)
AK Ammunition Factory Code Numbers (7.62x39) USSR - Russia PRC - China 3 Ulyanovsk Machinery Plant 17 Barnaul Machine Tool Plant (since 1942) 60 State Factory at Frunze, Kirgisia (now Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) 270 Lugansk cartridge factory, Ukraine 539 Tula 7 Vympel State Production Association 711 Klimovsk State Ammunition Factory 11 Mudanjang Factory (NORINCO) 031, 31 North Industries Corp (NORINCO) 101, 111, 121, 311, 301, 351, 391, 451, 501, 51, 6, 61, 661, 671, 71, 81, 821, 946, 964, 201, 9121, 9141 East Germany GDR / DDR Bulgaria Hungary Poland 04 cmechanische Werkstatten, Königswartha. 05 Cooperative Popular Spreewerke Lübben 10 Arsenal, Kazanlak (previously Durjava Voenna Fabrika) 21 (date same as code) 23 Fémmüvek Mátravidéki Sirok 21 (date inverted from code) 343 State Munitions Factory Krupski Mlyn (Silesia) Romania 22 RPR22 (RPR = Popolara Roman Republic) 321, 322, 324 North Korea 93 95 Cuba 13
Russian 7.62x39 Ammunition Factories Klimovsk Tula Ulyanovsk Vympel Lugansk Factory# 60 Barnaul
Russian 7.62x39 Ammunition Factories Klimovsk Klimovsk Punching Plant 1936 Novopodolsky factory 188 in 1960 renamed Klimovsk Punching Plant 2002 Stopped Ammo Production Novosibirsk Factory Code = 188 Klimovsk Factory Code = 711 (early) FMJ Silver Bear 55 miles south of Moscow http://eng.kspz.ru/kspz/gunfactory/history/
Russian 7.62x39 Ammunition Factories Tula Tula Cartridge Works The first weapons factory in Tula established in 1632 Factory Code = 539 TCW, Wolf 120 miles south of Moscow
Russian 7.62x39 Ammunition Factories Ulyanovsk Ulyanovsk Cartridge Works Factory Code = 3 Ulyanovsk, Sapsan, (later) Match Silver Bear 555 miles east from Moscow
Russian 7.62x39 Ammunition Factories Vympel Vympel State Production Association started producing 5.45x39 cartridges in January 1983 Factory Code = 7 Golden Tiger Constructed in 1976
Russian 7.62x39 Ammunition Factories Barnaul Barnaul Cartridge Plant (BPZ) Produced almost 50% of the cartridges used by the Soviet Army one of the largest suppliers of of cartridges in Russia Factory Code = 17 RAM, Monarch, (early) Bear one of earliest cities in Siberia
AK Ammunition Ammo Crates & Cans Caliber Ammo Type Quantity Bullet Type Case Type Ammo Lot # Ammo Production Year Factory of Origin Powder Type Powder Lot # Powder Production Year
AK Ammunition Ammo Cans Caliber Bullet Type Case Type Ammo Lot # Ammo Production Year Ammo Type Quantity Powder Type Powder Lot # Powder Production Year
AK Ammunition Ammo Cans Caliber Bullet Type Case Type Powder Lot # Powder Production Year Ammo Type Quantity Powder Type Factory of Origin Ammo Production Year
AK Ammunition Ammo Cans 7.62x39 vs. 7.62x54R Caliber Bullet Type Case Type Ammo Production Year Factory of Origin Vs. Quantity Easiest way to determine 500+ rds = 7.62x39
AK Ammunition Ammo Crates Caliber Ammo Lot # Ammo Production Year Bullet Type Powder Production Year Powder Type Quantity
AK Ammunition Headstamps Top number is Factory Code Bottom is Year of Production Date Code Factory Letter Codes Factory Number Codes Factory Logos Bullet Color Codes
AK Ammunition Б БС БК БП БР БТ БЗ 1952 as Mátravidéki Fémművek (Matra Metal БЗ Works) Hungarian produced military ammunition with a plant code of "23 Factory code "21" Г Ж Б П З Г
Early 7.62x39 Ammunition
7.62x39 Ammunition
7.62x39 Ammunition (Post-AWB)
A.S.G. March 1989 NDM-86 Dragunov $3,900 Type 84S (5.56x45) $389 AK-762 (Wood Stock) $339 AKS-762 (Folding Stock) $329 1,100 rds 7.62x39 $129.50
U.S. Law Links.. The United States Code http://143.231.180.80/browse.xhtml Internal Revenue Code:Sec. 5845 http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/26c53.txt ATF Study on the Importability of Certain Shotguns http://www.atf.gov/publications/firearms/012611-study-on-importality-of-certain-shotguns.pdf Electronic Code of Federal Regulations http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=%2findex.tpl GunVote.net http://www.gunvote.net
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Disclaimer: The real AK-47 was short-lived The shorthand "AK47" or AK are typically used for all the descendant family of firearms also called "Kalashnikovs"