7.62x54r AP?

[London]

Hey folks. I'm looking at some ammo right now which is described as being, "Lead and steel core, steel cased, Berdan primed, and steel tipped." It is Russian surplus.

I'm under the impression steel bullets are great for piercing armor. Anyone have any ideas how good these rounds would be for that?

 

[TexasR.N.]

No answer for you, but I would like to know the answer to this.

Craig

 

[txinvestigator]

What type of armor are you trying to defeat, and at the risk of being flamed, why?

 

[bryonbush]

i purchased some stuff in a spam can that attracted a magnet. shot well through old slabs of road way from MDOT. is that AP enough for you?

 

[M. Sage]

Hey folks. I'm looking at some ammo right now which is described as being, "Lead and steel core, steel cased, Berdan primed, and steel tipped." It is Russian surplus.

I'm under the impression steel bullets are great for piercing armor. Anyone have any ideas how good these rounds would be for that?

Probably not. It's actually typical of light ball ammo in this caliber to have a steel core. Two things: It's mild steel and it's flat-nosed. It's not very good for penetrating "armor". The cutaway just under the text on this page is typical of a steel cored light ball 7.62x54R: 7.62x54r Ammunition Identification

You can see the jacket, lead in the nose and the lighter colored (and much bigger) flat-nosed steel core.

For what it's worth, these bullets are also typically jacketed with mild steel with a copper wash applied.

I've yet to find any 7.62x54R AP out there, if you've found some I'd love to see it! Got a link to that sale so I can take a look? I'm not going to buy it out from under you - I just spent the last of my money till payday to restock my fridge.

 

[RetArmySgt]

Would like to see that ammo too.

 

[chubbyzook]

what the point of ap ammo for a regularly used gun,

 

[London]

I was just wondering what armor in general it could pierce. I wanted to know because I'm a paranoid right wing redneck survivalist who has the irrational need to own ammunition capable of penetrating blue helmets. Here's a link to the ammo. It doesn't claim to be anything fancy:

AMM-653 - Ammo 7.62x54R Russian FMJBT 147 Grain 440 Round Can Surplus Light Ball Corrosive

In a similar vein, anyone know if it's true a sharpened steel drill bit inserted into a HP will defeat level II vests?

Thanks for the replies, guys.

 

[matefrio]

In a similar vein, anyone know if it's true a sharpened steel drill bit inserted into a HP will defeat level II vests?

You need to Google what a level II vest is and what it's rated to stop.

Your hopefully innocent curiosity is also better left off an open forum.

Here's a link that I think will help you understand level III armor.

The Box O' Truth #16 - Level IIIA Armor - Page 1

 

[London]

Nothing wrong with a little knowledge. Bad guys have vests, too.

 

[M. Sage]

I was just wondering what armor in general it could pierce. I wanted to know because I'm a paranoid right wing redneck survivalist who has the irrational need to own ammunition capable of penetrating blue helmets. Here's a link to the ammo. It doesn't claim to be anything fancy:

AMM-653 - Ammo 7.62x54R Russian FMJBT 147 Grain 440 Round Can Surplus Light Ball Corrosive

No, that's not AP. Yes, that'll defeat anything short of a plate. Only hard armor (plates) is rated for a threat like 147 grain 7.62x54R. Most helmets aren't going to do much more than slow it down, especially a centered hit. Good kevlar helmets are about equivalent to level IIIA protection.

In a similar vein, anyone know if it's true a sharpened steel drill bit inserted into a HP will defeat level II vests?

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Don't go adding steel penetrators to handgun ammo. It's a federal (and state) offense to have that kind of stuff. If you meet someone stupid enough to try it, make sure you get it on video. Him blowing his gun up doing stupid things with it (like adding mass to a bullet, which changes the pressure curve of the ammunition) will be a HUGE hit on Youtube.

Do we look like the Mythbusters to you?

 

[Texan2]

Your hopefully innocent curiosity is also better left off an open forum.

+1 Some things are better left unsaid

 

[London]

Don't go adding steel penetrators to handgun ammo. It's a federal (and state) offense to have that kind of stuff.

Do we look like the Mythbusters to you?

I thought it was illegal to buy newly manufactured handgun AP, not just make your own. Now I know, and knowing's half the battle!

And no, you guys aren't Mythbusters. But sometimes you're just as entertaining!

 

[Texan2]

And no, you guys aren't Mythbusters. But sometimes you're just as entertaining!

We aim to please.

 

[M. Sage]

I thought it was illegal to buy newly manufactured handgun AP, not just make your own. Now I know, and knowing's half the battle!

And no, you guys aren't Mythbusters. But sometimes you're just as entertaining!

Last I heard it wasn't manufacture, but simple possession.

 

[LouisCipher777]

I've shot a couple thousand rounds of that steel core silver tip russian light ball, and while it is not technically "armor piercing", I will tell you that it will blow right through a brake rotor at 50 meters. it's pretty good stuff.

I used to have some black tip rounds that were actual bevelled hard steel core AP rounds. there are a couple other types of AP rounds, like the old-school copper nosed rounds, but its hard to come by. they even have a purple tip AP Tracer round.

 

[mkillebrew]

Don't go adding steel penetrators to handgun ammo. It's a federal (and state) offense to have that kind of stuff. If you meet someone stupid enough to try it, make sure you get it on video. Him blowing his gun up doing stupid things with it (like adding mass to a bullet, which changes the pressure curve of the ammunition) will be a HUGE hit on Youtube.

last I checked, steel weighed less than the lead it would be replacing.

 

[M. Sage]

last I checked, steel weighed less than the lead it would be replacing.

As described, there would be no lead replaced. The question was about sharpened tool steel inserted into the cavity of a hollow point.