What is a fair price for ammo for a Mosin Nagant?

[Rafael]

Also, is there a good source for it online? And it needs to be non-magnetic.
Thanks.

[rice paddy daddy]

Non magnetic is going to cost you. Most of the cheap stuff is steel cased with steel projectiles. Example: Wolf brand (steel) runs about $7 per 20 around here. Winchester or S&B will easily run $18-$20, if you could find it. Most of the ammo you will find is steel - Wolf, Barnaul, Brown Bear, Silver Bear. I'm not sure about Wolf Classic, that may be brass & copper.
I bought some Bulgarian surplus, 1954, in 330 round cans for $49 per can. Corrosive, but works just fine.
Edited to add: I've heard bad things about buying ammo online from Cheaper Than Dirt. You could try MidwayUSA or Cabellas.

[Rafael]

Unfortunately all the ranges here do not allow magnetic ammo. I have no idea why.
I'll try midway and cabellas.

[MissouriFree]

In general it is a sellers market.. you pay what they want or don't get it. Unless you have a buddy at the local guns store( which I don't) the best prices are all on line just shop around be ready to buy.

[rice paddy daddy]

Some ranges are afraid a steel projo striking a rock in the berm could cause a glowing hot riccochet which could ignite a fire. Pretty far fetched, actually.
You must live in California, they're nervous about wild fires out there.

[Rafael]

Bingo. I'm in calif.
There have been fires going on here for at least the past 6 weeks. One of the fires burned an area over 200 square miles. It's a well founded nervousness. There was a new one yesterday. The thing is that there are ranges out here made entirely of dirt, nothing that can burn, but the silly rule still applies.

How can you tell if the bullet is steel or not? Some ads state it, some dont.
Such as this:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0070785217188a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=7.62x54r&Ntk=Products&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&_D%3Asort=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

[Oblio13]

Unfortunately all the ranges here do not allow magnetic ammo. I have no idea why...

The BATF in 1994 reclassified steel-cored ammo as "armor piercing" and made it illegal.

[Rafael]

But ammo containing steel is still being made and sold.

[Oblio13]

But ammo containing steel is still being made and sold.

It gets kinda complicated, but basically any steel-cored ammo that can be used in a pistol can no longer be imported or resold. Every time somebody makes even one pistol in what would ordinarily be a rifle caliber, then steel-cored ammo in that caliber becomes illegal. Here, for example, is the BATF letter for 7.62x39:

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r290/PA_Rifleman/misc/762steelcoreban.jpg

[rice paddy daddy]

It gets kinda complicated, but basically any steel-cored ammo that can be used in a pistol can no longer be imported or resold. Every time somebody makes even one pistol in what would ordinarily be a rifle caliber, then steel-cored ammo in that caliber becomes illegal. Here, for example, is the BATF letter for 7.62x39:

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r290/PA_Rifleman/misc/762steelcoreban.jpg
Then why is steel core 7.62X39 being imported and sold at record amounts? Sorry, that dog won't hunt.
I prefer the Romanian (Hotshot) over the Russian brands myself.

[rice paddy daddy]

How can you tell if the bullet is steel or not? Some ads state it, some dont.
Such as this:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0070785217188a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=7.62x54r&Ntk=Products&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&_D%3Asort=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1
That particular brand is Russian, and I would regard all Russian as steel core unless it actually says otherwise.

[rice paddy daddy]

Rafi, I checked the Wolf Ammo homepage and they don't say what the cores are on their Gold line. I also took a peek at the sites for J&G sales (www.jgsales.com) and Sportsmans Guide (www.sportsmansguide.com). Nothing in print there either as to type of cores. My suggestion would be to visit some local shops with a magnet in hand.
I've got some Wolf at the house that has 203 gr soft point bullets, the points are lead, the whole bullet may be. I'll try a magnet on them when I get home and report back.
Hang in there friend, if you can find some Cali legal ammo you'll see what fun Mosin Nagants are!

[Rafael]

There are only a few places locally that have that caliber and they only have steel core.

[Oblio13]

Then why is steel core 7.62X39 being imported and sold at record amounts? ...

It isn't. Perhaps you are confusing steel cases with steel cores?

[Rafael]

It isn't. Perhaps you are confusing steel cases with steel cores?

Steel core 7.62 ammo is sold at my closest gun store. The guy at the store even put a magnet to the bullet to show me.

[Rafael]

It gets kinda complicated, but basically any steel-cored ammo that can be used in a pistol can no longer be imported or resold. Every time somebody makes even one pistol in what would ordinarily be a rifle caliber, then steel-cored ammo in that caliber becomes illegal. Here, for example, is the BATF letter for 7.62x39:

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r290/PA_Rifleman/misc/762steelcoreban.jpg

That letter is dated 1994. Maybe the law has changed since then.

[rice paddy daddy]

It isn't. Perhaps you are confusing steel cases with steel cores?
No confusion on my end.

[Oblio13]

That letter is dated 1994. Maybe the law has changed since then.

I just went to the BATF website and the ban is still in effect. Your guess is as good as mine about what's going on. Here it is from the horse's mouth:


Federal Code:
921(a)(17)(B) the term 'armor piercing ammunition' means --

(i) a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely (excluding the presence of traces of other substances) from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium; or

(ii) a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile.

(C) The term 'armor piercing ammunition' does not include shotgun shot required by Federal or State environmental or game regulations for hunting purposes, a frangible projectile designed for target shooting, a projectile which the Secretary finds is primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes, or any other projectile or projectile core which the Secretary finds is intended to be used for industrial purposes, including a charge used in an oil and gas well perforating device.

929(b)
LIST OF ARMOR PIERCING AMMUNITION (BANNED BY NAME BY THE BATF):

KTW AMMUNITION, all calibers. (Identified by a green coating on the projectile)

ARCANE AMMUNITION, all calibers. (Identified by a pointed bronze or brass projectile)

THV AMMUNITION, all calibers. (Identified by a brass or bronze projectile and having a headstamp containing the letters SFM and THV)

CZECHOSLOVAKIAN manufactured 9mm Parabellum (Luger) ammunition having an iron or steel core. (Identified by a cupronickel jacket and headstamp containing a triangle, star and dates 49, 50, 51, or 52. The bullet is attracted to a magnet)

GERMAN manufactured 9mm Parabellum (Luger) having an iron or steel bullet core. (Original packaging is marked Pisolenpatronen 08 m.E. May have black colored bullet. This bullet is attracted to a magnet)

MSC AMMUNITION, Caliber .25. (Identified by a hollow point brass bullet. NOTE: MSC ammunition Caliber .25 identified by a hollow point copper bullet is not armor piercing)

BLACK STEEL ARMOR PIERCING AMMUNITION, All Calibers, as produced by National Cartridge, Atlanta, Georgia.

BLACK STEEL METAL PIERCING AMMUNITION, All Calibers, as produced by National Cartridge, Atlanta, Georgia.

7.62mm NATO AP (Identified by black coloring in the bullet tip. This ammunition is used by various NATO countries. The U.S. military designation is M61 AP)

7.62mm NATO SLAP (identified by projectile having a plastic sabot around a hard penetrator. The penetrator protrudes above the sabot and is similar in appearance to a Remington accelerator cartridge)

PMC ULTRAMAG .38 Special caliber, constructed entirely of a brass type material, and plastic pusher disc located at the base of the projectile. NOTE: PMC ULTRAMAG 38J late production made of copper with lead alloy projectile is not armor piercing.

OMNISHOCK, a .38 Special cartridge with a lead bullet containing a mild steel core with a flattened head resembling a wad cutter. (NOTE: OMNISHOCK cartridges having a bullet with an aluminum core are not armor piercing.)

7.62x39mm with steel core. (NOTE: these projectiles have a steel core. Projectiles having a lead core with steel jacket or steel case are not armor piercing)

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING CARTRIDGES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE DEFINITION OF ARMOR PIERCING AMMUNITION:

5.56MM (.223) SS109 and M855 Ammunition, Identified by a green coating on the projectile tip.

U.S. .30-06 M2 AP, Identified by a black coating on the projectile tip.

[Rafael]

Here is the loophole:
"Projectiles having a lead core with steel jacket or steel case are not armor piercing".

[Oblio13]

Here is the loophole:
"Projectiles having a lead core with steel jacket or steel case are not armor piercing".

Like I posted above, I think some people confuse steel cases and jackets with steel cores.

[Rafael]

It's still odd.
The ammo I saw that was magnetic had a brass case, a lead tip and a copper jacket.
Obviously the copper jacketed the steel. To be legal the steel, in turn, must have encased lead.

[Oblio13]

It's still odd.
The ammo I saw that was magnetic had a brass case, a lead tip and a copper jacket.
Obviously the copper jacketed the steel. To be legal the steel, in turn, must have encased lead.

Steel jacketed bullets are usually coated with something to prevent rust.

[Rafael]

The copper jacketed the steel. The steel is what was magnetic; copper is not magnetic.

[Oblio13]

The copper jacketed the steel. The steel is what was magnetic; copper is not magnetic.

My guess is that you were looking at lead-core bullets jacketed in steel, then plated in copper to prevent rust. Those are fairly common and still legal to import and sell.

[rice paddy daddy]

Steel jacketed bullets are usually coated with something to prevent rust.
The most common is copper wash