.30-06 millitary ammo question

[fuzebox40]

I paid almost $20 for a box of .30-06 last time I bought it. Don't remember the brand or any specs but I know someone selling 200 rounds of "millitary ammo" for $50. That $5 a box! I don't know much about the particulars of this ammo so my question is, is there any reason I can't use this for cheap range practice ammo, regardless of my bolt action .30-06 rifle?

[LDBennett]

Hi Neighbor (I live in Hesperia).

There are so many types of "military ammo" that it is hard to say if you should use it. Some is corrosively primed which means you have to use the correct solvent IMMEDIATELY after shooting the gun or the bore may rust. Some use Berdan primers which means the brass is not reloadable. Some has duds intermixed which can be dangerous.

If you like your gun then don't shoot just any old "military ammo". By contrast the military ammo offered by the Civilian Marksmanship Program is Greek and is actually good ammo, with reload able brass but I believe it has corrosive primers. It is not a big deal to clean the gun at the range or the same day you shoot it but you MUST use the right solvent. If it does not say on the bottle it is for corrosive primers it probably is not. The next best thing is soapy hot water pored through the bore (a pain!) followed by a cleaning with Hoppe #9. Now, the bottle I have of Hoppe #9 says on the bottle it is for corrosive primers but not all bottles say that (??).

I also have a gallon of mil spec bore cleaner but I don't know if it is for corrosive primers or not. If you want some just PM me. I'll give you the MIL SPEC number and you can research it if you do buy Mil Surp ammo.

LDBennett

[Jim K]

Buying less expensive ammo is fine, but as LDBennett says, it depends on which ammo. At that price, it could be from CMP, it could be some other foreign ammo, it could even be someone's reloads, of which beware! While at one time, U.S. GI non-corrosive ammo was selling for $.07 a round, those days are long gone.

If you can find more about it, with pictures of the boxes and/or the ammo, we could help better.

Jim

[fuzebox40]

Basically this is one that my brother got wind of in his area (about an hour from here) so I thought I might have him pick it up for me. I really don't want to trouble him beyond saying "get it" or "don't get it" though, but thought I better ask about the possible downsides first. The vibes I'm getting is to say "don't get it" and leave the $50 in the money jar. Yeah I'm trying to get that gun money jar into .308 territory.
Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated.

[Alpo]

Just for general info, the Greek ammo sold by the CMP is non-corrosive.

[LDBennett]

Here's the CMP info:

4C3006X000-200P
M2 Ball Greek HXP (Pyrkal) manufacture, Packaged loose in 30 cal ammo can.
Total 200 rounds.
Boxer primed, non-corrosive. Headstamp varies.

$98.00
S&H $11.95 per can
S&H to Alaska or Hawaii $16.95 per can

You must be a NRA member and some other qualification to buy from CMP. It is all spelled out on their web page. All there stuff is intended for use in some kind of an NRA sponsored marksmanship and competition program. You can even buy M1 Garands and several other firearms directly from them without intervention by a California dealer (mailed to your door). Their stuff is good but sometimes the wait is months. I have bought several M1 Garands and a new Kimber 82G from them. All were excellent.

Sorry about the wrong info on it as to corrosiveness. My son-in-law only shoots Mil Surp ammo and has many variations. I can not keep track of which is non-corrosive and which is not. Since I reload my own I care little about his ammo and don't keep track.

The only Mil Surp ammo I shoot is corrosive 8mm in my Egyptian Hakim that literally destroys brass. I will not risk my good reloadable 8mm brass in that gun. And I have to clean the Hakim the same day I use it, too.

LDBennett

[gdmoody]

Here is a handy little pdf file that I have been using for years. It gives you information on corrosive primers in 30.06 ammo. At the price you are talking about, I say buy the stuff and if it is on this list of ammo that IS NOT corrosive then you know you do not have to clean your barrel immediately!!

http://www.ashlandlakegunclub.org/do...rimerRedux.pdf

[Alpo]

I don't know about all the info on that pdf, but I know this is wrong.

>Other Ammunition
All .30 carbine ammunition is non-corrosive.<

All US-made .30 Carbine ammo is non-corrosive. There is some French stuff out there that is corrosive. There is some Chinese stuff that is headstamped LC. It is corrosive. Only way to tell it from our Lake City stuff is the Chinese uses a white primer.

[jack404]

that chinee stuff is way dirty too ..

yuck ...

[Old Grump]

The Chinese make ammunition??? Come on now what would they know about gun powder and explosives and all that go bang/boom/pow stuff?

Best numbers I can get are there are at least 40,000,000 guns of various kinds in civilian hands and only 680,000 of them are registered. Gun control isn't as big a deal with them as it is with us. No guaranteed right to have guns but if they have a permit they can carry openly or concealed with very few restrictions. They have a lower homicide rate than most of our countries although the suicide rate is a little high. Considering they are ranked #1 in manufacturing of small arms in the world I would thing they would know how to make ammunition.

It isn't as hot or as clean as our ammo and I wouldn't choose it for long range shooting at varmints or competition but for general plinking and close up and personal defensive uses it works well enough. I clean my guns after shooting anyway that is a moot point unless you are having to shoot a semi auto in the field for long periods of time without a chance to clean. Our American made guns shooting American made ammo have issues under those kinds of conditions too.

If you can get it for the right price jump on it. Not many of us are going to war in a jungle or sandbox anytime soon because we been there done that and are out of it now. I'm going to have to do my shooting from my front porch seated in my rocking chair.