ORIGINAL: woodyplacks
Greetings, I noticed in my ammo supply a few boxes of loaded 762x39 norinko brand copper washed steel bullet ammunition. This stuff is new in the box, and I`m wondering what it is worth. I understand that they no longer make steel bullets. I once heard them referred to as armor piercing, but you couldn`t proove it by me................Thanks.
During wartime when copper and other metals are scarce, many countries have used steel for bullet jacket material and also for cartridge cases.
Mild steel bullet jackets won't harm the bore, and mild steel is also OK for cases, if they can be kept from rusting. Plating or a lacquer finish helpds in this regard. However, those bullets are NOT AP. There may be some 7.62X39mm AP ammo, but personally I would not waste a tungsten core in that caliber of ammo.
During WWII, a lot of .45 ACP ammo was made in USA with steel jackets. Currently, some of the WOLF brand ammo made in Russia has steel cases, just like the Russian government uses for their military ammo. It is quite satisfactory for battlefield use.