7.62 x 39 mm Shortage confirmed....

I was going to gun stores and found many of them to be dried up in this type of ammo. I had a discussion with the gun store owner and he told me that all the shipments are being diverted to the middle east and when he got a chance at 20 cases he jumped at it. (he has some of the brown bear).

Anyway, I am guessing the shipments are going to arm the new Iraqi government?

I seriously doubt that any one governments supply need would alter the worlds civilian supply of 7.62x39, the amounts produced and used globaly are just too large...

Ive been told the same here on the Chesapeake bay of Virginia. Plenty of 7.62x54R to be found here. However 7.62x39mm is on somewhat short supply. I used to be able to buy it in 200 round lots ..now this is cut down to 100 rounds locally at any one purchase..and they only stock so much of it on the shelves.
I have been able to find it from Midway and bought a 1000 round lot delivered right to my door..no problems. I thought in these times it would wave a flag but apparently not. In due course I plan to order another 1000 rounds. Midway and Cheaper than dirt are two places which sell ammo in such lots...there are others too.

Ive been shooting some of it but in like 40 round lots.

I have also purchased 500 rounds of new brass and learned to reload for this for just such a occasion ..if the ammo for some reason becomes in short supply.

I suggest that if you are serious about your ammo supply that you plan to buy a 500 or 1000 round lot and have it sent to a suitable address. It may be difficult to find at your local stores. I dont believe things are going to calm down in the Middle East any time soon...what do you think this will do to the availability of this ammo??

Thanks,
Orangetom

Well I have read that venezuela and syria have each ordered a billion rounds of 7.62 x 39 mm from Russia. funny you can tell the political situation of the world by the flow of ammunition . Anyway, this is why Wolf ammunition has been back ordered for awhile.

Also, Wolf has changed their casings from the olive-drab greenish looking steel to the chrome looking steel.

Anyway, the supply should start becoming plentiful again soon.... but at the moment, a box of 20 rounds of the new wolf ammo costs $4.50 a box


buy bulk.....its cheaper....

[edit on 11-10-2006 by XphilesPhan]

I have been told the same here by several sources. It has been bought up and shipped to the mid east.

THere is some here on the shelves. I used to be able to buy 200 rounds at each sale but now it it is down to 100 rounds per sale. I dont know if it has change since as I havent bought any in about a month.

I am thinking I may need to buy another 500 rounds of new brass and be ready to reload some of it. Cheap ammo means nothing if it cannot be found on the shelves at any price. I suggest you establish yourself in a supply soon if you have a rifle which shoots this ammo. Put some back for the rainy days. I have.

By the way..I did not know they had changed thier casings ...all of my steel cased ammo is the dark green type steel cases.

Thanks,
Orangetom

I always keep a stripper clip loaded in my drawer and at least 1 box preferaably two in my drawer. So I have 50 rounds of this kind of ammunition at any one time...unless I am shooting that day in which case I buy about 100 rounds but I may have to make several trips to different gun stores to get this much ammo.

I have a Norinco SKS I use....so 50 rounds is a lot for this carbine, if I had an AK-47 I would try to keep more of the ammo on hand.

I have also noticed that the "military classic" wolf ammunition is not well liked by my sks....it often does not strike the primer hard enough.

I have come up with a solution after listening to my buddy....I noticed my firing pin was flattened at the end...so I filed it to a point to reduce the surface area that was making contact with the primers and hopefully increase the pressure. My father was of the opinion that I would make the gun unable to fire by doing this because I would reduce the mass of the firing pin and it would lose force ...

well.... I used the anecdote about a woman in high heels steppign on your foot to get my point across.

I was right!

now the firing pin damn near pierces the primers completly through.... but fires EVERY time!

problem with the "military classic" ammo solved....

Wow.!! your up standing the night watchs too. I just got off work here. Hit the refrigerator and turned on the computer.

I too keep a couple of stripper clips of ammo in my dresser drawer..also a box of Wolf in the same drawer. All soft point ammo. My ammo for the range is out in my garage...as are my reloads. One of my SKS rifles is put in storage....as planned. I am still working with the other one. Mine are both Yugo models. I have not had the problems with the firing pin you describe but I like your solution. I think, though, that you may have sharpened the pin to ..to fine a point but as long as it is shooting.

I am considering getting one of those replacement part kits you see for them includng a replacement bolt..some springs and other parts. Also a friend told me to get a junker ..for parts if needed.

I am hoping my two replacement stocks come in this week. One folding stock and one Monte Carlo type stock. I want to try them out in lieu of the wooden stocks. I never did like the wooden stocks much.

Most of my problems to date have been with the gas porting mechanism. It has been the fault of the operator .not the gun. Once I learned to properly position the gas valve...no problems..even with my reloads. I must say ...for the price you can hardly beat these rifles. I never was intrested in the AK 47 style rifles. I like this much better.

Thanks,
Orangetom

For what it's worth, this is the reason I have a MAC-90 (rendition of an AK-74). Owing to the number of 7.62x 39 AKs and SKSs loose in America, I figured the Gov would see to it that the ammo became rare to nonexistant at some point, if only because of their own paranoia. Never underestimate the brush-capability of a 69-grain .223! I'm pleased.

The Kalishnikov series is the most prolific Arm of the century, and no, it isn't just a single War or Govt., but 3/4ths of the worlds armies--and terror orgs.