Converting .223/5.56 Brass to 7.62x25

So, you have a Tokarev 7.62x25 as your PDW and you are on the move. You've expended quite a few rounds in your survivalist escapades and are beginning to run low. Tough to recover the cases after they've been fired since they can fly a good long ways and you also don't want to stick around too long looking for them either. Luckily, you're a good scrounger and have been picking up .223 brass along your travels. Heck, seems everyone owns one and the brass is plentiful. You picked up a small pipe cutter in your travels as well...great job...you now have the tools needed to make your own 7.62x25 brass.



Haven't tried this myself, but looks rather easy and I may just try this if I can pick up some brass at the range. You would definitely need reloading tools (press, die, case length gage/cutter, calipers) and bullets, powder and primers. But, in a previous post, these items can be bought rather cheaply and, for the most part, can be carried easily.

Hope you enjoy!

reply to post by Feltrick


best pistol round imho.
\the penetration is awesome. as many will have scavenged some older former LE vests or fashioned something for SHTF PPE.

awesome add, this will save one guy one day.. and that is all worth it.

Personally, I'd just use a brass catcher. If you do this, be careful. I'd reccommend using the low power end of the reloading table first.

reply to post by HanzHenry


Seems like a good skill to have in your back pocket, you never know when you might need to use it. Trying to find my expended rounds at the range is a hassle and the costs to keep my TT33 fed are getting a little ridiculous. I've seen guys at the range tossing their spent .223 brass in the bucket without a second thought since the rounds are pretty easy to come by.

To add to my post, the .223 cartridges have a different internal volume so you'll want to work up your loads from the starting load data. Speaking of which, hopefully anyone getting into reloading has a few books to check and double check their work prior to doing anything.

reply to post by Feltrick


The video was very informative and easy to follow.

However converting over from .223 to 7.62x25 will not be feasible in a field setting. Veiw the video carefully and note the special tools and custom made components, not to mention the time and care used by this skilled man to produce just the one round. also note that he mentions his initial trial and error period before getting this custom conversion to work.

My advice, carry a pistol that uses the most common ammo out there. A 9mm, .22 and/or a .357 (it will also shoot .38) and a 12 guage shot gun.

Keep reloading simple with a hand loader Plus you can cast your own bullets for .38 cal. from spent rounds or tire balance weights.

That all for now....... supper's on the table!

reply to post by grubblesnert


I don't agree. If you pack a lee precision breech lock hand press and the dies, the entire kit does not take up that much space nor does it weigh that much. Am I saying this is what someone should rely on in a survival situation...no...absolutely not. But, the knowledge could come in handy. If you come across the remains of a firefight, chances are pretty good there will be .223 brass. Even if you don't own an AR, you should pick up the brass, all calibers, for use and for trade.

For those of us with Tokarevs, we can utilize that brass for other than it's intended purpose. For those with the knowledge, reloading can become a trade. Think how valuable this skill can become in a SHTF scenario.

You are correct, there was a learning curve for the person in the video. This forum is supposed to teach people to be prepared...being prepared is not buying equipment, it's about using and testing that equipment before you need it.

One can pack a kit and reload in the field, as long as you choose your equipment wisely. Or, I guess you can pack your thousands of rounds on your back. One pound of reloading powder has approx. 7,000 grains of powder. To reload a 7.62x25 with a 110 gr bullet takes about 12 grains of powder. That works out to be over 580 rounds of ammunition. For .223 you're looking at between 20 and 26 grains of powder.

I was finally able to pick up some .223 brass at the range the other day and decided that I would try this for myself. I also decided that I would not use any power equipment to make it more like a survival scenario. Prior to this and in direct conflict of the video, LEE does make a 7.62x25 gage/cutting tool to size the brass (the video reports he had to have a friend specially make the gage). I also purchased an "N" gage drill bit to complete my kit.

The cleaning was pretty simple along with the cutting and sizing. Unfortunately, trying to ream the neck to allow for a .308 bullet was my downfall. In the video he uses a drill press but I figured that, in the wilderness, you wouldn't have access to one so I tried using a simple hand drill but that didn't work.

I then decided to use a small cordless drill. It worked for the most part but I decided not to reload this brass as I did not feel comfortable with the process. I would not recommend this process to anyone. In my opinion, after trying this myself, it would be best to save the .223 brass to sell or trade.

Happily I have a 9mm barrel, bushing and magazine for my Tokarev which I can use if I ever run out of 7.62x25.