5.45X39 Reloading
Bev Clark/Steve Gallacci
MARTIN IVIE <IV...@MAIL.ENG.SEMATECH.ORG> wrote:
#I am trying to find out any information on reloading the 5.45X39mm round.
#Specifically,
# 1. Does anyone other than RCBS make dies for this cartridge
# 2. Where can I get 4.5mm Berdan primers or is there a way to convert
# these cases to boxer prime.
# 3. Is there any commercially available brass for this round or is there
# something commercially available that I can use to form this brass
# from.
#I am also looking for shootable quantities of this ammo at a reasonable price
#(ie in the <$0.30 per round range).
Don't know about other die makers, but asking never hurts.
Old Western Scrounger has most sizes of Berdan, but if your cases really
have the tiny primers, the pocket can be reamed out to Boxer large rifle.
The 5.45 x39 is a conversion of the 7.62x39, so making it out of the 7.62
would seem to be the way to go. Running down the neck sould be done in
two steps, using an intermediate size die (I use a 6.5 Swedish to do the
intermediate for making 6mmPPC out of 7.62) to get the case started, then
a final pass through the 5.45 FL die. Or use a purpose made intermediate
PPC neck die. I think RCBS makes one. I'ave never seen the ammo offered
anywhere.
fe...@genesis.net
# In article <43chf5$e...@xring.cs.umd.edu>,
# MARTIN IVIE <IV...@MAIL.ENG.SEMATECH.ORG> wrote:
# #I am trying to find out any information on reloading the 5.45X39mm round.
# #Specifically,
# # 1. Does anyone other than RCBS make dies for this cartridge
# # 2. Where can I get 4.5mm Berdan primers or is there a way to convert
# # these cases to boxer prime.
# # 3. Is there any commercially available brass for this round or is there
# # something commercially available that I can use to form this brass
# # from.
# #I am also looking for shootable quantities of this ammo at a reasonable price
# #(ie in the <$0.30 per round range).
#
snip
# The 5.45 x39 is a conversion of the 7.62x39, so making it out of the 7.62
# would seem to be the way to go. Running down the neck sould be done in
# two steps, using an intermediate size die (I use a 6.5 Swedish to do the
# intermediate for making 6mmPPC out of 7.62) to get the case started, then
# a final pass through the 5.45 FL die. Or use a purpose made intermediate
# PPC neck die. I think RCBS makes one. I'ave never seen the ammo offered
# anywhere.
#
#
#>>>
Um, I beg to differ with you on this point of necking down a 7.62x39mm case to 5.45x39mm. The base diameter of the 5.45 is
smaller than the 7.62 round. I measure the 5.45 case head at 3.92" and the 7.62 at 4.47". Those measurements were taken on
the spot. I happen to have an example of each round in front of me.
Colin Out
<click>
Bev Clark/Steve Gallacci
#case to 5.45x39mm. The base diameter of the 5.45 is smaller than the
#7.62 round. I measure the 5.45 case head at 3.92" and the 7.62 at 4.47".
#Those measurements were taken on the spot. I happen to have an example
#of each round in front of me.
EEp, you're right. Shame on me for not checking my references. However,
if someone is really desperate, they could make 5.45 out of 7.62, with a
combination of lathing down the rim and part of the head and swaging
down the rest of the head to fit. it can be done, but is pretty labor
intensive. (I did a simular thing by converting some 303 to 7.62x39 as an
experiment)
But as a minor aside, I've found that no two sources give simular
dimentions for the major features on the 7.62x39 (other than merely
duplicating the numbers in one instance), 1.514 to 1.528 in case length
for example.
Randy Rick (Steyr-Hahn Collector)
#The 5.45 x39 is a conversion of the 7.62x39, so making it out of the 7.62
#
Not true, I thought that before I had one of the Steyr rifles with ammo.
The 22 and 6mm ppc are loosely necked down & modified shoulder 7.62x39
cases. The 5.45x39 is more like a 9mmMauser export necked down to .221.
The cases are steel that came with the rifle, and opening them up to
large rifle boxer primers would be questionable.
My hope is that RWS or Norma or Lapua will sell boxer cases or ammo
and the Russian .222 bullet: Dimensions follow:
The ammo. RWS cartridge number .215, steel cased, lacquered, berdan
primed. Comes in 50 round, red & grey RWS boxes.
The bullet weighed 58.5 gr on my RCBS balance, the box said that they
were 59gr bullets. Diam is .222inch, length is .885inch. It is a flat
base hollow point, copper jacket, but attracted to a magnet, so
probably steel core. (Note, this length is almost the same as a 69gr
Sierra .224 hpbt)
Cartridge dimensions:
2.212in overall length
1.552in case length
.248 neck diam
.366 shoulder diam
.390 base diam
.392 rim diam
Powder is 19 gr of a small flake type.
Berdan primer appears to be .090 high and .200 diam, this primer does
not appear in any of my books (however after being extracted with an
RCBS Berdan extractor is somewhat mangled, so dimensions may not be
right on)
This cartridge has no resemblence to the 22ppc, which is based on (I now
know) the .220 Russian, which is about twice the diameter, case-wise,
but somewhat shorter.
Randy