PMC 6.5x55mm Ammo; Is it really that bad?
Tim McBride
I've been reding on some of the pages for the Swedish 6.5 that PMC
ammo is not very good, and that its a little hot. Can anyone validate
this? I had bought about 5 boxs before I read this and am wondering if
I wasted $75.
Regards,
Tim
Support our POW/MIA's. Never Forget!!!
Keep your Powder Dry. And your Bayonet Close.
Tims AOR Web Page http://www.wargamer.com/aor/
Operational Art of War Section http://www.wargamer.com/toaw/
"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. "--Nathan Hale, 1776, Last words, before being hanged by the British as a spy.
. . . . . . . . . .
Info on moderated group rec.guns is at http://doubletap.cs.umd.edu/rec.guns
pf...@ns.net
#Hi,
#I've been reding on some of the pages for the Swedish 6.5 that PMC
#ammo is not very good, and that its a little hot. Can anyone validate
#this? I had bought about 5 boxs before I read this and am wondering if
#I wasted $75.
#
In my experiences, this was true. Big 5 Sporting Goods in Sacramento
was selling nice M96 Swedish Mausers for $99.00 since early last fall,
and I picked up three of them, one for me, one for my father -in-law,
and one for a buddy who wouldn't take money for favors he did for me.
After checking headspace on my friend's M96, I told him to use the
military or Remington ammo when he tried out the gun. But he saw some
PMC fairly cheap at the local liquor/gun store, and bought 20 rounds
of that. He came back to me later in the week, telling me how much he
liked the rifle, and how it had quite an uncomfortable kick. I thought
that was weird, since I shoot the 160 grain Hornady roundnose in my
Swede's handloads and it still is a light kicker. I asked him for his
PMC brass to inspect and possibly reload. Wow! FLATTENED primers,
flowing completely into the primer pocket, truly a textbook example.
The cases looked good otherwise, no visible case head stretch marks,
they didn't need much trimming, and the primer pockets felt good as I
reseated new primers.
My mistake. I reloaded the PMC brass with a light (beginning of
Accurate load data) charge of AA4350 behind a Hornady 129 grain
spitzer, to keep the recoil down for my friend. He also took a box of
my Remington-brassed 160 grain handloads, to see the difference in
trajectory between the 129 and 160 grain bullets.
Earlier this week, I got the PMC brass and Remington brass back
from him. He said the ammo shot well, kick wasn't as bad, but the PMC
brass had a weird characteristic. One of the PMCs had partially
seperated at the case head. The primer looked very normal in this
case, but inspection of the remaining PMC cases showed that bright
ring at the case head that we reloaders don't like. I made one of
those case stretch ring internal feelers out of a sharpened paper clip
and tried it out on the PMC brass, and they all had an obvious stretch
ring inside. The Remington brass, which had been reloaded at least
twice, did not.
What's to learn from this? Several things - I currently reload for
20 different calibers, and safety is paramount on my reloading bench.
1. In my years of shooting, I have never seen such flattened primers
on either store-bought ammo or my own reloads. Other shooter's .357
and .44 Magnum loads have shown this, and it's a definite hint. I have
had some of my primers back out of their pockets on firing, but it
turned out this was due to too light a handload, with a consequential
sooting of the neck and shoulder from an insufficient chamber seal.
2. That my friend should make mention of his "hard-kicking" Swede
should have been my cue. I was thinking about another box of PMC and
my Chrony having a date in the future, but I don't want to subject
another M96 to that kind of pressure.
3. I should NEVER have reloaded the brass with the flattened primers.
That was asking for trouble, plain and simple.
4. The topic of hot 6.5x55 PMC ammo is not new, and I should have paid
closer attention to these posts on rec.guns, asking the writers about
their own experiences.
5. I cannot in good faith recommend PMC 6.5x55 ammunition for the M94,
M96, or M38 Swedish Mausers. Perhaps it's ok in a M98 action, or the
newer Ruger, Winchester, or Remington bolt actions, but it's loaded
hot. How hot? I'm afraid to chronograph the stuff using my M96, so
I'll leave it up to the readers of Rec.Guns to fill us in. In the
meantime, I will call PMC's customer service to request an
explanation.
Darin R. Pfaff, SSgt, USAF
Range Officer, Lincoln, CA
Alexander Eichener
# I've been reading on some of the pages for the Swedish 6.5 that PMC
# ammo is not very good, and that its a little hot. Can anyone validate
I think I remember a recent postings to the effect that these dumbsters
had finally realized they were using wrong case dimension specifications
in manufacture. Took them only 3 years or so to realize that, finally.
--
Alexander Eichener, Heidelberg
Main address: c...@ix.urz.uni-heidelberg.de
Leibst...@my-dejanews.com
I've read that full metal jacket rounds are ok but the other bullet type
(PSP??) is not-- they're loaded way too hot. I've used the FMJ round safely,
it wasn't the most accurate ammo I've used (2 1/2" groups) but was safe and
I've reloaded the cases at least 10 times each. I saw some once fired PMC
PSP brass and bought it, it had primers backed out and they had spead out a
millimeter on the back of the case. I'm glad they weren't shot in my Swede.
I hope this helps,
Leib
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/rg_mkgrp.xp Create Your Own Free Member Forum
David
several different calibers of PMC with decent results. I suggest going
to your local range and give it a try, then you will know for sure.
A J Mans
suppied on the 6.5 swede web pages. I paid $9.95 a box for
it here in Dallas. I gave it a test fire at 50yds and managed
to cut one hole.
Cheaper than Dirt sells S&B 6.5 swede for $9.95 too,
so I'll probably buy a few boxes of that. Soon as I accrue
about 100rds of one flavour brass, I'll just buy some dies
and start reloading it. I figure it outta last a while if I just neck
size.
Tim McBride wrote in message <6oosd4$1...@xring.cs.umd.edu>...
#Hi,
#I've been reding on some of the pages for the Swedish 6.5 that PMC
#ammo is not very good, and that its a little hot. Can anyone validate
#this? I had bought about 5 boxs before I read this and am wondering if
#I wasted $75.
#
#Regards,
#Tim
#Support our POW/MIA's. Never Forget!!!
#Keep your Powder Dry. And your Bayonet Close.
#Tims AOR Web Page http://www.wargamer.com/aor/
#Operational Art of War Section http://www.wargamer.com/toaw/
#"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. "--Nathan
Hale, 1776, Last words, before being hanged by the British as a spy.
#
#. . . . . . . . . .
#Info on moderated group rec.guns is at http://doubletap.cs.umd.edu/rec.guns
Mark Horning
#I too bought a couple boxes before reading the information
#suppied on the 6.5 swede web pages. I paid $9.95 a box for
#it here in Dallas. I gave it a test fire at 50yds and managed
#to cut one hole.
#
#Cheaper than Dirt sells S&B 6.5 swede for $9.95 too,
Shop around some more. J&G has it for a buck less.
S&B reloads well, I've been using it for a couple years now.
Mark E. Horning, Physics Whatsoever, for any cause,
mhor...@netcom.com Seeketh to take or give,
Power above or beyond the Laws,
New River AZ 85027 Suffer it not to live! --Kipling--
A J Mans
Mark Horning wrote in message <6ovelt$d...@xring.cs.umd.edu>...
##Cheaper than Dirt sells S&B 6.5 swede for $9.95 too,
#Shop around some more. J&G has it for a buck less.
Ok, who what where is J&G? Do they mail order? If
you have a URL or phone number on hand, I'd
appreciate it.
Thanks,
AJ
Jan Nielsen
<Snip>
#5. I cannot in good faith recommend PMC 6.5x55 ammunition for the M94,
#M96, or M38 Swedish Mausers. Perhaps it's ok in a M98 action, or the
#newer Ruger, Winchester, or Remington bolt actions, but it's loaded
#hot. How hot? I'm afraid to chronograph the stuff using my M96, so
#I'll leave it up to the readers of Rec.Guns to fill us in. In the
#meantime, I will call PMC's customer service to request an
#explanation.
#Darin R. Pfaff, SSgt, USAF
#Range Officer, Lincoln, CA
One more thing reloaders of Swedish Mausers should be aware of:
The gas-venting holes in the bolt are WAY to small! Should you ever
experience a blown primer, chances are, that the rear part of the firing
pin will snap when the pin is pushed back by the pressure.
That happened to me 20 years ago, when shooting some military loads
where I had reduced the factory load by10%.
The first 3 rounds worked fine, although they were pretty weak, but
number four...!
The 160 grain bullet lodged nicely in the throat of the barrel, and the
pressure then took the easy way out - through the firing pin hole.
The firing pin was blown backward so violently, that the rear part
snapped and continued backwards where it hit my thump (3 stitches)
then my forehead (2 stitches) whereupon it took of in some unknown
direction never to be seen again...
I learned something about reduced loads that day!
Why the venting holes in the 96 Mausers are so small, are a bit of
a mystery to me. If you compare them to a Mauser 98, you will
find that the 98's holes are extremely large in comparison.
The 6.5x55 has a large case for its caliber and should be treated
as a magnum cartridge:
Don't experiment with reduced loads (especially with slow powders)
Stick to the reloading manuals and everything will be fine.
Regards Ian
PS I still shoot that rifle... but I HAVE enlarged those holes!
--
morgan**@post8.tele.dk please remove ** to reply
Mark Horning
#
###Cheaper than Dirt sells S&B 6.5 swede for $9.95 too,
##Shop around some more. J&G has it for a buck less.
#
#Ok, who what where is J&G? Do they mail order? If
#you have a URL or phone number on hand, I'd
#appreciate it.
#
#Thanks,
# AJ
#
J&G Sales in Prescot AZ. They have an add in every issue of Shotgun News.
I do not have the number handy sorry.
Mark E. Horning "You can not enslave a free man. The most
Physicist you can do is kill him."
Phoenix AZ --Robert A. Heinlein-- (Free Men)
Scott Jacoby
Horning) wrote:
# In article <6p0igj$h...@xring.cs.umd.edu>, A J Mans <ma...@airmail.net> wrote:
# #
# #Mark Horning wrote in message <6ovelt$d...@xring.cs.umd.edu>...
# #
# ###Cheaper than Dirt sells S&B 6.5 swede for $9.95 too,
# ##Shop around some more. J&G has it for a buck less.
# #
# #Ok, who what where is J&G? Do they mail order? If
# #you have a URL or phone number on hand, I'd
# #appreciate it.
# #
# #Thanks,
# # AJ
# #
# J&G Sales in Prescot AZ. They have an add in every issue of Shotgun News.
#
# I do not have the number handy sorry.
#
# Mark E. Horning "You can not enslave a free man. The most
# Physicist you can do is kill him."
#
# Phoenix AZ --Robert A. Heinlein-- (Free Men)
#
****************************************************************
Scott Jacoby - sco...@essex1.com - NRA Endowment; Life -Illinois State Rifle Association (www.isra.org); The Wildlife Society;
- - - - Illegitimi Non Carborundum - - - -
THOSE who trade essential liberty for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin
Vote against gun control - DON'T BUY COLTS FIREARMS!
****************************************************************
Bert Hyman
#J&G Sales in Prescot AZ. They have an add in every issue of Shotgun News.
#
They're also on the Web at http://www.jgsales.com/
--
The opinions expressed in this message are my own and are not the opinions of
anyone who does not hold those opinions.
Bert Hyman | Unisys - Roseville MN
be...@rsvl.unisys.com | (612) 635-7791 | net2: 524-7791