Has anyone used German surplus AB22 in their guns? Looking at getting some for my M14 and want to know if it's worth using since AFAIK it's just German-made M80 ball with a jacket that lets it fragment almost like a 5.56 NATO.
German Surplus Ammo
- Thread starter Son of Dorn
- Start date
If this is the DAG or MEN with the case head demilled... be very careful with it in a "vigorous" action like a M1A.
You can just make out what I am talking about in this internet photo, see how the headstamp has been "sanitized "
I haven't had any problem with the demilled in my Adj. GB'd Large Frame AR's... but the M1A is much rougher on cases, and you might rip case head rims off.
That said... if the case head is fully intact I would buy some for sure. And there still is some out there.
Precision out of my Large frame AR barrels is outstanding. ( headstamp removed stuff, and again... far less vigorous cyclic speed )
20rds rapidish fire.
You can just make out what I am talking about in this internet photo, see how the headstamp has been "sanitized "
I haven't had any problem with the demilled in my Adj. GB'd Large Frame AR's... but the M1A is much rougher on cases, and you might rip case head rims off.
That said... if the case head is fully intact I would buy some for sure. And there still is some out there.
Precision out of my Large frame AR barrels is outstanding. ( headstamp removed stuff, and again... far less vigorous cyclic speed )
20rds rapidish fire.
I have not seen the cases with the bases milled off. I've shot it for years in the M1A platform. You will need to take it out of the original boxes if comes in those. There is a chemical reaction between the paper and the cases and some of the ammo will be corroded if it's still in contact with those original paper boxes. There are some articles about that corrosion which weakens the cases.
I have seen this corrosion also with the DAG ammo. It is more like residual cardboard stuck to where the cases rest against the cardboard and tarnishes the brass. I have never seen demilled headstamps. The ammo is much more accurate than I expected and shoots well in my AR10. I just wipe it down to remove the cruddy cardboard and it cycles and shoots fine and I haven't had any issues with it. Thought about tossing it in the tumbler with walnut medium, but never got around to it. I still have a few sealed packs I should break open and clean up.
Decent ammo but the bimetallic jacket will wear barrels out quicker so u wouldn’t use it in something nice
Have some DAG and it ran through my SCAR 17 fairly well. Nothing outstanding but it went bang so I was happy with it.
I used MEN when I first started shooting my M1a back in the 1990's because I could drive over to Sarco and get lots of it cheaply.
I worked well enough, but it was hot, Berdan primed, and not satisfyingly accurate. I started reloading, and AE 150gr was better for my needs.
The M14/M1a is especially rough on case rims. When folks start milling away case rims, I'd find another ammo source. Taking chances on ammunition is not n my bag of tricks.
I worked well enough, but it was hot, Berdan primed, and not satisfyingly accurate. I started reloading, and AE 150gr was better for my needs.
The M14/M1a is especially rough on case rims. When folks start milling away case rims, I'd find another ammo source. Taking chances on ammunition is not n my bag of tricks.
Corrosion pics... from the internet.
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz147/m14nm/men94002.jpg
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz147/m14nm/men94001.jpg
FWIW... the pic I posted earlier were corroded . I culled the bad ones out of my batch of "Sanitized" DAG ( case head milled ) ... and those fired that 20rd group.
I used the corroded ones up first.
thank you for posting those. That is much worse than what I expected the inside of the case to look like. I need to cull some ammo and saw a couple open to see if they are that corroded.
How does the brass get corroded inside? Is this an issue with ammo in sealed battle packs with intact head stamps?
I do not know. I have a few sealed battle packs with intact head stamps. the 200 round DAG packs with 20 rounds per cardboard box and no Styrofoam. Cant remember date code. I'll break a pack open, find a nice crusty round, pull it down, and take the ol hacksaw to it and find out what the inside looks like. I'll post back up here when I get around too it. May take me a couple days.
Ok gents. Got some time last night. Trying to post this from cell phone since that's what has the pics on it, and I don't know how well this will work. I'm kinda like @Foul Mike and can work a computer just enough to dick around on the hide.
I cut open a sealed pack, pulled down a round (safety first) before being a super bubba gunsmith and using a Dremel with cutoff wheel .
These are not demilled headstamps. Case wall was much thicker than I expected. The projectile is a nickle clad Steel projectile. It stuck to my magnet dish. Berdan primed case if folks were wondering.
Corrosion did not penetrate thru that thick case at all. I know pics suck, but best I could do. No discoloration or changes could be noted from inside. I will continue to wipe these rounds down and use them. I think these do not have as much contact with cardboard due to the way they are packed.
This last picture the corrosion that was on the outside is on the back of that case and you are looking at the inside wall where the corrosion was at.
*edit. Sorry the pics are so gigantic and for some reason there are two of the lot numbers. Oh well, best I could do. You get what you pay for and since this review with small sample size was free that the best it is going to be.
I cut open a sealed pack, pulled down a round (safety first) before being a super bubba gunsmith and using a Dremel with cutoff wheel .
These are not demilled headstamps. Case wall was much thicker than I expected. The projectile is a nickle clad Steel projectile. It stuck to my magnet dish. Berdan primed case if folks were wondering.
Corrosion did not penetrate thru that thick case at all. I know pics suck, but best I could do. No discoloration or changes could be noted from inside. I will continue to wipe these rounds down and use them. I think these do not have as much contact with cardboard due to the way they are packed.
This last picture the corrosion that was on the outside is on the back of that case and you are looking at the inside wall where the corrosion was at.
*edit. Sorry the pics are so gigantic and for some reason there are two of the lot numbers. Oh well, best I could do. You get what you pay for and since this review with small sample size was free that the best it is going to be.
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