So far I have been shooting alot of regular Bulgarian as well with no complaints. I am curious though as I have not seen anything that I can recall on Bulgarian silver tip ammo. I have had or have Czech, Polish and Russian silver tip over the years, but this can was a surprise. I may have to open it now even though this was supposed to be a stock pile order.
Semper Fi, Rob
My Mosin-Nagant arsenal.........is growing again
1938 Tula
1943 Izhevsk M91/30 PU Sniper
I bought some Bulgarian 1980 manufacture (headstamp 10 over 80). It shot well but slightly lower in my M91/30. No misfires. Almost as good as the light ball Russian. I would buy it again.
Czech, and Hungarian silver tip I have fired, first I am hearing of Bulgarian. Last Bulgarian I saw was several years back in tin spam cans all green, and with cracked necks. This stuff looks much improved.
Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.
Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft.
Theodore Roosevelt
I am shooting through a can of the normal Bulgarian 10 over 80 ammo now. You guys are tempting me to open this can and see just what is inside. I can not find any info on this even looking through a couple other forums. Curiousity just may get the better of me.
Semper Fi, Rob
My Mosin-Nagant arsenal.........is growing again
1938 Tula
1943 Izhevsk M91/30 PU Sniper
It's a can of special exploding tip anti Zombie ammo
Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.
Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft.
Theodore Roosevelt
The silver bar on the spam can indicates that this ammo will have a "silver tip." It is not really anything but painted silver; the Russians did the same thing to their 1970s vintage ammo. The Bulgarian stuff I have (headstamp 10 over 80) does not have a silver tip, but it is still light ball steel core ammo (basically a bimetal bullet with lead and steel). The bullet just looks like a copper jacketed FMJ bullet.
Why would the Soviets and the Warsaw Pact go to the trouble to I.D. some ammo with a silver tip and some with out if it is supposed to be the same thing? I've got some thoughts on this, but would like to hear what ya'll think.
Semper Fi, Rob
My Mosin-Nagant arsenal.........is growing again
1938 Tula
1943 Izhevsk M91/30 PU Sniper
I think they gave up the silver marking in the late 70s early 80s. Ball ammo then became unmarked; everything else (tracer, heavy ball, armor piercing) was marked.
Sgt. Rob wrote:Why would the Soviets and the Warsaw Pact go to the trouble to I.D. some ammo with a silver tip and some with out if it is supposed to be the same thing? I've got some thoughts on this, but would like to hear what ya'll think.
Semper Fi, Rob
Here is my take on it:
The light steel core bullet was adopted in 1953 and the tip was painted silver to distinguish it from the light lead core bullet which was still in the supply chain.
The light lead bullets although last produced in 1953 remained in the supply chain until "the middle 1970s”.
So the silver tip was needed from 1953 through the mid 1970s but was no longer necessary after that.
One of the cases of ammo I got a few months ago was Bulgarian Silver tip and when I tried a few they seemed to be about the same as most of the surplus I have. I will try some again and make a comparison with a few other and post the results soon, You got my curiosity going.I have eight different MN's that I shoot so my memory won't help much. I'm 67 with PTSD so I can't rely on my memory more than a month or so but I still have good eyes. I don't ever use any optics but I'm thinking about it for low light situations. My boy scouts like to shoot the carbines so I'll get them to try it. Although that may affect the results, it will be interesting to see the outcome.
I like the Bulgarian. It is very consistent and I have had no misfires. Next spam can I am opening is Russian mid-70's light ball. I also have some early 1947 Russian heavy ball I want to try in my '43 Izhevsk "shooter."
Hello all,
I just received my spam can of Bulgarian 147 LB with the silver tip from AIM. It looks like good clean ammo. Mine is markede 10 over 71. I am looking forward to shooting my MNs. Naturally we are having some nasty rainy weather all this week (central Alabama)
Freebooter
Thanks Rob. That reminded me to open the box of Bulgarian 148 Gr. I got from Copes. I have shot this before and had good results. It's not as good as the Czech silver tip I got from you 3 years ago though, still have most of it.
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