7.62x54R stripper clips in detail

[7x57]

Part I: Eastern European countries - Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland

BULGARIA: Two variants
a) Unmarked & unblued - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 12 mm
b) "10 in double circle" marked & blued - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 12 mm

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: One variant
Unmarked & parkerized - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 13 mm

HUNGARY: One variant
Unmarked - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 12.5 mm

POLAND: One variant
Unmarked & parkerized - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 13 mm

Since most of these stripper clips are unmarked, it is difficult to determine their exact origin unless they are received together with ammunition on them. This was the case with the unmarked Bulgarian clips. The Czechoslovakian clips are also quite well "documented" - they came from East German Army stocks of Czech-made ammunition. The Polish and the Hungarian clip are of unknown history and have been categorized by comparison with photos of Polish and Hungarian "clipped" ammunition respectively - so here remains some uncertainty.

The only difference between the Czechoslovakian and the Polish clips is the darker colour of the latter. Hungarian and Bulgarian clips are both shallower than those from Czechoslovakia and Poland, the Bulgarian ones being even shallower than those from Hungary.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I don't recall any of the East German stock of 7.62x54 being sold over here, every other DDR item was back in the 90's, and some gallery loads stuff. Could have been some that I just missed seeing, I know the DDR provided me with some very nice AK47 items. Very nice pictures, I have a box of assorted clips someplace, mostly Russian, Izhevsk, I bought 100's of them 20 years ago when they were cheap.

[7x57]

Part II Russia/Soviet Union

IZHEVSK: Four variants

a) Old form (with straight fingers) and old pre-1928 logo, unblued - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 13.5 mm
b) Old form (with recurved fingers) and old pre-1928 logo, unblued - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 13.5 mm

[7x57]

Part II Russia/Soviet Union (continued)

IZHEVSK: Four variants (continued)

c) Old form (with straight fingers) and new post-1928 logo, unblued - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 13.5 mm
d) New form and new post-1928 logo, unblued - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 12 mm

[7x57]

Part II Russia/Soviet Union (continued)

Lugansk: One variant

"Л" marked - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 13.5 mm

Tula (?): One variant

"Star" marked & blued - dimensions are: length 66.5 mm, width 15 mm, height 12.5 mm
These clips were sold to me as Russian ones. They are marked with a star, but whether they are really made at Tula, I'm not sure. Also not unlikely to be sort of after-market product from Russia or elsewhere. Blueing has a rather mottled appearance on some of them.

[7x57]

Part III: Finland

O.Y. G. W. SOHLBERG A.B.: One variant

"G.W.S." marked - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 13.5 mm

O.Y. TIKKAKOSKI A.B.: One variant

"T in inverted triangle and circle" marked - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 13.5 mm

[7x57]

Part IV: China

CHINESE TIKKAKOSKI COPY: One variant

"T in inverted triangle and circle" marked - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 13.5 mm
For a comparison of original Tikkakoski clips and their Chinese copies see pictures below.

STATE FACTORY NO. 31: One variant

"31" marked & blued - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 12 mm

UNMARKED BRASS: One variant

Unmarked, brass - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 12.5 mm

[7x57]

Part V: German Empire and unknown origin

GERMAN EMPIRE: One variant

DEUTSCHE WAFFEN- UND MUNITIONSFABRIKEN A.G. - "D.M. in circle" marked - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 13.5 mm

Unknown origin: Two variants

a) "C" marked - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 13.5 mm
Origin unknown. On "Gunbrokers" I recently saw three of them in an auction, described as "possibly Châtellerault-made". Other possible origin could be the Simbirsk ammunition factory, which used a similar "C" code on its cartridge cases - in this case the "C" would be a Cyrillic letter "S".

b) "R" marked - dimensions are: length 66 mm, width 15 mm, height 13.5 mm
These clips have been discussed already as possibly Remington-made - but this seemed to be unlikely. So origin still unknown.

[WWW]

Who would have thought there were so many different makers of stripper clips.

[redspoon]

Very impressive 7x57, thanks for sharing. Good job.

[zeebill]

One of the regular old time posters on one of the boards collects them and he has hundreds of different kinds! Remember they were made to be used and thrown away whether they were well made or trash. So there are a lot that should be around when you think over the years how many millions of rounds were made. Bill

[TulaTom]

Thanks for posting this thread. Found out my Tikka's are intact legit. Nice collection! My old pre '28 Izhevsk's also seem to vary in logo stamp quality. A couple are faint.

[fintowin]

One of the regular old time posters on one of the boards collects them and he has hundreds of different kinds! Remember they were made to be used and thrown away whether they were well made or trash. So there are a lot that should be around when you think over the years how many millions of rounds were made. Bill

Interesting to me that they took the time to stamp them, knowing that they would just be tossed during battle.

[7x57]

Who would have thought there were so many different makers of stripper clips.

My collection at best covers less than 50% of all the makers I've heard of so far. Here a list of those I'm still lacking and already seen photos of - and I'm quite sure there exist some more we've never heard of until now.

Austria-Hungary - (possibly) Weiss Manfréd Acél- és Fémművek (Manfréd Weiss Steel and Iron Works), Csepel - "W" marked
Belgium - Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre, Herstal - "FN" marked
Finland - old shape (with fingers), steel, unmarked
German Empire - Polte Armaturen- und Maschinenfabrik oHG, Magdeburg - "P over M in circle" marked
Great Britain - Bulpitt & Sons Ltd., Birmingham - "I", "B&S", "1917" marked
Great Britain - Charles Mitchell Ltd., Birmingham - "I/L", "M", "/17" marked
Great Britain - Greenwood & Batley Ltd., Leeds - "G_B", "I", "1917" marked
Great Britain - Hinks, Wells & Co. Ltd., Birmingham - "I", "HINKS, WELLS & Co", "1917" marked
Great Britain - H. W. Taylor Ltd., ? - "I/L", "HW over T", "/16" marked
Great Britain - Kynoch Ltd., Witton - "I", "КАЙНОКЪ", "1917" marked
Great Britain - M. Myers & Son Ltd., Birmingham - "M_S", "I", "1917" marked
Great Britain - Parkinson and W. & B. Cowan Ltd., Birmingham - "P&C", "I", "1917" marked
Great Britain - Perry & Co. Ltd., Birmingham - "I/L", "P", "/17" marked
Great Britain - Rudge-Whitworth Ltd., Birmingham - "I/L", "R", "/17" marked
Great Britain - William Mitchell (Pens) Ltd., Birmingham - "I", "W.M. over 1917" marked
Netherlands - Artillerie-Inrichtingen, Hembrug - "X in circle" marked
Russian Empire - Petrograd Cartridge Factory - "П" marked
Russian Empire - Tula Arsenal - "hammer" marked
Soviet Union - Izhevsk Arsenal - new (fingerless) shape, blued, "arrow in triangle" marked
United States of America - Western Cartridge Co.; East Alton - unmarked, clip has two large holes
Unknown - new (fingerless) shape, brass, unmarked (possibly Chinese-made repro)
Unknown - new (fingerless) shape, steel, unmarked (possibly Chinese-made repro)

[Lee-online]

Very interesting thread and would make a good sticky in the info section.

[FineRedMist]

I have a box of assorted clips someplace, mostly Russian, Izhevsk, I bought 100's of them 20 years ago when they were cheap.

Is there a source for stripper clips out there now? Liberty Tree has some German ones listed but out of stock.


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[FR0STY54R]

Excellent write up, one question on the Chinese clips with the fake Tikkakoski stamp.
Are they made for the western market specifically or were they actually in use with the Chinese ?

[7x57]

Excellent write up, one question on the Chinese clips with the fake Tikkakoski stamp.
Are they made for the western market specifically or were they actually in use with the Chinese ?

AFAIK these Chinese Tikka copies have been ordered by a US seller of firearms accessories (I once also read his name somewhere in the WEB, but forgot it) who simply wanted to provide working Mosin-Nagant stripper clips for a reasonable price. He obviously gave an original Tikka clip as sample specimen to the Chinese and they also copied the logo. So these clips were never used by the Chinese for sure - pure custom-made aftermarket production.

And to find original stripper clips is not that easy now - they show up at platforms like fleabay or egun (here in Germany) from time to time at varying prices. Most frequently encountered are Russian Izhevsk-made clips, all other makers are much, much rarer. And in the US you may still have a chance to get spam cans of Russian or other military surplus ammo on stripper clips - something I can only dream of here in Germany where every single round has to be stamped with a calibre designation and an importer mark before it is allowed to sell them on the civilian market. So no original spam cans available here - they all have to be repacked before sale.

[Longcolt44]

Good stuff, thanks.

[WeldonHunter]

I bought some of those Chinese "Tikka" reproduction/knock offs from Cheaper Than Dirt about 4 or 5 years ago. They weren't being sold as Tikka clips, just Mosin Nagant clips. I had no idea they were knock offs and really didn't even know there was a real military version. The ones I have have a slightly different stamp and the finish is total crap. The plating isn't good at all causing ammo to hang up seriously. I got them cheap enough and just wanted to try them out.