Would you trust unknown storage/reliability for this 70's NATO (FN Herstal) ammo? Here is the retail ad...

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Ignition Override

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🇨🇭-------Note----:)I just bought some different ammo - my Second batch of new-production 🇨🇭Swiss Saltech "7.62x51" / .308.
More info here can help other people but my order has already processed. Thank you.

Most of us realize that FN products have been trusted for many years. But this ammo was made in the 1970's.................:scrutiny:



Obviously one could buy new production .308 for a semi-auto rifle.

Would you trust this ammo with unknown storage conditions ? It could not have come -recently- from Belgium due to that country being the center of "the Euro Zone".
 
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You gents' comments are always appreciated.:thumbup:
As long as the retailer "Top Gun Ammo" is diligent with current shipping workloads, and packaging. And they show similar prices between new-prod. Swiss Saltech "7.62x51" (also free shipping > $199) with red or green primer sealants,
and this brand-new, somewhat bizarre ad for NATO FN surplus.

Speedo66: I've done that before with such belted ammo, but couldn't adjust/understand the sight pictures on my Spanish FR8 Mauser (large-ring) and sold everything.
The Swiss ammo (not outsourced) requires no delinking and it works fine in both of my FALs.
 
Id pull a couple of bullets and see what the bases looked like, and if that and the cases looked OK, Id trust it as blasting ammo until it gave me a reason not to.

Most of the surplus ammo of that vintage Ive shot was dumped on the market back in the late 90's, early 2000's. Most of it was OK, but there was some, mostly 70's and 80's Malaysian 5.56 and 7.62, that had some issues and was showing degradation.

That would be my concern and if the bullets look good, with no blue-green corrosion on the bases of them, and the brass isnt showing signs of failing at the necks/shoulders when you shoot it, its most likely fine. My guess would be its Berdan primed and not reloadable too.
 
Everything from back then brings a premium. :)

Back during the COVID debacle and ensuing gun-related panic, my buddy was selling off late 70's, early 80's dated Spanish 308 that shot very much like match ammo too, by the way, for $1 a round, 800 rounds to an ammo can. We were paying $150/1000 when we bought it back in the 90's. Im finishing up about half a case of my last case of the stuff now.

We literally bought that and other stuff, like 2000 round cases of Norinco 9mm for $125, by the pallet load back then.

Sell the old stuff and use the $$$ made, to freshen up the queue. ;)

Its just too bad that "surplus" isn't around like it was back then. There were a lot of good ammo and gun deals to be had back then, especially if you like to shoot.
 
For less money ($.86 vs $.92) I would buy the reloadable boxer primed 308/762 ammunition

Unless the MG belt was linked… tracer, AP, incinderary, ball. or (better yet SLAP or Raufoss!)

The links have some value, but without a dedicated delinking tool taking the belts apart are a PITA
 
Bwana John said:
For less money ($.86 vs $.92) I would buy the reloadable boxer primed 308/762 ammunition

Unless the MG belt was linked… tracer, AP, incinderary, ball. or (better yet SLAP or Raufoss!)

The links have some value, but without a dedicated delinking tool taking the belts apart are a PITA
Click to expand...

Yep, what Bwana John said.
 
Probably works just fine if you can de-link it.

I'm working on a can of TC (Twin Cities) 7.62x51 from 1968. Shoots just fine. It came from a local gun auction.
 
trackskippy:

Reportedly a major retail South African exporter of SA 7,62x51 surplus began “violating” some agreed export limit under whichever international gun control organization. Many tons of that ammo came to the US.

Somehow the agreement had “Teeth” and the entire exporting of SA NATO ammo was stopped. Was Diane Feinstein and the UN behind this?

On a somewhat related note a guy walked into a SA gun shop and the govt had ordered destruction of Lee-Enfield (bolt-action !) and other rifles. The guy witnessed the destruction and his buddy reported it on Gunboards.
 
P5 Guy said:
Hmm? I have 300 rounds still.
:what:
Click to expand...
Use it up, that’s what it’s for. Or think about how much it would cost to replace it at today’s prices :D

I still have some .30-06 match ammo in similar packaging but I don’t shoot well enough to merit its use LOL
 
Ignition Override said:
trackskippy:

Reportedly a major retail South African exporter of SA 7,62x51 surplus began “violating” some agreed export limit under whichever international gun control organization. Many tons of that ammo came to the US.

Somehow the agreement had “Teeth” and the entire exporting of SA NATO ammo was stopped. Was Diane Feinstein and the UN behind this?

On a somewhat related note a guy walked into a SA gun shop and the govt had ordered destruction of Lee-Enfield (bolt-action !) and other rifles. The guy witnessed the destruction and his buddy reported it on Gunboards.
Click to expand...
Dont know what went on in SA. We were getting surplus from all over, mostly out of Shotgun News and a few other sources as long as it was available. A couple of the bans really put a crimp in things too, especially the Chinese and Russian stuff.

Most of the 7.62 (and some 5.56) we were getting were Spanish, German, South American, and Malaysian. I got some South African in 200 round battle packs at some point, but not a lot and I don't ever remember shooting much of that.

9mm was from everywhere and anywhere and most of it was OK. Some of it was shakey and corrosive, and some were sold as "SMG Only" and did seem pretty "hot". One lot of Spanish 9mm labeled that trashed the upper on my MAC in about 2K rounds. You could usually find cases of the military surplus for around $60-$90/1000 and the Norinco/China Sports 2000 round cases for $125 were a great deal on "new" ammo. Wasnt necessarily the greatest ammo accuracy-wise, but was fine for machinegun blasting ammo.
 
It would probably shoot fine, but for just a little more one could probably shoot recent production PMC Bronze 147 grain FMJ.
 
I shot a lot of the 7.62 milsurp when it was dirt cheap, all from the 70's and 80's.
The Indian OHV ammo cans looked kinda rough and the bandos inside were a bit musty but it all shot, $25 for a 400 round can, on stripper clips in bandos.
I'm on my last case of Port 7.62, early 80's production. I think I paid $450 for a full crate of 1,000 rounds for those.

But for 82¢ a pop that's a big nope.
PSA has the AAC 7.62x51 for 72¢ and shipping but at least the brass is reloadable.
 
Fwiw: I just ordered/bought some new-production Swiss Saltech. :) It will replace the batch which already was "burned up" in my pair of imported FALs.

Thanks for the info. Before ordering this "new production Swiss", which is Not outsourced, I read about the belted FN surplus on a different, gun website.
It is about the same price as the old FN surplus, but the idea of easy extraction in my pricey FALs is attractive. The less friction for extraction force, the better.
 
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