1950 mk7 DA

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   In the last week I was lucky enough to get chance to purchase 7 boxes of Canadian surplus ammo. 5 of 1950 DA and 2 of the 1943 DI boxer primed 
 Intrigued by the Inconsistency of 1965 DA 7.62 ammo I have shot and pulled apart, I stripped 10 of the DA 1950’s.
 The charge weights were from 39.2 gr to 40.1
This is much better than the 7.62  have checked. Hoping to get some loads together using the bullets in the reloadable brass.
 Anyone have experience using 70 year old powder? Lol

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Olddust Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: April 23 2021 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 137	Post Options Post Reply Quote Olddust Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: 1950 mk7 DA Posted: March 15 2022 at 6:50pm
	In the last week I was lucky enough to get chance to purchase 7 boxes of Canadian surplus ammo. 5 of 1950 DA and 2 of the 1943 DI boxer primed Intrigued by the Inconsistency of 1965 DA 7.62 ammo I have shot and pulled apart, I stripped 10 of the DA 1950’s. The charge weights were from 39.2 gr to 40.1 This is much better than the 7.62 have checked. Hoping to get some loads together using the bullets in the reloadable brass. Anyone have experience using 70 year old powder? Lol

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britrifles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Offline Points: 5591	Post Options Post Reply Quote britrifles Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 16 2022 at 3:24am
	All depends on how it was stored. If kept in indoors all those years, it will still be good. The DI ‘43 ammo I have still shoots great and holds spec muzzle velocity. My Dad had it in our basement from 5(3 late ‘50’s. I’ve kept it indoors, so it’s rarely seen temps above 75 deg. Who did the powder look and smell when you dumped it from the case? If it is clumped and has an acidic smell, it is bad.

britrifles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Offline Points: 5591	Post Options Post Reply Quote britrifles Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 16 2022 at 3:26am
	Is the DA 50 Berdan primed? The DAC ‘50 and ‘51 ammo I have is Berdan primed, a shame, because they are very good cases.

Olddust Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: April 23 2021 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 137	Post Options Post Reply Quote Olddust Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 16 2022 at 4:41am
	The DA is berdan primed and a shame. Good brass is hard to find. The DI isn’t. The powder had a slight sweet smell and flowed nicely in all but one single cartridge of the two boxes I pulled apart. I feel it’s good to go.

Shamu Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 16520	Post Options Post Reply Quote Shamu Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 16 2022 at 9:01am
	Is it nitro or Cordite? If nitro you can use STARTING load data for IMR 4895 (NOT H 4895) & work up with all the usual cautions.
	Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)

britrifles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Offline Points: 5591	Post Options Post Reply Quote britrifles Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 16 2022 at 12:40pm
	The DI is certainly powder (7z), the DA should be powder as well, but I think they did have a Cordite load, but prior to 1950. I would not bother pulling bullets, it breaks the seal and tends to reduce neck tension. Just shoot, and use the DI cases for reloading, it is excellent brass, I get about 50 reloads with this brass.

Olddust Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: April 23 2021 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 137	Post Options Post Reply Quote Olddust Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 16 2022 at 8:02pm
	I am only pulling the berdan primed DA. Shooing the DI boxer primed for the brass.The powder is not cordite. Its little cylinder shaped grains. Looks Same as what was in the 65 DA 7.62. Going to load from 10% under the average charge weight (39.6) and see if i can find a sweet spot. That DA berdan primed brass will get reduced loads of 4227 and cast lead for practice

britrifles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Offline Points: 5591	Post Options Post Reply Quote britrifles Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 17 2022 at 3:30am
	I still have a fair bit of DA 50 and DA 51, both are Berdan primed and loaded with NC Powder. Accuracy is quite good, the ‘51 shoots 1.5 MOA, and was used for DCRA matches. DI is Defence Industries DA is Dominion Arsenal Is the headstamp on your DA cases look like this?

Olddust Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: April 23 2021 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 137	Post Options Post Reply Quote Olddust Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 17 2022 at 3:35am
	Yes that’s the stuff. It is quite consistent in powder charge and bullet weight. Do know if the priming is corrosive?

britrifles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Offline Points: 5591	Post Options Post Reply Quote britrifles Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 17 2022 at 3:58am
	I don’t believe it is. I’ve shot hundreds of rounds of this, I always clean the bore and chamber right after every shoot with Hoppes 9. The DI is known to be non-corrosive primers, but I’m not absolutely certain of the DA.

britrifles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Offline Points: 5591	Post Options Post Reply Quote britrifles Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 17 2022 at 6:31am
	I chrono’ed some DA 51 Mk 7z a few years back. Temp 50 deg F. Velocity data at 18 feet from muzzle. MV = 2412 fps, ES = 78 fps, SD = 25 fps. 10 rounds grouped at 2 MOA. I pulled the bullets on ten rounds and subbed in a 174 gr SMK with these results: MV = 2507 fps, ES = 44 fps, SD = 14 fps. 10 rounds grouped at 2 MOA, 9/10 shots at 1 MOA Note that the SMK produced a higher muzzle velocity than the Mk 7 service bullet, nearly by 100 fps. Perhaps better bore sealing due to the thinner jacket on the SMK.

Olddust Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: April 23 2021 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 137	Post Options Post Reply Quote Olddust Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 17 2022 at 12:09pm
	That is interesting data. Trying to tune up a load for my Faz mk2. I had great success in trying a few reloads of the 1965 7.62 components. My mk1 conversion really stacked them up with 40.5 gr of the stock powder/ bullet/ primed case with a seating depth of the longer end of the average military loading. Still had .065 jump to the lands but sub 1 moa 5 shots group with ph5 rear sight. Rested, as I am a novice in prone position.

britrifles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Offline Points: 5591	Post Options Post Reply Quote britrifles Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 17 2022 at 4:34pm
	Sub-MOA groups is pretty tough to do with iron sights. You are an exceptional shooter! You are no novice Olddust!

Olddust Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: April 23 2021 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 137	Post Options Post Reply Quote Olddust Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 18 2022 at 11:52am
	Thank you for the kind words but I think it was some luck and the mostly rifle. Its an early dcra conversion. I loaded 39-42g in half grain incremets but have yet to try the 41,41.5, 42 as my available range time ran out. However 39.5 gr was nearly as good as 40.5gr I am getting a ph5c for the 303 and hope to make some gains. Just received the lee neck sizing and factory crimp for 303 so i am going to try the same process.

britrifles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Offline Points: 5591	Post Options Post Reply Quote britrifles Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 18 2022 at 12:55pm
	You will find that crimping the case mouth on the bullet gives no improvement in accuracy. And unless the cases are all trimmed to the exact same length, it is detrimental to accuracy. I stopped crimping rifle cases when I discovered this about 20 years ago. If loading for a lever action rifle with a tubular magazine, or pistol and revolver ammunition, a crimp is necessary to keep the bullet from moving in the case. But it is unnecessary in a box magazine fed rifle.

Shamu Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 16520	Post Options Post Reply Quote Shamu Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 18 2022 at 1:27pm
	^^^ This. I'll share a trick. take your expander ball & chuck it in a power drill. now spin it with some verry very fine carborundum wet & dry. Just enough to get a slick mirror finish. It reduces the diameter minutely & increases "pull" like crimping, but without the disadvantages mentioned.
	Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)