Found 240 rounds of Norinco 7.62x39 at a garage sale

[KC913 324]

I passed by a huge garage sale last week and decided to stop because they had tons of shit for sale. The lady said someone died and it was basically an estate sale. I was looking around and spotted 12 20rd boxes of 7.62x39 Norinco ammo. 4 of the boxes are green Norinco boxes and the other 8 are white boxes with green logos and lettering "China North Industrial Corporation". I opened them up to check them out. The green box Norinco is mfrd. in 1987 and the white CNIC is mfrd in 1986, both from factory 71. I asked the woman what she wanted for all of it and she said $15.00. I asked her if she would take $10.00 and she said "sure". Nice little find, at a garage sale none-the-less.

 

My question: does anyone know if this stuff is corrosive? Not too worried about it.. I mean, 10 bucks for 240 rounds. Can't beat that. The Norinco brand box says non corrosive, but I was just curious. Also, is it dirty? Compared to Wolf. The cases for both of them are brown. The primers have a red seal on the Norinco boxes.

 

-KC913

 

 

Bottom left:

 

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Edited September 28, 2010 by KC913

[chevyman097 2,579]

Correct me if Im wrong, anyone. But isnt that stuff steel core? Anyways nice find. And really nice find if its steel core.

[localone 0]

awesome find I just traded 900 rounds for a browning hi power on a local gun owners site...U should get roughly $10 per box the gun shows sell that stuff for $1 a round...Way to go

[nalioth 405]

Correct me if Im wrong, anyone. But isnt that stuff steel core? Anyways nice find. And really nice find if its steel core.

Why?

[vbrtrmn 167]

I went to an estate sale a few months ago with my father, they had advertised some "gun stuff". The guy who died had a bunch of reloading stuff, brass, some ammo, and other tools. They were all freaking retail price of higher.

 

Good find on that Norinco ammo!!

[Shandlanos 1,470]

I have a bunch of the stuff in the top left-hand corner of your first image, the yellow box with red lettering. It is definitely non-corrosive, and it is steel-core. I've fired 60 rounds of it, flawlessly.

 

The China Sports stuff I'm not 100% on. I have a couple of boxes, and it's weird stuff, looks like copper-washed steel-cased military ammo, but some of what I have is soft point.

 

That stuff is moderately valuable to collectors. It isn't unusual to see it selling for $7-$10 a box at gun shows in my area.

[Shandlanos 1,470]

Correct me if Im wrong, anyone. But isnt that stuff steel core? Anyways nice find. And really nice find if its steel core.

Why?

 

If nothing else, steel-core ammunition is valuable to collectors because of its rarity. I think you're familiar with the stupid rules on importation and manufacture of "armor-piercing pistol ammunition." Regardless of whether or not the steel core is in any way beneficial, the fact that it is hard to find adds value.

[chevyman097 2,579]

Correct me if Im wrong, anyone. But isnt that stuff steel core? Anyways nice find. And really nice find if its steel core.

Why?

 

If nothing else, steel-core ammunition is valuable to collectors because of its rarity. I think you're familiar with the stupid rules on importation and manufacture of "armor-piercing pistol ammunition." Regardless of whether or not the steel core is in any way beneficial, the fact that it is hard to find adds value.

 

Im assuming he might be asking me why I think that.

 

Because I have seen some chinese ammo personal friends had and the boxes looked similar. Theirs was Steel Core.

 

Or I dunno maybe he is asking why is it valuable. ANd if that is also the case....as you stated Shand, some folks are very interested in the stuff for collector reasons.

Edited September 28, 2010 by Chevyman097

[frick 3]

Unless you section a round you don't KNOW for sure that its steel core.

 

The magnet test doesn't work, because of the steel in the jacket.

 

And, some green box Norinco is marked clearly steel core on it.

 

So, just having green box Norinco is not an indicator of whether it is steel core or not.

 

BTW, steel core is not designed to be armor piercing, they used steel because it was cheaper to make than using all lead, its just soft, mild steel, nothing special, not hardened, and really not the good stuff like tungsten carbide.

 

 

As for corrosive primers, most early bulk was corrosive, and some early boxed as well.

 

Unless it is marked non corrosive, unless tested, you should probably assume that it is, though much of it was not.

 

That all said, to fill production gaps, it was not unknown for a batch here and there, to come through being an odd ball with mil spec, corrosive primers.

 

Botton line, if it comes from any combloc country, there is always a possibility, that it may have a corrosive primer in it.

[frick 3]

Oh, seeing that this stuff will probably never be imported again, you may want to consider putting it away, and blasting some wolf instead.

 

It only continues to appreciate in value, and every time a box is shot, there is going to be less of it.

 

Especially the steel core, which, under current BATFE regs, is never importable again in any case.

[captainchemical 11]

Second pic box in upper right( green box china jing an): found these at a shop and cut one open. It is steel core covered by lead jacket covered by a steel jacket. Going back to the shop to buy all they got.