Has anyone tried this ammo? Not sure whether to recommend it to readers, due to concerns about effects on firearms. I see they say the primers are noncorosove, but what about overall effect of compoments on hunter's treasured rifles?

Wrtr. Jim

I buy CMP ammo for use in our high power rifle matches and have never had a problem. Just clean your rifle as you normally would after shooting it. Hope this helps. All the best...
Gil

The Greek ball is a little warmer than Lake City M2, but reports from extensive firing in Garands are consistent that it is more accurate than the Lake City product. That tells you the consistency is good. Like most military ammo, it is loaded to an actual pressure specification and not reduced for a liability margin as commercial ammo is. It will seem hot compared with most same-bullet-weight commercial rounds. The added recoil may spook some people. Just don't be running it in anything not in good condition. Give your reader's the usual warning not to fire them in sub-900,000 serial number Springfield '03 actions, for your own protection.

So you guys would have no probem running it through modern 06 sporting rifles? I haven't done it yet but was just wondering. Is all of the surplus ammo loaded with FMJ bullets?

Yes to running it through modern rifles, no to it all being FMJ. You can find about anything surplus that the military has ever made at one time or another, as long as it's legal. In 7.62x55 I've seen M118 LR on the surplus market, and that is loaded with the 175 grain Sierra MatchKing (non-expanding hollowpoint). The AG decision that allowed that bullet to be used didn't come about until 1985 or '86, so you won't find it in .30-'06. What you can do, if you need semi-match loads, is buy some Lake City M2, pull the bullets and put 150 grains SMK's in their place. I haven't tried that with the slightly warmer Greek ball ammo, so I can't recommend it until I do. It should work, in principle.

I have fired some of the Greek ammo, Korean too, thru an 03 MK1 up to 660 yds with good results. I always thoroughly clean afterward, with any ammo. Through over 600rds I had no malfunctions, of any kind. Accuaracy is pretty good too.

I buy CMP ammo for use in our high power rifle matches and have never had a problem. Just clean your rifle as you normally would after shooting it. Hope this helps. All the best...
Gil

Dear Gil, Unclenick, Riflefan & OConnorsun:

Many thanks for your replies, which were very helpful!

Sorry I have been slow responding. Life happened for a few days there.

WJim

The Greek ball is a little warmer than Lake City M2, but reports from extensive firing in Garands are consistent that it is more accurate than the Lake City product. That tells you the consistency is good. Like most military ammo, it is loaded to an actual pressure specification and not reduced for a liability margin as commercial ammo is. It will seem hot compared with most same-bullet-weight commercial rounds. The added recoil may spook some people. Just don't be running it in anything not in good condition. Give your reader's the usual warning not to fire them in sub-900,000 serial number Springfield '03 actions, for your own protection.


It is actually about 860,000 for 1903s from Springfield and 286,000 from Rock Island Arsenal. Take care...
Oberndorf

It is actually about 860,000. . .

Doesn't seem to be good agreement about it. Two of the 68 reciever failures between 1917 and 1929 investigated by Hatcher's group happened to Springfield receivers in the 950,000 SN range. The Rock Isalnd Arsenal number 286,506 exactly, is given by one reference (http://m1903.com/03rcvrfail/).

My dad alway avoided numbers under 1,000,000. Period. I've also seen 800,000 given for Springfield Armory (see above reference). Somewhere in that range they stopped color heat treatment and went to properly temperature controlled tempering ovens.

The total number of failures has uncertainty partly because at least four of them were found to have been cases of soldiers picking up German 8 mm rounds and firing them in the .30-06 chamber. Nobody really seemed sure how many others may have suffered a similar fate? Embarrassment by dint of carelessness breeds fabrication and cover-up. About the only thing you can do if you own one of the older guns is have a gunsmith check the hardness and fire a proof round in it using a sandbag pit and a long, long string.

I heard it's very hot :D

I heard it's very hot :D

See my post #3, above. Another example is .45 ACP. The military has it loaded to about 400 ft-lbs, while the commercial world loads it down to 350 ft-lbs except for +P.

Doesn't seem to be good agreement about it. Two of the 68 reciever failures between 1917 and 1929 investigated by Hatcher's group happened to Springfield receivers in the 950,000 SN range. The Rock Isalnd Arsenal number 286,506 exactly, is given by one reference (http://m1903.com/03rcvrfail/).

My dad alway avoided numbers under 1,000,000. Period. I've also seen 800,000 given for Springfield Armory (see above reference). Somewhere in that range they stopped color heat treatment and went to properly temperature controlled tempering ovens.

The total number of failures has uncertainty partly because at least four of them were found to have been cases of soldiers picking up German 8 mm rounds and firing them in the .30-06 chamber. Nobody really seemed sure how many others may have suffered a similar fate? Embarrassment by dint of carelessness breeds fabrication and cover-up. About the only thing you can do if you own one of the older guns is have a gunsmith check the hardness and fire a proof round in it using a sandbag pit and a long, long string.

The cutoff for low number Springfields is well covered by Smith & Smith in "Small Arms of The World" and W.H.B. Smith in "The Book of Rifles". In addition to the different heat treating methods employed from 865,000 and 286,000 and above, there were chenges in the steels used. So you are correct, better rifle actions are encountered above 1,000,000. Interesting reading. Take care...
Oberndorf