I have one empty case wich based 7,62x53R Russian (54R) cartridge. It is probably Winchester made because marks on case is: W 40 and neck dia is about .284. Does anybody know anything about that cartridge, is Winchester rally made those cartridges and when and how much. I know that Remington has been made that 7,62x53R (.30 dia bullet) cartridges, but this Winchester and especially .284 inch bullet is really obsolete.

tmko

You said that the neck diameter was .284. Do you mean the inside or outside diameter? If the outside diameter is .284 then the cartridge is probably the 6.3 x 53R Russian and Finnish. If the inside diameter is .284 then it could be a wildcat using the 7.62x53R Russian case. Also, I'm not sure that the W 40 means it is a Winchester case.

Ray

That diameter is inside dia. I mesured that .287" but case is after shot so I think right dia was that .284 That W mark is just same kind of like now a days winchester W "calligraphy" alphabet.

According to Ian Hogg"s "The Cartridge Guide", both Western and Winchester made 7.62x54R ammo under contract for Finland. Both used the 'W' headstamp, but he describes the Winchester 'W' as "ornamented". He only illustrates the latter headstamp, in which the 'W' looks more like a written 'W' with a "tail" to the left off the top of the left bar of the letter. Presumably the Western 'W' looks more like the normal printed 'W'.

The inside neck diameter of your specimen indicates that it has been necked down to form the 7x53R Finnish sporting round. I have two commercial specimens of this round in my collection, one by SAKO and one by LAPUA. The SAKO load uses a 155 gr. RNSP, and the LAPUA load appears to be about the same.

Cheers, Al

Al

I'm sure you're right. I have a 6.5 x 53R in my collection but have not seen a 7 x 53R. Where did you get those? Are they headstamped 7x 53R? I don't collect a lot of the metric stuff because there are so many that you'd go nuts trying to get one of everything.

Ray

Ray:

According to my records I got the LAPUA round from a collector in Calgary 19 years ago, and the SAKO from a cartridge dealer, now deceased, 14 years ago. The LAPUA has that name stamped at 12 o'clock, and 7 x 53 R at 6 o'clock. The bullet is a gilding metal jacketed RNSP; the primer is large, flat, and brass coloured. The SAKO is basically the same except in that the headstamp uses a larger "font", there is no space between the 53 and the R, and the bullet has a knurled cannelure about 1/8" above the case mouth.

Is your cartridge a 6.5 or a 6.3 (.257")? I have a SAKO 6.3 x 53R; also a LAPUA 8.2 x 53 R (a .323" 8mm). Apparently there is also a 9.3 version, but I have never seen one of those.

Cheers, Al

Al

My error. Mine is the 6.3 as stated in my first post. It has only the two numbers "10" and "55" in the headstamp which I was told means it is a Russian case thereby the "6.3 x 53R Russian and Finnish" designation. I know little about the metric cartridges and simply labeled it based on what the fellow told me about it. He said he got it along with a group of Olympic 300 meter biathilon cartridges.

Ray

Ray:

Hogg indicates that the code number 10 represents the USSR or Bulgaria. The 55 probably indicates manufacture in 1955. Given its source, is your round loaded with a match type bullet? My SAKO round is loaded with what looks like a 25-20 WCF FNSP bullet.

Cheers, Al

Al

It's loaded with what appears to be a conventional sharp pointed soft point, which seemed odd to me for a target round. But, maybe there is some sort of restriction on bullet types? Is the Biatholan supposed to simulate hunting and maybe the bullets have to hunting type? I know about as much about the Olympics as I do about what makes women tick.

Ray

Variations about 7,62x53R cartridge what have been made is: 5,7x53R (.224), 6,3x53R (.257), 6,5x53R (.264), 7x53R (.284), 8,2x53R (.323) and 9,3x53R (.366). Also is two shotgun caliber wich based this military cartridge, those are 12,5x54R and 12,5x75R. Case is same as original 53R but without neck, brass and straight.

Reason why so many variations have been made is because after WWW-II was thousands of M91 rifles in that caliber available but original 7,62x53R caliber was illegal to own civil people because it was military rifle. So that why caliber must be chanced for civil people hunting use. Now a days also 7,62x53R caliber is legal sporting and hunting caliber in Finland.

Ray:

I think we are on the same page, re: the Olympics and women

tmkoivisto:

Thanks for the additional info. Now I have some more cartridges to look for.

Cheers, Al

tmkoivisto

Do you have any extra of these cases that you want to trade? I recently moved to finland... Dont know how to change my location though.

email or PM me.

Thomas;


I don't have this moment any extra cases with any calibers of those. What calibers you are most interested? I might get some of them during few month.

I think I only have the 7,62x53 and possibly the 8,2x53. I have to check. I'l get back to you.