At some gunshows and shops I have seen some fairly cheap 6.5 Swede ammunition made by Sellier and Bellot, Privi Partisan and others. I am wondering about their suitability for a 1902 Carl Gustav model 96 for plinking and for generating brass for reloading.

I have a Kimber sporterized 1902 Carl Gustav model 96 that I bought mostly for plinking and as a mild recoiling centerfire for practice. I may also use it for some of my own hunting and as a loaner for friends.

Is this European ammo to hot for the old model 96? Is the brass suitable for reloading?

I used 100 rounds of the PRVI to get the Euro brass also. Not super accurate but not bad either. roger

Pressure-wise, they should be fine. But as for getting brass for reloading, the S&B is a hit-and-miss proposition. I've seen some (particularly .223) that was decent; I've seen other batches that were absolutely worthless. The most notable of the bad stuff was some 6.5x52R. It was so thin in the critical shoulder area that it got spiderweb cracks upon firing -- and of course this is a very low pressure round. And it was not fired in a sloppy chamber, either.

I've only seen one batch of PRVI ammo, and that was 6.5x55. While I wouldn't form any concrete opinions from that limited exposure, the brass did seem decent -- fairly comparable to Remchester stuff.

Funny you should ask, I just finished processing a batch of the Privi Partizan brass (in Century arms boxes)

The only issue I have found with Privi brass in the past is that their flashholes tend to be a little small, and easy to "miss" with an RCBS sizin die's decapping pin.

But none of my RCBS sizers actually have a decapping pin installed in them as I'm pretty well attached to my Lee universal decapping die...

then using my K&N tool to deburr the flash hole also enlarges it as well as champfers it so the "trouble" the
small flash hole causes is only the first time it's reloaded.

Some of the Privi brass I've gotten came with crimped in primers, but even the brass that didn't had a pretty small (non exsistant) champfer at the top of the primer pocket
so I generally wind up applying a champfer to it with my RCBS primer pocket swager.

It seems like solid heavy brass that doesn't stretch much.
Though I haven't cycled what of it I have enough to get any kind of read on it's case life...

As for "pressure"? of the last box of 20 FACTORY rounds I shot up ONE case had an expanded head.
I never noticed it when firing the ammo, I vaguely recall one stiff bolt lift... but when resizing ONE case was "fattened" enough at the case head so that attempting to force it into the sizing die created a "belt" on the case like a belted magnum cartridge.

after discovering that my immediate thought was that the case was improperly heat treated and was anealed along it's full length, so I first checked the primer pocket by seating a new primer in it... pocket was still nice and tight...
On examination the case had the same
"appearance" after tumbling, the discoloration
at the case shoulder and mouth from the factory
annealing, etc... So I really don't know...

And that ammo was burned up shooting paper at 200yards
checking out the reinstallation of the scope after installing shorter rings.... there were no fliers...


AD

I've used the Privi ammo in the 6.5x5 and the 9.3x62.

Shoots well enough for practice and hunting white tail deer.

As mentioned above, brass is generally very good for reloading and WAY ahead of the S&B Brass.

Had some Wolf 6.5x55 for a rifle my father built just to test it.

Shot about a 3 inch group at 100 yards and the rims were a little thick, did not want to feed right. They were also a little on the hot side, at least for this gun.

I have shot far more boxes of S&B 6.5 than I care to remember. Of the "less expensive" Swede ammo it is far and away my favorite. I haven't tried the FNM, or the Privi (though if memory serves, the Privi Partisan had the same NNY headstamp that the current Wolf "Gold") I have used a little of the Wolf recently, and while reasonably accurate, it was woefully inconsistent as far as power goes.

As to reloading, I have had great success with S&B and NNY headstamp brass, and learned from bitter experience that PMC was barely worth firing once and worthless to try to reload.


Eric

have not loaded any pmc, but the 139 grain soft points shoot exceptionally well out of my steyr. the hot shot brand was very cheap, but it shot well also. not sure if i ever reloaded any of it. sure it would be better than the winchester. they should be ashamed about their 6.5 brass.

Thanks folks! I guess I will try a box of two of the Privi Partisan and maybe pick up some S&B to check it out.

If you are going to try some? bite the bullet so to speak and buy atleast five boxes (100rounds)

I consider brass to be useless if there is less than 100pieces of it.

Especially if you end up liking the brass, If you only buy 40rounds the next batch you get will likely be from a different lot....

AD

quote:

Originally posted by Allan DeGroot:
If you are going to try some? bite the bullet so to speak and buy atleast five boxes (100rounds)

I consider brass to be useless if there is less than 100pieces of it.

Especially if you end up liking the brass, If you only buy 40rounds the next batch you get will likely be from a different lot....AD

X2 roger