I was going to say that it looked like Polish. I wasn't having much luck with my google fu though. Even 7.62x54R.net just talked about headstamps rather than spam can markings.
If it's Polish, it's probably good stuff. At least that's been my experience with their firearms. The Polish M44's are some of the nicest ones out there.Thanks felluhs!
Polish eh? I guess I was duped, and sadly I don't have any pictures of the headstamp. All of it is still sealed in the spam cans. I haven't had the heart to crack a can open.
Does that make it better or worse? I don't have much 7.62x54r experience.Looks like steel core maybe?
Most surplus 54R ammo is mild steel core. It might make your AR500 steel targets wear a little faster, but it's not "armor piercing" ammo. Some ranges may not allow it because the projectiles will attract a magnet. It is no doubt corrosive, so just rinse your bore with water when you're done (I like to do it while it's still hot from shooting), and then clean as usual.Does that make it better or worse? I don't have much 7.62x54r experience.
Wow!!!!!! Thank you so much! That is A LOT of info you were nice enough to provide, this board is the best!Spam can markings line by line:
7.62 is caliber (7.62x54R), LPS indicates light ball with mild steel core (the mil-spec is 147gr, but this varies in reality), GZ indicates copper washed steel case
J37 is the ammunition lot series and lot number, 76 indicates the ammunition was made in 1976, 21 is the factory code for the producer of the ammunition (confusingly, the 21 factory code was used by more than one country, but in this instance it is the Polish factory Skarzysko-Kamienna), silver stripe again indicates light ball with mild steel core, WT is the propellant type, 2/76 is the propellant lot number and production year (1976), 361 is the factory code for the producer of the propellant
440 szt indicates 440 rounds
The big piece of paper is a QA/QC packing slip that was put in the crate right before it was closed up at the time of manufacture and initial packing.
The little piece of paper is a reinspection slip and it indicates that the crate was opened and inspected in 2003. Prawdzono meaning "it was verified" followed by date and signature of the inspector.
The 15 inside a triangle on the wooden crate lid is the cargo classification for that item within the Polish military system. For shooters and collectors it doesn't mean anything. The 28 KG is the weight of the crate in kilograms - again for cargo purposes.
I haven't shot any of this, but reports are that it is supposed to be comparable to the other good quality 54R surplus that is out there.