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The Most Popular Rifle in History: An Infographic
We have shown the recent surges in both sales and capitalization of several far, far smaller weapons-makers in the US: Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger (along with the world's seemingly inexorable demand for 'bulk ammo'), but one can only wonder whether the market cap. of Kalashnikov (the maker of the world's most popular rifle) would be greater than that of AAPL if the firm had been based in the US and gone public at inception.
Source: Rianovosti
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I've never "ridden" Roy Roger's horse and any pictures to the contrary have been photoshopped by the NSA.
Cleaning the AK-47 is just about as easy as shooting it, should you actually choose to clean it. Some people say the gun performs better the more you beat it and neglect it, but that's just a myth. To clean the AK-47, you pop the top cover off, pull the bolt out, and hose it down with gun scrubber and then give it a nice coating of oil. Seal it back up and you're good to go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIEBQQGKxBo
I always clean my weapons. They cost money.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0ZB_puM2rQ
I believe we are talking enviornmental dirt here, not lead in the rifielings.
For any weapon worth carrying, I expect to run a bore snake through it and add some lube. Nothing more.
Bootlace with 3 overhand knots, and a few dipsticks worth of used motor oil.
Thanks for that.
Nonsense. Good Soviet would just spit on it... Maybe some pee down the barrel. Its an AK, for Leninsake
The pee probably works well on the corrosive ammo. +1 to anyone who has ever washed an AK in a Holiday Inn bathtub </hotwater>
I've washed WITH an AK and a couple thai ladyboys once. Does that count for a +1?
No, but I've showered with my FN on more than one occasion, does that count? (a tub would have been great, but there were none available).
Col. David Hackworth
It's ironic because I'm reading "Steel My Soldiers' Hearts" right now. He really had a hard on about the M-16 and how terrible it is. In one scene in the book they are bulldozing a berm and turn up a dead VC still holding his AK-47. the guy has been there maybe a month or more buried in jungle crap. Hackworth jumps down, grabs the AK and says "this is what a real battle rifle should do." He pulls the bolt and fires off 30 rounds with no problem.Reading between the lines he sounded like he could be a real a-hole but he was sincere in what he did and got results.
Well, that may have been the case 50 years ago, but it's no longer the case today. Today's ARs are 10x the weapon of today's AKs, particularly with the ACOG optics.
10 minutes after the balloon flies, iron sights will rule the world.
Probably got that quote wrong.
Six months.
That just doesn't make any sense. If you were to expect such a situation, anyone with a force multiplier such as modern optics, i.e. not 19th century aming devices (>1) will have a material advantage on opponents. Run that monte carlo simulation for about 10 seconds... Tell me who wins????
psst... It's the people with optics.
ACOGs are tough, and don't take batteries. Even after the tritium burns out (years) physics of optics still works. It's why the military has stated that the ACOG is the most signifigant advance in the battle rifle since the M1. Just sayin...
No doubt about it. None.
It’s all about batteries.
Direct gas impingement leads to a dirty action.
Gas cylinders, with a piston, provide inherent reliability.
Piston driven ARs are a dime a dozen these days.
That's news to me. Armalite finally threw in the towell, and jumped on the AK clone bandwagon!
Armalite puts out several AR15 models, a 50 cal sniper, and 6.8 lapua.
Obligatory quote- "It shits where it eats."
Good one!
Upgrade to fail zero bolt/hammer and add mcfarland gas rings. no more worries.....
clean it every 5000 rounds, you'll be fine, promise.
Agree F.Bastiat. I have a sig piston gas system AR15 and love it. No more powder in the face and can shoot it all day. Alot better then an AK. I am thinking about getting .17 calibur they are are sweet and pack more punch then a .22 and just as quiet. My brother in law uses it on the ranch for small varmints and swears by it. I shot his Thanksgiving.
Well my friend 50 years ago iron vs. ACOG may have been the case. I have an Aimpoint mounted on my Saiga. ACOG on an AK variant. I have a Texas defense system rail that replaces the dust cover. Amazing product. Great weapon platform. Nothing against the Ar, but the .308 is too pricey for those asking for a great combat weapon.The .223 is a little light for an all around budget based weapons platform, and who isn't on a budget nowadays?
Not that it matters, they are both (AR / AK) death on the end of a stick.
M-16's not a battle-rifle. That's not quite a fair comparison.
Beat me to the punch!
AK's are nearly indestructible. I've seen video of them completely covered in oil, dirt & all kinds of other shit and they still fired. One video showd one with the stocks all broken & held together with paint, great big scratches all over it like it was dragged behind a vehicle down an asphalt road. It still fired.
I wouldn't do that to my AK's, but it's good to know they could deal with it.
A stainless kalashnikov would be practically immortal.
except for the safety that can only be described as: fucking stupid!
One of the best small arms ever made.
I'm hoping that one day I will be able to recover mine from the bottom of the lake where I had that boat accident, and I also hope that they, (3 of them) will still work. I'll let you know how they work when the ice defrost and I am able to try and retrieve them. Wish me luck!
Swinggggg.ak's and Saiga 12's.
iPod iTunes iPad iKalashnikov?
If you go AK, then go Saiga. First thing, add a Krebs Safety lever, so tactical index is possible with the trigger finger, rather than your thumb.
+1. At a minimum, it would be nice to shut up the morons at the range when the firing line is cold.
Mr. Horseman, is there anything about survival you don't know?
Thanks for the tip!
I second that. Thanks Mr. Horseman, gonna look into these for a friend who owns a few SLR-95's.
Hard to say if Mr. Kalishkanov would be bigger than the NasdApple.
John Browning could still whup his ass. ;)
Don't forget Cooper.Long live the mighty 10 Mike Mike.
That's Saint John Browning to us...;-)
It's Col Cooper.
OK. First off, I love the AK. If you believe it's effective past 200 meters, you're dreaming. That said, if you bury an AK and an AR in your backyard for 5 years, then dig them up and do an accuracy test, you'll realize the true worth of a firearm pretty quickly.
Yeah, but why would you do that?
i imagine he probably checks his gold stash every five
Well, checking the gold stash is a wise move. Burying your weapons in the dirt doesn't really qualify as one, though. Gotta take care of your sh*t.
How accurate are they after a canoeing accident?
Not entirely sure, but I should mention that I use an AK as an anchor.
G3 is a much better rifle
+1. G3 is Ak reliable plus shoots .308. The only downside is that the ergonomics suck. Sights not bad.
Saiga makes a .308 AK. Mississippi Auto Arms has all the parts for moving the trigger group forward, etc.
Great. Then I can have even worse ergos. I'd rather use the op rod with my left hand. The G3 safety ain't bad. Optics not bad.
A FAL has better ergonomics than the G3, because you need not reach so far to run the bolt, but the magazines are more expensive.
http://www.dsarms.com/SA58-FAL-Spartan-Tactical-Rifle-308-Caliber----SA5...
Depends on your timing buying mags. Fal also has a mag release, bolt release. Ergos are almost as good as the AR.
I wish I could now afford one of those. Unfortunately I sold the only FAL I owned.
Want a battle rifle with good ergos, shoots .308 and has good iron sights? Go SCAR-H. Add an ACOG and youve got yourself a good weapon. Course, it'll cost you $4,500. An AK costs about 500 to 800 bucks. So there is that.
Don't really like the reciprocating charging handle on the Scar.
The following is similar, but without the above-mentioned factor. http://xcr.robarm.com/xcrm.php
Personally, I went with the M1A scout squad. Proven technology.
As for empowering the people, Kalashnikov is right up there with Gutenberg.
Ironic how it was a symbol of communism.
Well, they did steal the design, like most other things in that era, from zee Germans.
Then the Finns improved it with the RK-62.
+1
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
The bolt looks a lot like a 30 cal carbine. The rest looks like a MP 44.
And 5000 of those original StG44s were just captured in Syria....mistaken to be AK47s...unbelievable
http://www.armoryblog.com/firearms/rifles/free-syrian-army-captures-5000...
how erudite of you. You are learned on the true history of the AK. Impressive! +1
I wouldn't go that far. About the only people it empowered were the likes of Stalin, Mao, Ho Chi Minh, Castro, Guevara, and the myrida savage dictators of the black continent.
The AK is a symbol of mayhem and murder, not civilization and the civilized.
I think the irony he alluded to has to do to the possibility that the AK will ultimately DEFEND us against the Stalin-Mao like assholes that have made the US the pariah of hypocrisy.
AKs aren't going to do it. Educated citizens, armed with ARs, might do it.
True that.
If glock made a rifle, I would buy it.
Evil is not a quality that inanimate objects can possess.
The ultimate victory of Keep It Simple Stupid. The dumb things are robust as all get out and can be made by hand in Pakistan.
The effective range listed is exaggerated by about an order of magnitude. An AR15 with an ACOG optic is 10x more effective than any AK derivative.
No comparison with 7.62x 39 vs 5.56....
Long range energy, windage.....not accuracy.....
Really? Let's compare the AR15 with a $300 bolt action from Wal-Mart. I volunteer.
We're not comparing bolt actions. We're comparing AK derivatives and AR derivatives.
The ACOG optic for AR15/M4/M16s, in particular, has been the single greatest infantry force multiplier of the last 50 years. Couple that combination with MK262 ammo and you have the most potent rifleman combination ever known to man.
The AK had some advantages 50 years ago; it really doesn't have any today other than cost.
So now it only takes 50,000 rounds per kill in battle as opposed to 100,000? Fantastic!
Thats why the SOCOM is getting rid of the 223 platform in favor of the 308 SCAR 17H. They blow the doors off of ANY 223 platform!
Anyone know a lower cost ACOG set up? I once had an AR 15. It is at the bottom of a lake but I have a scuba tank and flippers.
Trijicon ACOGs can be found on eBay for around $1,000. So, for the AR + the ACOG + some Black Hills 77 grain ammo you're looking at about $2K. Sell your scuba gear, procure an AR.
Holy fuck!
If I have need of a firearm, it is going to be defending my home against a burglar, or a group of hungry zombies. With untrained family to help, I would be better off with 5 Mosin-Nagant rifles, 2000 rounds, and $700 worth of other supplies.
Quarter mile range is plenty, I can't see much farther than that anyway.
This man speaketh the truth. The wise would listen. For combat effectiveness, the AR platform is unmatched. In war, after fire and maneuver, its about accurate fire, and volume of fire, and if you can shoot them before they can accurately shoot you, you WIIIN!
The Galil is an AK.
with longer sights and a bottle opener.
the AK platform while substandard on long range MOA, more than makes up for this shortcoming by firing in all conditions. Dirt, powder, grunge, takes a beating and still keeps cycling. That makes it a lazy commies wet dream.
its like playing moneyball only with war instead of baseball.
I'm not saying that I own or buy any guns mr. NSA snoop, but if I did own a collection of battle rifles this would be the next one I would add. Hypothetically speaking that is.
"I'm not saying that I own or buy any guns mr. NSA snoop"
Yep, start another age old AK vs AR argument and gather information.
So here are at least 20 years worth of results on this debate simplified: AR-15 et al= overengineered, too tight of tolerances, too many parts, headspacing issues, jams a lot. AK variants= basic, few parts, sloppy but sturdy recievers, bolts and firing pins, headspacing issues, does not jam. End of story.
Now how about that Mosin-Nagant M44 carbine with the perma-bayonet?!LOL Anyone ever freehand a 100 rounds through one of those on any given day?
AK's are shit, but everybody should train on one, or own one, just because they're everywhere, and the ammo is plentiful
The AK's were, and are fine weapons. I owned an SKS at one time(same basic rifle design). Been a shitload of people killed with AKs and SKs.
That said, for personal/home defense, most people would be far better off with a short barreled, .12g pump gun like I'm holding in my avatar picture. Should I need to reach out to "touch someone", I have a 30'06 that I've had 50+ years....and I can still shoot it :) And of course I have lots of ammo for both.
Gold, silver, and ammo bitchez :)
How many AK47 will an ounce of gold buy?... Seriously, aren't they pretty inexpensive?
Should be able to get 6 wholesale, depending on where from.
Romanians make one with 3 shot burst feature.
Bulgarians have a nice synthetic stock.
AKs and Ars are both expensive. The base Ak is cheaper then the AR platform in general, but once you start modifying the weapon then the cost increases. FYI...you will want to modify a base AK. If a base AK goes for $900, then double it for modifications. I am going through that now.
So far...
$410 Aimpoint red dot (purchased)
$ 140 Dog Leg rear rail western defense systems (purchaed)
$ 125 midwest front rail (the barrel gets hot dream list)
$ 250 SSAK -47 slide fire stock...too cool. ( dream list)
Total = $925 modifications
base AK (Arsenal) = $900
total $1800
Not cheap IMHO = 1 ounce of Gold = 1 great weapons platform
Seriously? If you need a red dot you either need to buy more ammo and hit the target range, AND you're too close.
Arsenal AK (IMHO) is the best AK on the market. Plus the side mount for optics gives the option to switch to iron sites, as needed. The bayonette lug is just for good all around fun for chasing the wife around the house when she gets behind in her laundry duties.
Arsenal AK (IMHO) is the best AK on the market. Plus the side mount for optics gives the option to switch to iron sites, as needed. The added bayonnete appeal is just for good all around fun chasing the wife around the house when she gets behind in her laundry duties.
Arsenal AK (IMHO) is the best AK on the market. Plus the side mount for optics gives the option to switch to iron sites, as needed. The added bayonnete appeal is just for good all around fun chasing the wife around the house when she gets behind in her laundry duties.
Birdshot to the belly will stop any intruder, but it won't overpenetrate through neighbors houses.
That intruder will leave a big mess, and a short blood trail.
Number 8 "cut shell".
Big mess without the trail.
I never had the balls to attempt a "cut shell"
Advice anyone? Seen some videos displaying the "damage"
... couple of points. birdshot might or might not penetrate a heavy winter coat very well. birdshot "to the gut" may or may not kill the intruder. personally, i'd probably rather be able to just outright kill someone who may or may not pull a .45 off his belt and start blasting instead of attempting to flee. never underestimate a desperate man, especially not a badly wounded one.
i do have a shotgun for home defense, pistol grip short barrel 870 remington express, with a strobe and laser just to make sure it's extra f'n scary when i come out of my bedroom with it. first round is high brass #6 that i use for squirrels, rest in the tube are #4 buck. 1 oz slugs on the side saddle. no magnum loads, all 2 3/4". the long and the short of it, anyone breaking into my house that doesn't immediately surrender or turn and go back the way they came once confronted is more than likely DRT. for all sorts of reasons.
Point blank birdshot to the belly, and you can reach right in, pull out their heart, still beating, and dangle it in front of their face as they die.
It leaves a tunnel of burger.
i don't really want to argue about this but i don't operate under the assumption that the only scenario i will be faced with is some guy showing me his belly at point blank range. light game loads can be lethal at very close ranges that is certain, but toss in some distance from the muzzle, say a heavy leather jacket and a little meth for good measure and you've got yourself a whole nother can of worms.
You fucking people and your bird shot. Bird shot is for killing little birdies, not bad people. Spend 10 seconds googling that on the interwebs so as to keep yourself, anyone stupid enough to listen to you, and your family members from getting killed.
Go shoot a round of bird shot at ballistic gelatin, and get back to me.... (hint) not sufficient trauma to stop the bad people
there's a bunch of bullshit floating around in this thread for sure. like, racking a shell is guaranteed to make everyone piss themselves as they run away or even better that you really don't have to aim a shotgun.
I'm retired too and have to agree with you, nothing like a short, pump
12 gauge to protect your home. Just the sound of loading one into the
chamber will send anyone with 1/2 a brain running for the exits.
I keep a loaded 12 gauge on both floors of my house and the
"Governor" ( S&W 6-shot 410 shotgun/ long colt 45 pistol in
my night table drawer next to my bed. If someone breaks in
my house, I don't have to put on my glasses. Just point in the
general direction and pull the trigger. When I go out I carry a
357.
All that crap should go away if / when you have grandchildren. Trigger locks and locked gun cabinets.
Your life isn't as valuable as your grandchild's and there's nothing in your house more valuable than them. Keep your glasses and the key to your trigger lock on your night stand.
My HOMAKs are strategically located.
Don't chamber a round and a child can't rack one themselves. When they are old enough to chamber a round they should already know well enough how to handle a firearm.
Of course, I wouldn't expect a squid to know much about firearms.
my dear squid. we train our kids to handle guns.....problem solved.....
Mossberg 500 is my first weapon of defense. I hope I never have to use it. God Willing.
Hi hairball,
I was contemplating adding a shotgun to my arsenal but am a bit nervous if I could handle it. I've shot a Mosberg 500 cruiser at the range and I did ok with it. My husband conned me in to firing his old 1896 30/40 Krag too and the guys at the range really had a belly laugh over that. I'm just glad it's not on U-tube....er I hope it's not! Is there a lot of recoil with your gun?
Miffed:-)
Dear Miffed, A 410 shotgun for the ladies is much easier to handle and
just as effective in repeling intruders.
Thanks Zorba!
All the hand guns I have were rented previously so I could see if I could shoot them well. I haven't been able to find a place when one could try out a shot gun. I was lucky a guy at my range had a mosberg and agreed to let me try it after hours because it is against their policy to fire shotguns in the indoor range. I don't think I want to be trying to figure the gun out as someone is barging into my bedroom at 2 AM. Mr miffed doesn't share my concern and feels just racking it should send anyone running. I'm not so sure. That seems too subtle for many present day zombies.
Miffed:-)
Miffed, Mrs. Horseman suggets a 12 gauge Benelli M2 Tactical for the ladies, with a short stock from a vendor that just happens to be local to you in San Diego, Mesa Tactical.
Add a Surefire forend light, and tritium night sights for the irons. GG&G release plate and charging handle along with a Nordic extension tube and Urban ERT sling and you are good.
Wow! Now I have something to put on my Christmas list! Tell her thank you from me. I'm not sure if there are any other women on this thread to advise me:-)
Miffed:-)
Nine (or even 12) .32 caliber 00 pellets with one pull of the 12 guage's trigger is a relaible method for a woman to stop a big, powerful, motivated bad guy.
With good training and practice most any lady can master a 12 guage, especially an inertia driven gun like the M2.
+1 on GG&G and Nordic. Bulked up my Mossy a wee bit.
If you did OK with a Mossberg 500, you'd be fine. Just skip the magnum shells and use a light load. 12 gauge is the way to go, but if they're too much, you could always get a 20 gauge.
.410s are fine for varmints, but I'd advise against 'em if your real concern is defense. You never want to have to shoot someone twice.
20 gauge for the win.
I've seen a slender 13 yo boy do OK with a Remington 870 12 ga pump gun. You can get low recoil buckshot for it too. And that helps reduce concerns over penetrating outside walls of the house, etc.
Mossberg Model 590 with pistol grips and a bayonet(M16). 00 buck 12 pellet ammo.(not nine) I might entertain an offer on that 30/40 Krag.
That's mr miffed's baby. I'm sure he wouldn't sell it but ammo is hard to come by and certainly is costly. The guys @ the range really loved it and made offers on it because it had a Calvary attachment on it ( sorry I don't know the proper term) so it could be fired while attached to the saddle. I fired it just to get a feel for handling a gun that size before trying the Mossberg. That was quite an experience! Thank goodness I was shown how to hold it or I would have bruised my shoulder. Amazing a gun that old could still fire so well.
Miffed:-)
You'll get lots of opinions and here's mine.
I have a Mossberg 835 with 2 barrels, 18 1/2" for home defense and a 26" turkey barrel.
There's no way around feeling recoil with the heavy loads I prefer 3" 00 Buckshot. That 2000ftlbs of energy has to go somewhere :) Even at 6'4"/190 after 10-15 rounds of practice, my skinny-ass shoulder is black and blue. I just think about the damage I would have done on the other end :)
You can get "low recoil" 2 3/4 .12g buckshot rounds. They are every bit as lethal with much less recoil. The kinetic energy of a so-called "low recoil" .12g round is still a multiple of most handgun loads.
Get a pump shotgun that will fit you as well as possible. Do not buy those pistol grip things.
Contrary to popular belief and the movies, a shotgun must be "aimed". Learn to shoot a shotgun properly. ..which includes gun safety.
Thanks hairball, it's nice to hear everyone's opinion. I really want to learn as much as possible. The guys at the range were having me hold the Mossberg on my hip instead of my shoulder. I think they felt I'd do better with it that way. I did fire the Krag against my shoulder and boy did I feel that!
Miffed:-)
Hairball is correct. Nothing is better than a shotgun for home defense. Aim in the general vacinity and fire. We used them in the Marines for guarding high-value things in or near buildings. AKs are great. For about 100-400 yards max. They are seriously mass produced now by China and formerly Eastern Europe (and God knows where else) and they are dependable but shitty, or I mean shoddy in accuracy. Perhaps the Russkie ones are better. That said, they don't break too often, are not overly complicated, and the round they fire is an absolute mutilator (provided it hits the target).
30.06 is probably the best hunting round out there too for the average Joe.
I suspect big-balling ZH-readers own HKs and such.
Good luck clearing some corners in your domicile at night with your shotty. I prefer a pistol with a squeeze to light weaponlight. First thing a burg does when he sees the light is freeze. Gives you time to see if its the intruder, or your little girl looking for the "baffroom"
Also, nice 9mm hollowpoints arent going to neighbors houses, but do left you hit a perp ducking behind some sheetrock.
Shotguns are for hunting and if you make the sound when you rack it to show off, you just told the badguys where you are and that you have 4 shots total.
Grrr
Pretty easy to install an extended mag on a pump gun to increase that number of shots to 7. Any street wise intruder would know that.
Be a rare bird that would stick around to find out the exact round count.
It's not 4 total if you took the damn plug out, it's 'least 7 and 1 :-)
People's situations are different. I have no kids and live alone. I have loaded guns all over my apartment. If someone is in here, they're in a heap of trouble. They won't hear me rackin' one in because there's already a round chambered.
I'm not worried about neighbors and over penetration if I'm protecting myself. Fuck them.
I do keep 9mm Hydroshoks(a type of hollowpoint round) in my Browning HiPower. Hydroshoks in my Model 19 S&W .357 which stays close by my head at night :)
As for letting bad guys know where you are...that light on your weapon makes a mighty fine "target" for me.
HUGE fan of the .270 cartridge, here.
Hairballs, couldn't agree more about the 12 gauge. Don't plan on looking for trouble but when it comes to you, can't beat a 12 with 000 buck. A very nice pocket gun is the Ruger LPC 9. Feels like a heavier gun but easy to carry and great balance. Weapon of choice when leaving the house, with my CHL of course.
.12g shotgun is an underrated weapon 'cause it's not too "sexy" as guns go.
I like my Browning HiPower for carrying. Again, not as sexy as the new Glocks and Berettas. However, the HiPower is a fine pistol. John Browning was a gun genius. Simple, bombproof design with 13round capacity. The basic design is nearly 100 years old and yet the HiPower is still a widely used and respected pistol. Been carried by nearly every major armed force in the world, including "special forces", at one time or another in the past. The British SAS used HiPowers for years. If it was good enough for them, it's good enough for me.
anyone ever shoot one of the SRM 1216 Shotguns?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiZgSXfN-BA
Just another commie knock off of a German assault rifle. Like everything else from the ex USSR it was either stolen or copied from more advanced peoples.
Yep. At the end of the day, it's the guy or gal with the rifle that really matters.
Mighty Right. It ain't the gun, it's the gunner.
+1 Aim small, miss small
Ever hear of the mosin nagant?
91/30 fires 7.62x54, cheap, great weapon.
100% Russian design, except for the remington and westinghouse outsourced versions comissioned by the czar.
And for whoever is worrying about running out of mil-spec ammo for these beasts.... don't worry. I still have some 54R from WWII!(and it fires every time) As for reloading for these rifles, let's just say this, I have brand new die, never fired boxer style brass and the .311 dia bullets and I bought it all five years ago. Never used because....why bother?
Maybe they didn't invent the bolt, or rifling like the Austrians did, or metallic cartridges, or tangent sights, but if the design wasn't Russian then, it sure is now, considering the volume produced and the durability displayed, but thanks for the info. I thought it was 100% Russian.
I don't like mil-surp ammo, because it's fmj.
Not all 54R mil-surp is bad. If you can find the Czech made "silver tip" you would be in good shape as they seem to be the most accurate out of the carbine Mosins.(M38 and M44) Most of the mil-surp out there was loaded for the M91 long rifle. That would explain the huge pumpkin sized fireball that no doubt you have experienced if you have ever shot a Mosin carbine.
Something you should note: Most Mosin mil-surp has a steel core inside. If you look at the headstamp of any soviet satellite manufactured ammo, you will be able to track exactly what the bullet is and when the cartridge was made. If you do not trust the headstamp, I would suggest a Dremel tool to inspect. Simply cut away at the midpoint of the ogive on the bullet to see what's inside.(don't overheat the bullet because well...)
This is the ammo you would want for the Mosin carbines. Too bad it is dated link but it has a picture. The light blue boxes with the silver stripe are well made.
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=280709
Nyet!
I want soft point, or hollow point, or ballistic tip in front of good old fashioned lead core.
Eff the geneva convention. What do the swiss know anyhow? Nobody wears their watches when they can get a Casio for $10.
I will be honest here, I have never even loaded for any of the Mosins. I have checked the headspacing on several Mosin rifles. Not "good".
400 rounds into a 1000 round case of .303 British, without a misfire, and it was manufactured in 1918. Ammo kept dry is probably good til the second coming...
Mr. Nagant would argue with you.