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Fireball load for Mosin-Nagant carbine

5K views 26 replies 17 participants last post by  db2044 
#1 ·
Does anyone have a favorite fireball load for a M44 carbine?
I want to load some just for fun , not worried about accuracy or velocity.
I will be using pulled 150 grain .311 diameter FMJ bullets from Wideners and once fired Prvi-Partizan brass. I have several powders available;IMR 4320, H4895, IMR4198, H414, Red Dot, Blue Dot, and Accurate #5.
Thanks in advance.
kyswede
 
#2 ·
Actually the rifle powders you have wont produce that kind of a fireball that you seek I assume your looking for milsurp ammo flame thrower and shock and awe effect?:D
What you need and want is slow burning powders ! H380 and slower preferably ball powders. and use a regular non mag primer!
 
#3 ·
Why not just buy some milsurp ammo if all you want is the fireball and you're not concerned with accuracy or velocity? :confused:


.
 
#4 ·
The only surplus 7.62x54R ammo I have is Czech silver tip. It doesn't make a very big fireball compared to the Prvi-Partizan 203 grain soft point I have been shooting. I plan to reload some serious ammo for my 2 91/30s,
2 M44s,and my M38, but I just want some shock-n-awe loads to start out. Maybe the lighter bullet in the Czech has something to do with the small fireball.
kyswede
 
#6 ·
The only surplus 7.62x54R ammo I have is Czech silver tip. It doesn't make a very big fireball compared to the Prvi-Partizan 203 grain soft point I have been shooting. Maybe the lighter bullet in the Czech has something to do with the small fireball.
kyswede
The reason is the heavier bullet is loaded with a slower burning powder and does not burn completely/effeciently in the shorter barrelled carbines. The CZ light ball is loaded with a powder "similar" in burn rate to 4895

Tim
 
#7 ·
Please excuse my failing memory. I checked the last box of Prvi ammo I have and the bullet weight is 150 grains. I must have been thinking about the box of Barnual 203 gr. hunting ammo I got at a gun show. Also the pulled bullets from Wideners are 147 gr. not 150 gr.
Has anyone noticed a difference in fireballs between Russian,Hungarian or Bulgarian surplus? Maybe I need to try something besides the Czech light ball.
kyswede
 
#9 ·
Back in March of this year my son and daughter-in-law came in from Germany (both in Army). We had a family get together with the usual shooting of many firearms. There were about 15 people and about 20 guns ranging from 22s to 8mm Mausers. The crowd favorite was my Mosin-nagant M38 carbine. Everyone loved the muzzle blast and big fireball it produced.
kyswede
 
#10 ·
Fireball Powders

Hi
I have two powders for you. One is H335 the other is Ball C2. They both produce a Lot of flame out of a fairly short barrel. A moderate load out of my 18" 7.65 Arg Carbine really lights up. It is accurate too. They are also good powders for the 223 round in a mini 14. If you use these powders in much longer barrels you will not have the fire or much less of it.
n.h.schmidt
 
#11 ·
If my memory serves right .I always thought the Albanian and Chinese LB loads were the biggest flame producers in my carbines.I do know it makes the most noise when I load the pulled down powder in my 223 ,Every highpower shooter on the line knows when my rifle goes off, but good consistant powder though.


Tim
 
#15 ·
The formula should be easy.

Just look for the slowest burning powder listed for 7.62X54R in your reloading manual (or, even better, the slowest powder you can find after checking several manuals) and keep inching the charge up TOWARDS, BUT NOT OVER the maximum recommended charge weight until you either get the results you are looking for, or you get pressure signs.
 
#21 ·
The slowest powder might have a tendecy for more flash
but ball powders like Bl C2 can produce a tremendous flash about 2 feet in diameter far greater than the equivalent extruded powder.
 
#19 ·
Nope, that won't work because the 308 bullets don't have much blow-by. Despite this myth that they leak lots of gas due to the .002-.003" difference in bore diameter they really don't. In fact the bullet itself seems to upset and fill that micro tiny space quite well. I know guys who are shooting .308 bullets in various 310-312" bore rifles in competition and doing very well. Guys are shooting Mosins and 303 Enfield snipers using 175gr Sierra matchkings and finding they get better accuracy than some of the "proper" 311" bullets out there will do. So no better for flame.......
I ran 308 pulldown tracers through my PKM and Bren guns and found they matched the ballistics of the 54R light ball better than they did the 308 at long range. Pretty interesting to see and not what I expected when I first did this back in the 90's. The tracers lit up as well as they did in 308 ammo too.
Frank
 
#20 ·
What about with a TT33 bore? My bores are both .312" and bullet diameter is .306".
Is there blow-by with .006" difference?

My M91/30 has a .315 bore and I tried shooting .308" bullets (did better with .311/312 bullets). I was shooting for accuracy so I didn't pay attention to the amount of blast.
 
#23 ·
I never saw this thread before but after looking at the post date I understand why. LOL

If I had seen it I would have suggested the H-414. I've used a lot of W-760 and H-414 and they will produce quite a BOOM from a short barrel and I bet a fair amount of flash as well. IIRC There is data for it too.
 
#27 ·
Wish I could find a can of (as far as I can remember ...Albanian) surp. Not only was the sheet of flame out of M44 or M38 most visually impressive, it was extremely loud! It was sometimes enough to make people in the adjoining booths retreat ...
Great to sneak a surprise by adding one to the magazine mixed in with silver tip to watch the expression on the shooter's face.
Fun in the short guns but it would almost completely burn in a 91/30 with no visible flash. Kind of smokey and really dirty powder though.
 
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