Help identify this ammo

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  • DadSmith

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    I found 80rds of this loose packed in a zip lock bag at a yard sale today. Bought it for $20. I need help identifying it. It's 7.62x51 looks like military surplus. I think its Australian Defense ammo, but not sure.



    Headstamp MF 83 F4
     

    Wolfhound

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    I found 80rds of this loose packed in a zip lock bag at a yard sale today. Bought it for $20. I need help identifying it. It's 7.62x51 looks like military surplus. I think its Australian Defense ammo, but not sure.



    Headstamp MF 83 F4



    Best I can tell it is Australian and produced in 1983. AmmoManAaron could verify.

    MF Small Arms Ammunition Factory No.1 - Footscray; Melbourne, Victoria; Australia

    Some sources show that plant shut down in 1945 but others indicate it is still operating.

    Edit: Looks like it might have been closed in 1994.
     

    DadSmith

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    AmmoManAaron

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    T.Lex

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    Now that you guys sorted that out, I think the important question is not how to identify the ammo, but how the ammo identifies itself.

    Perhaps, that's 7.62x51 that identifies as .308. We need to be sensitive to that specific ammo's emotions, so as not to... trigger it.
     

    printcraft

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    Now that you guys sorted that out, I think the important question is not how to identify the ammo, but how the ammo identifies itself.

    Perhaps, that's 7.62x51 that identifies as .308. We need to be sensitive to that specific ammo's emotions, so as not to... trigger it.


    Ammosexual
     

    DadSmith

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    Thanks Wolfhound and ammoman for the confirmation and information you provided.

    Ammoman the rds were in a plastic zip lock bag they look okay just old and tarnished. The purple sealent looks intact yet as well. I plan on tumbling them, then shooting them. I'll report back on their performance from my AR 10.

    One more question.
    Are these boxer or berdan primed?
     

    Wolfhound

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    Happy to help :yesway:

    They should be berdan primed and non-corrosive. Like AmmmoManAaron said it should be good stuff. I have used Australian surplus 7.62mm in the past with good results and I may still have some stored away someplace.
     

    DadSmith

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    Happy to help :yesway:

    They should be berdan primed and non-corrosive. Like AmmmoManAaron said it should be good stuff. I have used Australian surplus 7.62mm in the past with good results and I may still have some stored away someplace.

    Okay thanks. I was hoping it was boxer primed. Oh well I got 80rds for $20 can't beat that for some range time.
     

    AmmoManAaron

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    Thanks Wolfhound and ammoman for the confirmation and information you provided.

    Ammoman the rds were in a plastic zip lock bag they look okay just old and tarnished. The purple sealent looks intact yet as well. I plan on tumbling them, then shooting them. I'll report back on their performance from my AR 10.

    One more question.
    Are these boxer or berdan primed?

    You're welcome! Your AR-10 should like these. Definitely non-corrosive. With yours being from 1983, they should be berdan primed.

    At least some amount of Aussie F4 was made with boxer primers, but what I've seen of it was headstamped AFF or ADI and was from the early 90s. The Aussies started messing around with boxer primers in their 7.62 at some point after they adopted 5.56 - which was in 1985. With two different arsenals (MF and AFF) with multiple lines making 7.62, it wouldn't surprise me to find some headstamps that could be either boxer or berdan depending on which line it came off of.

    FYI - F4 is the Australian NATO spec and is approximately equivalent to our M-80 ball.
     

    DadSmith

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    You're welcome! Your AR-10 should like these. Definitely non-corrosive. With yours being from 1983, they should be berdan primed.

    At least some amount of Aussie F4 was made with boxer primers, but what I've seen of it was headstamped AFF or ADI and was from the early 90s. The Aussies started messing around with boxer primers in their 7.62 at some point after they adopted 5.56 - which was in 1985. With two different arsenals (MF and AFF) with multiple lines making 7.62, it wouldn't surprise me to find some headstamps that could be either boxer or berdan depending on which line it came off of.

    FYI - F4 is the Australian NATO spec and is approximately equivalent to our M-80 ball.

    That's great . I'll take a peek just to make sure before I toss them into the recycling bucket.

    I've got some M80 ball laying around I'll grab a box of it and compare them hopefully tomorrow .
     
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