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7.62 x 54r identification

P

peashooter

BOCN Supporter
Can anyone help with a head stamp id please on a 7.62 x 54r, I have trawled the internet but nothing clear on this headstamp.

3 at 12 o'clock
IV at 3 o'clock
45 at 6 o'clock

case only no bullet in it

cheers
Richard.
 
Hi Richard,
Is the 3 defo a 3 and not a B?
If it is a 3 it is Albanian
Tony
 
Last edited:
Richard,
Definitely Russian and I'd say it was made in 1945 at the Ulyanovsk plant. Having said that I haven't actually seen a 7.62 x 54mm with the number '3' as the manufacturer's code however my records do show it to be Ulyanovsk.
I take it it's not the much more common reversed 'E' which would indicate use in the ShKAS machinegun?
A picture of the headstamp would be good.
Jim
 
Jimiles said:
Richard,
Definitely Russian and I'd say it was made in 1945 at the Ulyanovsk plant. Having said that I haven't actually seen a 7.62 x 54mm with the number '3' as the manufacturer's code however my records do show it to be Ulyanovsk.
I take it it's not the much more common reversed 'E' which would indicate use in the ShKAS machinegun?
A picture of the headstamp would be good.
Jim
Click to expand...
Yes,of course!,they changed from the 3B(crylic ZA,Zavod(factory)) to 3 in 1942.
Havn't seen one with the other markings on it though?

Tony
 
Jimiles said:
Richard,
Definitely Russian and I'd say it was made in 1945 at the Ulyanovsk plant. Having said that I haven't actually seen a 7.62 x 54mm with the number '3' as the manufacturer's code however my records do show it to be Ulyanovsk.
I take it it's not the much more common reversed 'E' which would indicate use in the ShKAS machinegun?
A picture of the headstamp would be good.
Jim
Click to expand...

Jim what in records do you have on 7.63 x 54r, do you have anything electronically, I use a few good websites but could not find anything on the 3 ay 12 oclock.

Richard.
 
Richard, the best website for this calibre is www.7.62x54r.net but I expect you're aware of that one already. They don't show any headstamps with a '3' at 12 o'clock but they do mention under the history of the Ulyanovsk plant that the code for that factory was changed from 3B to 3 in 1942.

www.municion.org do show a 7.62x54mm headstamped '3' at 12 o'clock with '43' at 6 o'clock - not quite the same as your round but very similar. This is also id'd as coming from Ulyanovsk.

I've got a copy of Peter Labbett's 'Technical Ammunition Guide on the 7.62 x 54mm Cartridge' and he identifies the code number 3 as belonging to the USSR although he does not specify to which factory. He also shows an illustration of a headstamp with '3' at 12 o'clock, 'XII' at 3 o'clock, and '44' at 6 o'clock - not too different to yours!

Jim
 
many thanks, yes I do use the website. I will have to try and get hold of a copy of Labbett's book, does it show the bullet type's for this round.

thanks again
Richard.
 
No, no info on bullet types for this headstamp. He doesn't specifically state that 3 and 3B are the same plant either, he just confirms that both are Russian markings. It was a useful publication when it was first available but you can get the same info, and more, from the interenet nowadays.

Jim
 
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