ALERT ALERT Ammo mismarked BROWN BEAR

[mike_pinto]

Buddy of mine just bought a half case of brown bear 55gr fmj's that stick to a magnet when pulled. Please be very careful if you shoot this or Monarch at steel as there is a possibility it was "accidentally" loaded with steel core bullets.

We were shooting the Texas carbine match and he had to shoot xm193 for the stages with steel after they pulled one of the bullets and it stuck to the magnet.

Just thought I would let you all know that. I for one will be using a magnet at our next 3-gun match to ensure we are not shooting our plates with steel core.

Mike

 

[dennishoddy]

Good info. Thanks for the heads up

 

[kickface]

Isn't all brown bear and for that matter steel cased bullets bi-metal? As far as i know wolf, brown bear, golden tiger, all of it has steel in the bullet. And it's not in the "core" witch is lead, it's the steel in the jacket that attracts the magnet.

 

[mike_pinto]

This is steel core 55gr. And no, they Are not all supposed to have steel anywhere in the projectile, unless properly marked. I have pulled a few of the monarch that I have an it does not stick, nor does the wolf, but one of the rounds I stole from Sean, the brown bear, does. Stripped the jacket with a knife and it still sticks, so it is absolutely steel in the core.

M

 

[criticalbass]

This is steel core 55gr. And no, they Are not all supposed to have steel anywhere in the projectile, unless properly marked. I have pulled a few of the monarch that I have an it does not stick, nor does the wolf, but one of the rounds I stole from Sean, the brown bear, does. Stripped the jacket with a knife and it still sticks, so it is absolutely steel in the core.

M

How 'bout slicing off one side of that bullet and posting a pic of the steel core? I suspect most here have never actually seen one. If this is more than a fluke, the importer is likely to be in real trouble. CB

 

[mike_pinto]

I only had the one. I guess the point is, if you are going to be shooting it indoors or at steel, if it sticks to a magnet, use something else.

M

 

[ninefan]

Should be easy to section one with a dremel. That will say for sure one way or another.

 

[rhodesbe]

Brown Bear & Silver Bear have a copper plated steel jacket with lead core.

They will not pass the magnet test for this reason.

from left to right, the current 7.62x39 rounds: Ulyanovsk EM1 match (my fav round, accurate and yaws quickly) Klimovsk FMJ, Klimovsk "Silver Bear" FMJ (Identical), WOLF FMJ (note gigantic air gap), Barnaul FMJ, Uly FMJ, Early Klimovsk FMJ, Rare early brass cased TCW fmj.

 

[mike_pinto]

Ok, this is the last time. The half case of brown bear that he bought has enough steel in the core to stick to a magnet.

The bullet stuck to a magnet without a jacket! I know what steel looks like.

I tried to help, but not getting into a pissing match. Since only a couple of you were there when it happened and I was in my garage when I stripped the jacket, how would you k ow what the core of this bullet was made of?

 

[stewball]

When I shot the last 3 gun with my M1, I tested some Greek ammo with a magnet and it stuck, so I tried some Lake City which did not, so I used it, although we did not engage any steel on that match. Would it be prudent to test each round to be used just to be on the safe side?