Interarms 7.62x25 (1948)
Years ago, Interarms got surplus Russian 7.62x25, headstamped "539" at the 12 o'clock position and "48" at 6 o'clock.
Originally in nice black plastic boxes with the Interarms star (as shown on the box) and later in dark green boxes.
This ammunition is corrosive and highly erratic! Chronographing revealed an extreme spread of 228 fps. High velocity of ten rounds chronograped was 1742 fps and a low of 1514 fps.
It was cheap and I bought a lot of it from Paragon. It damaged my upper receiver, nothing drastic but I quit using it.
There may be some still showing up at gun shows- DO NOT BUY OR USE IT!
This was posted 05-28-01 on the Tom Bower's MG Board concerning the surplus cheap Czech ammo:
"I've had it, I'm crossing over to the other side of the fence--the Czech ammo IS too hot.
I used to say it was OK, but I got a batch of steel case 1953 in a 2,280 round case for cheap, but not only does it make my PPSh41 run about as fast as a MAC-11, which is annoying, and makes a PPS-43 run WAY too fast too, it has caused noticeable damage to the PPS-43 after only a few hundred rounds and I can even notice the beginnings of a new type of wear in the '41 since I began using it.
The PPS-43's damage was fixable--we whacked the recoil plate in the receiver back into shape, as it had been bent by the bolt slamming HARD against it.
Going from the Czech stuff to some old Norinco Chinese 7.62x25 was a relief in that the rates of fire are where they're supposed to be, and the guns don't beat you up nearly as bad. I've been told that this ammo was loaded for the Czech Cz24 subguns. I guess it's got a heavier bolt & spring? It must. Luckily there's a few C2's out there rewelding these so the ammo won't go to waste. All I know is that I am done with this stuff. Too hot!
I heard there's some PMP 7.62x25 being offered by somebody. Does anyone know if it's hot, or "normal?"
-Ted