CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN 7.62 ´ 39 MM AMMUNITION Lucien C. HAAG Forensic Science Services, Carefree, Arizona, USA ABSTRACT:Substantialquantitiesofammunitionin7.62´39mmhavebeen,and continuetobe,importedintotheUnitedStatesfromanumberofcountriesduetothe largenumberoffirearmschamberedinthiscalibre.Somenoveldesignandconstruc- tionfeatureshavetakenplaceoverthelastfewyearsamongformerSoviet-Russian manufacturesofmilitaryammunition.Carefulexaminationanddisassemblyofcar- tridgesin7.62´39mmimportedintotheUnitedStatesduringthisperiodhasre- vealed features that set them apart from all other sources of ammunition in this caliberandevendistinguishthefactoryororigininthepresentdayRussianRepub- lic.Therecognitionofthesefeaturesbythelaboratoryexaminerstandstoprovide usefulinformationtoboththelaboratoryandinvestigatorsconfrontedwithcrimes involving such ammunition. KEYWORDS:Russianammunition;7.62mmbullets;7.62´39mm;M43;AK47; SKS;Huntingbullets;Steeljacketedhollowpointbullets;Plasticbaseplug;Polyeth- ylene, Barnaul; Tula; Ulyanovsk. Problems of Forensic Sciences, vol. XLVI, 2001, 288–302 Received 9 October 2000; accepted 15 September 2001 INTRODUCTION – HISTORICAL INFORMATION The7.62x39mmRussiancartridge(properlycalledtheM43butcom- monlyreferredtoastheAK47cartridge)wasadoptedbytheSovietUnion shortlyaftertheWorldWarII.Thefirstproductionriflechamberedforthis newcartridgewasthesemi-automaticSKS45carbine.Thisriflewasquickly supersededbytheselectivefireAK47.Otherso-calledEastBlockcountries alliedwith-orarmedbytheSovietUnionadoptedthesameorsimilarrifles chamberedfortheM43cartridge.CommunistChinaandanumberofArabic countriesalsoproducedmilitarygunsinthiscaliber.Thecartridgeisnow manufactured in a number of countries including the United States. Largenumbersofobsolete,surplusSKScarbineswereimportedintothe U.S. from Communist China, Russia and a number of former communist blockcountries.Theirlowcost,robustnature,modestrecoilandgenerally acceptable accuracy made them very popular with recreational shooters. Semi-automaticclonesoftheAK47werealsomadeforimportationbythese samecountries.Therelativelowcostofforeign-made7.62´39mmammuni- Contemporary Russian 7.62´39 mm ammunition 289 tioncoupledwiththedesirebymanytoownapieceofthe“EvilEmpire”has resulted in large numbers of semi-automatic rifles and carbines being im- portedandsoldintheU.S.Itshouldcomeasnosurprisethatsomemembers of the criminal element in American society have also made these guns a popular choice. DESIGN FEATURES AND BALLISTIC PROPERTIES The M43 round is considerably less powerful that the standard battle cartridgesofWorldWarII.Itisacartridgeofintermediatesize-andpower- more powerful than the 30 M1 Carbine cartridge but less powerful than the.30–30Winchestercartridgedevelopedneartheendofthe19thCentury. The standard bullet weight for the M43 cartridge was slightly less than 8 grams (122 gr). Muzzle velocities for this bullet fired from SKS carbines and AK47 assault rifles are typically 2300 f/s to 2400 f/s (~720 m/s). Al- though described as 30 caliber bullets, they typically measure .310 in to.311in(7.87mm–7.90mm)indiameterratherthan.308inches.Thisisin keeping with groove diameters of Soviet 7.62 mm rifles. TheoveralllengthoftheM43bulletisabout1.045in(26.5mm).Thecen- terofgravityfortheM43Sovietballroundisabout9mmforwardofitsbase. The G ballistic coefficient (G BC) for this bullet is approximately 0.30. 1 1 Inaccordancewiththemilitarypracticesofvirtuallyallcountriesinthe 1940sandthereafter,theSovietM43bulletwasoffullmetaljacketeddesign andpossessedaspitzerpoint.Amildsteelcore(ratherthanaleadcore)was employed in the M43 service round. This core is about 0.775 inches (19.7mm)inlengthand0.226in(5.74mm)indiameterwithaflatpointand isbothcenteredand securedinsidethemildsteelbulletjacketbymeansof aleadsheathofabout0.020in(0.5mm)thickness.Thiscoreweighsabout 55 gr (3.57 g). Thishard,non-deformingbulletisoneofthemostballisticallystablerifle bullets in existence and as a consequence, it often produces entrance and exitwoundsingunshotvictimsthatlookmorelikewoundsfromfullmetal jacketedpistolbulletsthanso-calledhighvelocitywounds.Thisballisticsta- bility increases the likelihood of surviving a gunshot wound from one of these bullets as compared to a soft point .30 M1 Carbine bullet, a .30–30 Winchester bullet or even a hollow point pistol bullet fired into the same areaofthetorso.Thisisnotnecessarilyundesirablefromamilitarystand- pointsincethewoundingofonesadversaryratherthantheoutrightkilling ofhimwilltieupmoreoftheenemyduetotheneedtotreatandremovethe wounded soldier from the battlefield. 290 L. C. Haag Much,ifnotall,oftheSovietserviceammunitionpossessesaclearred lacquersealantatthejunctionofthebulletandthecartridgecasemouth. Vestigesofthislacqueroftensurvivesthedischargeprocessandcanbeseen inthegrooveimpressionsofrecoveredbullets.Mostothersourcesofmilitary 7.62´39 mm ball ammunition do not possess this lacquer sealant. POLITICAL-LEGISLATIVE EVENTS Theanti-firearmsownershippoliticalclimatethataroseintheU.S.fol- lowingseveraltragicmultipleshootingsbyderangedgunmentookanum- berirrationalandemotionalcoursesduringthelastdecadeandahalf.Most imported7.62´39mmammunitionwasbuiltaroundtheSovietmodeland possessed bullets with steel cores. This ammunition was deemed ar- mor-piercingammunitionbycertainAmericanpoliticiansandpolicymak- ers.ThatthisisuntruedidnotdissuadethefederalgovernmentandBATF frombanningtheimportation,saleortransferofsuchammunitionin1987. Ironically,thisresultedinspecificdesignchangesinRussian-made7.62´ 39 mm ammunition which produced more lethal (but legally importable) ammunition. This ammunition is the primary subject of this paper. MANUFACTURING CHANGES FollowingthecollapseoftheSovietpoliticalsystem,thedesiretoobtain hardcurrencyandtheimportbanonsteelcorebullets,Russianammunition manufacturersreplacedthesteelcorewithleadsotheirproductscouldonce againbeimportedandsoldtothesubstantialshootingfraternityintheU.S. Boththesurplusmilitaryammunition(withthesteelcores)andtherede- signed ammunition was significantly cheaper than ammunition manufac- turedintheU.S.sotherewasareadymarket fortheimportedRussianam- munition. The early version of the new Russian bullet simply involved replacing theentireinteriorofthesamemildsteelbulletjacketwithlead.Thispro- ducedbulletsweighing140gr±2grratherthan122grbullets. Thejackets ofthesebulletsweigh33grandtheleadcoresweigh107gr.Theexternal shapeanddimensionsofthebulletremainedthesameastheM43ballround although the faint impressed cannelure found in the military bullets was missinginthe140grprojectiles.Theauthorobtainedanumberofthesere- designed FMJ-BT bullets as reloading components. It is unclear if any of these bullets were ever loaded in Russian 7.62 ´ 39mmcartridgesandimportedintotheU.S.buttheiroutstandingcharac- Contemporary Russian 7.62´39 mm ammunition 291 teristicisthattheyaremuchheavierthanthestandardM43bulletoranyof the subsequent replacements. The greater weight is, of course, due to the greaterdensityofleadcomparedtosteel. Itshouldalsobenotedthatthe muzzle velocity of these bullets stands to be lower than the lighter 122 gr bulletsifthepeakpressuresaretobekeptwithinthenormallimitsofap- proximately 38 000 psi (2775 kg/cm2). Tests in FSSI’s 7.62 ´ 39 mm pres- sure/velocitysystemrevealedthattheloadingofthese140grbulletswith thesamepowderchargeasforthestandardserviceloadusedinthestan- dard 122 gr. M43 bullet produced an average peak pressure of 52 000 psi (3800kg/cm2)andvelocitiesontheorderof2400ft/s(732m/s).Piercedprim- ers(duetoexcessivepressure)alsooccurredwhentheseover-weightbullets wereloadedwiththesamechargeofpowderasforthelighter122grbullets. Somelimitedtestingindicatedthatmuzzlevelocitiesontheorderof2100to 2200ft/s(ca.650m/s)wouldbeproducedbycartridgesloadedwithinnormal peak pressure limits. Thismodification(thecompletereplacementofthesteelcoreandcenter- ing sheath with lead) would logically simplify manufacturing procedures andcostofproductionbuttheoverweightnatureofthesebulletsmusthave causedtheRussianmanufacturerssomeconcernbecauseintheearly1990s a new bullet appeared in imported Russian 7.62 x 39 mm ammunition. RUSSIAN “HUNTING” AMMUNITION AND BULLETS Inthemid-90s20-roundboxesofRussian7.62´39mmammunitionap- peared labeled “for Hunting Purposes”. Whenthesecartridgesfirstappearedingunstores,theheadstampswere typical Russian military (arsenal code at 12 o’clock and year at 6 o’clock). More recently they have had symbols and English lettering such as TCW (Tula Cartridge Works) and WOLF after the American importer of 7.62 ´ 39 mm cartridges manufacturer at the Tula factory. Thehollowpoint“hunting”bulletswereconstructedwiththesamemild steeljacketwithagildingmetalwash,noseprofileandopenboattailbase.It wasclearthattheRussianshadsimplycutoffthetipoftheirmilitarybullet. Therewasalsosomesemanticconfusionontheirpartbecausesomeofthe earlycartridgeboxesincludedtheword“ball”whichdenotesamilitarystyle fullmetaljacketedbullet.Anexampleofthisisshowninoneofthephoto-il- lustrations appended to this article. Theweightofthesebulletswasbackto122to123gr(7.9–8.0g).Thiswas achievedinamostnovelway.Leadcorematerialweighingapproximately 88gr(5.7g)hadbeeninsertedintothemildsteeljacketfollowedbyaplugof translucentpolyethyleneplasticweighingapproximately1.5gr(0.1g).This 292 L. C. Haag plugcanbeseenattheopenbaseofthesebullets.Becauseofitstranslucent natureandtheunderlyingleadcorematerial,itlookslikeleadbutcloserin- spection under the stereomicroscope and/or probing it with a needle will quickly reveal the plastic nature of this material. Todate(September2000)thisdesignisuniquelyRussianandtherefore of special forensic value. TABLE I.RESULTS OF THE YPG* DOPPLER RADAR TRAJECTORY OBTAINED FOR 7.62´39 122 gr FMJ-BT (M43); MUZZLE ELEVATION: +5.00 deg Velocity Velocity X-distance Y-height Z-off Slant Data point Time [ms] distance [m/s] [Mach] [m] [m] [m] [m] Muzzle 0.0 727.90 2.1204 0.00 0.00 0.000 0.00 50 313.7 551.86 1.6079 197.89 16.87 0.272 198.61 100 618.4 435.30 1.2685 346.84 28.75 0.469 348.03 150 923.1 352.66 1.0278 465.82 37.42 0.619 467.32 200 1227.9 308.29 0.8986 565.46 43.83 0.738 567.16 250 1532.6 285.16 0.8314 655.37 48.74 0.839 657.18 300 1837.4 270.08 0.7876 739.86 52.47 0.930 741.72 350 2142.1 256.44 0.7481 820.07 55.12 1.011 821.92 400 2446.8 244.22 0.7127 896.38 56.75 1.083 898.18 450 2751.6 233.20 0.6808 969.20 57.42 1.148 970.90 472 2885.7 228.54 0.6674 1000.20 57.41 1.174 1001.85 500 3056.3 222.58 0.6502 1038.77 57.16 1.206 1040.35 550 3361.1 212.55 0.6213 1105.21 56.03 1.256 1106.63 600 3665.8 202.90 0.5935 1168.67 54.05 1.300 1169.92 650 3970.5 193.90 0.5677 1229.32 51.27 1.338 1230.39 700 4275.3 184.97 0.5421 1287.25 47.72 1.370 1288.14 750 4580.0 176.37 0.5176 1342.51 43.45 1.397 1343.21 800 4884.8 167.83 0.4933 1395.18 38.49 1.418 1395.71 850 5189.5 160.30 0.4719 1445.33 32.89 1.435 1445.71 900 5494.2 153.31 0.4522 1493.23 26.67 1.446 1493.47 950 5799.0 146.85 0.4342 1539.07 19.82 1.454 1539.20 1000 6103.7 140.85 0.4176 1582.97 12.37 1.457 1583.02 TableIbullethadamuzzlevelocityof727.9m/s(2388ft/s)andwasfiredwithadepartureangle of +5 degrees. Themeansealevelelevationofthegunpositionwas182meters(199ftMSL).Itwastrackedout to1602.9meterswhereitwastravelling138.19m/s(453ft/s)after6.25secondsofflightand wasstill8+metersabovetheterrain.Itsangleoffallatthisdistancewascalculatedtobe –10.5°.Thisbulletbecametransonicatadistanceof481meters(526yards)after0.966seconds of flight. Atadistanceof1000meters(theboldenterinthetable)thebullet’svelocityhaddroppedto 228.5 m/s after 2.886 seconds of flight. The G1ballistic coefficient for this bullet based on the first 200 meters of flight was 0.29. ThemaximumrangeforanM43roundfiredatadepartureangleof+37°was2747meters(3004 yards) after a 27.3 second flight. *YPG – Yuma Proving Grounds, Yuma, Arizona. Contemporary Russian 7.62´39 mm ammunition 293 Theexteriorballisticperformanceofthesebulletsappearsnormaloutto considerabledistancesbasedonmultiplefiringsandtrackingswithDoppler radarcarriedoutattheU.S.ArmyProvingGroundsinYuma,Arizona.Ta- bleIprovidesahighlyabbreviatedprintoutofaWeibelDopplerradartrack ofanM43bulletfiredatadepartureangleof+5°fromanSKScarbine.The twenty-tworowsofdataoutofthe1024actuallyrecordedshouldprovidethe readersomeideaofthewealthofinformationavailablewiththistechnology. Ashotfiredfromthesamecarbineandatthesame+5°departureanglewith aroundoftheTCW(TulaCartridgeWorks)122grJHP-BTbulletgavethe followingresults:muzzlevelocityof2411ft/s(734m/s);2057ft/s(627m/s)at 100meters;1770ft/s(540m/s)at200meters;1294ft/s(394m/s)at400me- ters;539ft/s(164m/s)at1869meters(2044yd)+groundimpactwithanan- gle of fall of –9.8°. Note:thenominalG BCforthisbulletinthesupersonicrange(derived 1 fromtheDopplerradardata)wascalculatedtobe0.28whichisessentially the same as the standard M43 bullet (0.29). SomewhatmoredetailedexteriorballisticdatafortheTulaJHP-BTbul- let is given in Table II. TABLE II.7.62x39122GR.JHP-BT(TULAMFG–PLASTICBASEPLUG)ABBREVIATED EXTERIORBALLISTICRESULTSFROMYPG*DOPPLERRADARTRACK#101 12/5/98; MUZZLE ELEVATION :+5.00 deg Distance Velocity Velocity Flight time Calculated [m] [m/s] [ft/s] [s] G BC 1 muzzle 710.6 2331 0.0000 – 100 606.9 1991 0.1530 0.257 200 520.5 1708 0.3318 0.281 300 444.0 1457 0.5403 0.280 400 378.0 1240 0.7830 0.264 500 330.3 1084 1.068 0.258 1000 242.7 796 2.858 0.305 Overall average BC = 0.285 Gunposition1–99ft.MSL,temperature–60°F,relativehumidity– 40%,barometricpres- sure – 998.5 mb. *YPG – Yuma Proving Grounds, Yuma, Arizona. Theterminalballisticperformanceofthesehollowpointbulletsintissue andtissuesimulantsiserratic.Becauseofthesteeljacketandthesmallhol- lowpointcavity,thesebulletsoftenfailtoexpand.Inthissituationtheyact likeafullmetaljacketedbullet.Whentheydoexpand,thefrequentlyfrag- mentratherthanmushroomlikeacopperjacketedhollow-orsoftpointbul- let. When they expand and fragment in a body, the plastic base plug may separatefromthebaseofthejacketandbeleftinthewoundtrack.Itwill 294 L. C. Haag onlybefoundthroughluckorspecialdiligenceonthepartoftheforensicpa- thologist since it is totally transparent to X-rays. Therecoveryofoneoftheseplasticbaseplugsmeansthebulletassoci- atedwiththeinjurycamefroma7.62´39mmcartridge,itwasofRussian manufacture and made during the 1990s. The packaging of these “hunting” cartridges and others that have fol- lowedhasundergoneanumberofinterestingchangesandrefinementsdur- ingthe1990sandhasultimatelyendedupwithcolorful20roundboxesfrom atleastfourRussianmanufacturers–thenamesofwhicharederivedfrom thetownsordistrictsinwhichtheyarelocated.ThesearetheTulafactory about50milessouthofMoscow,theUlyanovskfactoryabout550mileseast ofMoscowandtheKlimovskfactory(about25milessouthofMoscow)and the Barnaul factory in Southern Siberia. The military code numbers for theseandotherRussianammunitionplantsalongwithadescriptionofac- tualbulletsdisassembledfromindividualcartridgesaregiveninTableIII. AmorecompletelistingofSovietandpost-SovietRussianammunitionfac- tories is given in Table IV. TABLE III.CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN 7.62´39 mm BULLETS Headstamp Source Bullet description Propellant year of MFG Barnaul Machine-Tool 123 gr FMJ-BT, steel core, 1.05" OABL, red 17 76 Tubular Factory lacquer Ulyanovsk 125 gr JHP-BT, lead core, 1.00" OABL, plastic 3 93 Flattened ball Machine-Tool Factory base plug, rolled heel, open base Ulyanovsk 124 gr JHP-BT, lead core, 1.01" OABL, plastic 3 94 Tubular Machine-Tool Factory base plug, heel notrolled, open base Ulyanovsk 124 gr JHP-BT, lead core, 1.00" OABL, plastic 3 96 Tubular Machine-Tool Factory base plug, rolled heel, open base Klimovsk – Moscow 125 gr JHP-BT, lead core, 1.01" OABL, plastic 711 93 Flattened ball Region base plug, rolled heel, open base Klimovsk – Moscow 121 gr JHP-BT, lead core, 1.01" OABL, plastic 711 94 Flattened ball Region base plug, rolled heel, open base 7.62´39 Tula Cartridge Factory 123 gr JHP-BT, lead core, 1.02" OABL, deep HP cavity, very shallow cannelure at 0.33", heel not Flattened ball ÒÏ 3 (Òóëà Ïàòðîííèé Çàâîä) rolled, lead flush at open base 7.62´39 122 gr FMJ-BT, lead core, 1.05" OABL, red TCW* Tula Cartridge Works Tubular sealant, heel notrolled, lead flush at open base *inverted 7,62´39 122 gr JHP-BT, lead core, 1.02" OABL, deep HP WOLF* Tula cavity, very shallow cannelure at 0.33" with red Tubular *inverted sealant, heel not rolled, lead flush at open base Ulyanovsk Machinery 126 gr JHP-FB, lead core, 0.876" OABL, open 7.62´39 98 Tubular Plant base with recessed lead core 125 gr JSP-Concave Base, lead core, 0.867" 7.62´39 0 Barnaul Machine Tool OABL, shallow square-cut cannelure at 0.16" Tubular 98 Plant above base, red sealant Contemporary Russian 7.62´39 mm ammunition 295 TABLE IV.SOVIET AND CONTEMPORARY FACTORY CODES ON RUSSIAN SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION (MILITARY PISTOL AND RIFLE CARTRIDGES) Russian factory code Name and location 3 Ulyanovsk Machine – Tool Factory 17 Barnaul Machine – Tool Factory (Southern Siberia) 29 Ulyanovsk Machine – Tool Factory 38 Youryouzan Mechanical Factory 46 Sverdlovsk (Ekaterinburg) 60 Frunze (Bishkek) 188 Novosibirsk 270 Lugansk* (Ukraine) 304 Moscow-Kuskovo 529 N. Lyalya (Sverdlovsk Region) 539 Tula Cartridge Factory (So. of Moscow) 541 Cheljabinsk 543 Kazan 545 Orenburg 710 Podolsk (Moscow Region) 711 Klimovsk (Moscow Region) 904 Lugansk* (Ukraine) 911 Lugansk* (Ukraine) Pre-revolution codes for St. Petersburg are 09, 13, 14. *TheUkrainianfactoryatLuganskhasgoneoutofbusinessaccordingtotheauthor’scontactin Russia. A more recent design change in the Russian “hunting” bullets and full metal jacketed bullets has been discovered which I shall call New Millen- niumRussian7.62x39mmammunitionsinceitstartedappearinginJanu- ary 2000. The multi-step requirements to assemble the previously-described “hunting” bullets with the lead core and plastic base plug must have been troubling to the Russians because the new bullets represent a simplifica- tion.Theauthor’sfirstencounterwithoneofthenew“hunting”bulletswas immediatelyafterNewYear’sEve-2000whenaPhoenixhomicidedetective broughtthiswriterapristine7.62´39JHPbulletrecoveredfromaperson thathadbeenstruckandslightlyinjuredshortlyaftermidnightbyafalling bullet(asdeterminedfromthenatureofthewound,thepathoftheprojectile andabsenceofanynearbygunshots).Therecoveredbulletpossessedtheex- pected 4-right rifling characteristics of the SKS/AK series of firearms and vestigesofclearredsealantaboutmidwayupthebulletandinthegroove impressions.Theastutedetectivehadalsonoticedthatthehollowpointcav- itywasverydeepandnotlikepreviousexamplesofRussian“hunting”bul- lets. Simple examination of the open base of this bullet under the 296 L. C. Haag stereomicroscopealsoshowedaleadcoreratherthantheplasticbaseplug. ThesefeatureswerefoundtobeinagreementwithsomeWOLFbrandam- munition(manufacturedbytheTulafactory)andrecentlypurchasedbythe author. A lengthwise sectioning of one of the WOLF brand JHP bullets quicklyrevealedthereasonforthedeephollowpointcavityandtheexposed leadbase.TheRussianshadredesignedthehollowpoint“hunting”bulletto eliminatetheplasticbaseplugyetkeepthebulletweightat122gr(7.9g). The overall bullet length was also unchanged as was the gilding metal coated mild steel jacket, the open, boat tail base and the ogive shape. The weight had been retained by forming an internal shelf or ledge inside the steel jacket against which an appropriately sized lead core was inserted throughtheopenbaseofthebulletjacket.Theweightsofthisnewjacketand corearrangementwere33–34gr(2.1g)forthejacketandabout89gr(5.8g) forthesoftlead core.ThevariousfeaturesofthisnewbulletandotherRus- sian 7.62 ´ 39 mm bullets are described in Table III along with the other Novi Russbullets. Pressureandvelocityvalues(asmeasuredwiththeOehlerPBLsystem) wereapproximately2400ft/s(732m/s)and39000psi(2847kg/cm2)respec- tivelyfortheWOLFbrandammunitioninbothhollowpointandfullmetal jacketed versions. Theexteriorballisticperformanceofthesebulletswiththeiraftcenterof gravity has yet to be examined by this writer. Doppler radar tracks are planned for December 2000. The reader is advised that a copper jacketed versionoftheWOLFproductlinehasalsobeennotedinsomerecentadver- tising literature but yet to be examined by this writer. Several other Russian entries into the non-military style bullets ap- pearedinsportinggoodsstoresinthelate1990s.Oneofthesewasajacketed hollowpointwithanopenflatbasewitharolledheelandmanufacturedby thefactoryinUlyanovsk.Thejacketingmaterialwasmildsteelwithagild- ingmetalcoating.Nocannelureorcrimpgroovewaspresentnorwerethe bullets lacquer-sealed at the case mouth. The headstamp on these car- tridgeswas“7,62´3998”withauniquesymboldenotingtheUlyanovskfac- tory.Thissymbolisalsodepictedontheblueandwhite,20-roundcartridge boxeswhichdescribethecontentsas“huntingcartridges”loadedwith124gr bullets.AdditionaldetailsregardingthesebulletscanbefoundinTableIII andthephoto-illustrationsappendedtothisarticle. ThesecondentrycomesfromthefactoryatBarnaul.Thesebullets,loaded insteelcasesheadstamped“7,62´39098”includingauniquesymbolforthe Barnaul plant, consisted of closed base, jacketed soft point bullets with ex- posedleadatthetips.Thejacketingwas,onceagain,mildsteelwithagilding metalcoating,nocannelurebutaclearredlacquersealantatthecasemouth. Contemporary Russian 7.62´39 mm ammunition 297 1 2 3 4 Fig.1.RepresentativeheadstampsonRussian“hunting”cartridges:1–Soviet-style headstamp:3=Ulyanovsk, 94=1994yearofmanufacture,bullet=123grJHP-BT withplasticbaseplug;2– Barnaul125grJSP,1998manufacture(notesymbolat12 o’clock); 3 – Ulyanovsk 124 gr JHP, 1998 manufacture (note symbol at 4 o’clock); 4 – “WOLF” Tula 122 g. JHP-BT, current (1999–2000) production. Fig.2.RepresentativecartridgeboxesforRussian“hunting”ammunition.Toprow: earlydevelopmentofhollowpointloadingsin7.62´39mm.Notedescriptiononthe middle box-“HP L.C.B. 123 GR. BALL”. All of these boxes contain 122–123 gr JHP-BTbulletswithplasticbaseplugs.Bottomrow:recent(1999–2000)entriesfrom Ulyanovsk, Barnaul and Tula.