1976, eh? A good vintage.
(there's still some left, get it while you can)
One must keep his dragons fed.
And these dragons rather like this flavor.
Normally, I'd just toss these oversized spam CANs of ammo into the closet; sealed up tight, and ammo unchecked. But these are not normal times, and I'd prefer the peace of mind of knowing for sure that this ammo is clean and ready to go, no matter how unlikely the opposite may be. Besides, extra ammo cans are cheap.
So these two spam cans will be opened, the ammo inspected, and the contents portioned into two spare ammo cans. I decided that I might as well open and inspect the second can of '78 Hungarian surplus I already had, and join it with the two new cans of '76.
The '78 is the one in the bottom right, with the can opener duct taped to it. The ammo can on the right has the remnants of the first can of '78, already on stripper clips.
Make sure you've got a can opener. These cans are a bitch to open without one. Ask me how I know.
I recommend using a rag or cloth to make the can opener's operation easier. That thin handle has a way of digging into your hand part way into the first can. By the third, you'll wish you started with the rag.
Here's what greets you once you've popped the top.
Each wax paper wrapped bundle holds 20 rounds of rock and roll.
I cover the inside of the can with wax paper. While I'm not certain why it would be a problem to have the ammo touching the metal of the can, the spam can has the ammo wrapped in wax paper, and the insides of the can covered with cardboard, and that stuff keeps extremely well. It's only little extra effort, and it seems prudent.
Remove the ammo from the bundle, and inspect it for rust or heavy dents. I usually pick up five in my hand, and roll them back and forth to check all around the casing, then inspect the primer for any weirdness. This is a slow, time consuming process, but doing it now will save you a lot of headache later. Do it while listening to music, or in front of the teevee, but DO IT. Rust and corrosion likes to spread, and one bad apple can, and will, spoil the whole bunch.
The late 70s Hungarian surplus continues to impress me. Not a single dent or ding, or a spot of corrosion or rust. Each round is almost a perfect copy of the last in outward appearance, and makes you confident about the level of consistency you can expect. This surplus also is not covered with a light film of cosmo, that must be wiped off of each individual round. This is a welcome relief after spending hours at a time for days cleaning other surplus 7.62x54r. My thumbs ache just thinking about it. You couldn't just wipe it off, you needed elbow grease.
When you're done, it should look like this :) That's 500 rounds of 7.62x54r in that ammo can. It could probably take a few more bundles, but I decided to keep the number round.
The '76 differs slightly from the '78. It lacks the red sealant (lubricant?) around the primer and case rim. I thought the red rings added a nice flair to the ammo. :)
Also, the '76 seems to have a darker, smoother finish on the casings. At first the smoothness of the '76 seemed to be greased, but closer inspection does not support that. If they are greased, they may stick in a hot chamber. I'll be sure to watch out for that.
Inspected by lucky number 13. :)
As done as I'm gonna be.
I finished the first can of '76, and dug into the second can to get an even 500. The last spam can will stay like this until I get some more ammo cans from the gun show at the end of the month.
A time consuming process, but worth it when you pick up the heft of 1000 rounds of Dragon food, and carry it off to the closet.
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