Ammo for L42A1 and L39

[Brian B]

I checked out the Reloaders area of the forum and my head started to spin.

I have an L42A1 and an L39. Trying to insure that I am using the appropriate ammo in these rifles. I have used South African Surplus 7.62 in the L42A1, but have yet to fire the L39.

Were these rifles set up to fire 144 grain bullets? If so, is the surplus 7.62 generally 147 grain?

I do reload, but I have searched for 144 grain projectiles with little success.

Should I continue to shoot the South African Surplus through these? I also see Palma bullets are 155gr.

I appreciate some direction as I don't want to harm these rifles. I want to enjoy them and shoot them worry free.

Thanks,

Brian

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[jmoore]

Been shooting 150-155gr bullets for years through mine. Even shot 168 and 173gr rounds at first, but they don't do any better as far I can tell. No dramas or headspace increases or anything! The scope is best calibrated w/ the lighter bullets for me (in meters), heavies seem to match the graduations in yards (but not quite- too flat shooting). Up close its hard to tell - past four hundred things get more noticable.

[Edward Horton]

Your reloading so your Enfield's won't care what bullet weight you shoot, the standard chamber pressure for the 7.62 NATO is 50,000 CUP (copper units pressure) or 60,000 PSI (transducer method)







Please note bullet weights for NATO ammunition.

Cartridge, Ball, L2A1 (United Kingdom): 7.62x51mm ball cartridge, with three subvariants (A2-A4) with unknown differences.
Cartridge, Ball, L42A1 (United Kingdom): 7.62x51mm ball cartridge, 155 grain round
Cartridge, Ball, L44A1 (United Kingdom): 7.62x51mm ball cartridge, 144 grain round
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Ball, F4 (Australia): 144-grain 7.62x51mm NATO ball cartridge. Australian equivalent to U.S. M80 round.
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Ball, M59 (United States): 150.5-grain 7.62x51mm NATO ball cartridge. A further development of the initial T65 cartridge.
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Armor Piercing, M61 (United States): 150.5-grain 7.62x51mm NATO armor piercing round, black cartridge tip.
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Tracer, M62 (United States): 142-grain (9.2*g) tracer cartridge, orange cartridge tip.
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Grenade, M64 (United States): 7.62x51mm NATO grenade launching blank.
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Ball, M80 (United States): 146-grain 7.62x51mm NATO ball cartridge.
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Match, M118 (United States): 173-grain 7.62x51mm NATO Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail round specifically designed for Match purposes.
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Ball, Special, M118LR (United States): 175-grain 7.62x51mm NATO Hollow Point Boat Tail round specifically designed for long-range sniping. Produced at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant.
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Duplex, M198 (United States): 7.62x51mm NATO duplex round with two 84-grain (5.4*g) bullets. The developmental designation was T314E3.
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Tracer, M276 (United States): 7.62x51mm NATO so-called "Dim Tracer" with reduced effect primarily for use with night vision devices, green cartridge tip with pink ring.
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Match, M852 (United States): 168-grain 7.62x51mm NATO Hollow-Point Boat-Tail cartridge, specifically designed for use in National Match competitions, later approved by US Army JAG for combat use by snipers.
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Saboted Light Armor Penetrator (SLAP), M948 (United States): 7.62x51mm NATO Saboted Light Armor Penetrator cartridge.
Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Armor Piercing, M993 (United States): 126.6-grain 7.62x51mm NATO armor piercing round, black cartridge tip.

[jmoore]

The originally approved rounds in British service were all 144gr. (I'm working from memory here- My info came from Mr. Laidler's book.)

As far as reloading goes- just don't max. out your loads and you will have a fine time. (W/ due prudence, that is!)

The South African ball ammo seems fine, only fired a little out of the L42's, however I have fired many thousands out of an M1a whilst shooting in the standing position. No dramas there except that accuracy went away enough to notice after firing 100-150rds w/o cleaning.

Your SA ammo isn't Boxer primed, is it? Mine's all Berdan. (and about gone!)

[Brian B]

Thanks all for the information.

I will start to work up some loads. I may order some of the Sierra 155 grain Palma projectiles to start. I have a bunch of the SMK 168s, but I think it would be wise to see how the 155s do.

I have quite a bit of the SA ammo left. Mine is Berdan primed as well. I wished it was Boxer primed.

Thanks all,

Brian

[Edward Horton]

Brian B

The reloading information I posted above is from a Lyman reloading manual dated 1968, as you can see all the pressures are listed in CUP long before the transducer method and the higher pressures which were listed as “PSI”.

Below are from the same Lyman reloading manual and from U.S. Army TM 43-0001-2, the maximum load for IMR-4895 in the reloading manual is 42.5 grains of IMR-4895 at a chamber pressure of 51,200 CUP.

The military loading is 42 grains of IMR-4895 at a chamber pressure of 50,000 CUP.

As you can see there is only half a grain difference in the amount of powder used for the exact same bullet between the .308 and 7.62 NATO with 1,200 CUP of pressure difference and NOT 10,000 PSI difference as often misquoted.

[Gnr527]

Having seen the similar closed thread I step into this pool with some trepidation. However, as I dont reload and have been unable to come to a clear understanding with my searches, I have a question.

I picked up a some ammunition in 50 round plastic holders marked '7.62mm Ball L2A2 SNIPER' and ' RG 113*? 92W' The rounds are stamped 'RG 92'

I know its Radway Green and 144gr but there seem to have been several grades of L2A2.

How did this grade differ from 'normal' squaddie issue and should I look upon it as for use when I am trying for greater accuracy? In an Enforcer.

John

[harry mac]

I know its Radway Green and 144gr but there seem to have been several grades of L2A2.

How did this grade differ from 'normal' squaddie issue and should I look upon it as for use when I am trying for greater accuracy? In an Enforcer.

John

As I understand it there isn't any real difference, it's just that the first few thousand rounds off the production line after the machines were recalibrated would have been for sniper use. The next lot would be for normal rifle and the last batches for machine gun use. Once a certain number of rounds had been manufactured, or the machines run for a set amount of hours the machines would be checked again an recalibrated for the next production run.

[DanL96a1]

I can only speak from personal experience, with my two L42A1 and Enfield Enforcer. The ammunition that was “originally” used was Match/Sniper grade Green Spot RG 7.62mm L2A2 144grn ammunition. I have personally been using L2A2 RG 13.5.92W (Sniper) from ranges 200 yards to1,100 yards through the L42A1’s with good results. I don’t feel that the (sniper) ammo out shoots the normal L2A2 ammunition, to any greater extent once you have zeroed to a “BATCH” stick with it.

I have also used Black Spot 7.62mm RG L42A1, L42A2 & L42A3, with 155 grn with excellent results. I feel that the heavier 155 grn round produce a more consistent shoot, and thus the accuracy is increased compared to the L2A2 144grn especially at the longer ranges (600 – 1,100 yards) I am not a hand loader so cannot comment on this special, area of ammunition production.

I am still using RG L42A3 18.8.08 Black Spot ammunition and hitting V-Bulls, at 1000 yards. Much to the surprise to people around me, with all there new fangled equipment and special sight etc…..

[Peter Laidler]

I asked the OC of the support weapons div this very question earlier today on your behalf and he said, in as many words, what Harry Mac said. In fact, Harry could be Colonel Miller! In short, they're the same but while one in every, say, thousand rounds of the later batches from the line is tested to ensure its consistency, one in every, say 100 is tested from the first run to test and vaidate its consistency and THIS is set aside and marked as green spot for snipers. There's a bit more to it of course (like we don't use much non-linked 7.62mm now) but that's very basically, it!