What is orange tip mean?

cheif61 · May 15, 2003, 18:54

I've seen Russian surplus 7.62x54R orange tip ammo. What is the purpose of this ammo. I've also seen the silver tip and blue/silver tip fairly cheap. Is there any problem with pulling these bullets and reloading them into .308 or 30-06? I've also seen Hungarian yellow tip advertised in a flyer from AIM surplus and have no idea what it does.

**Hebrew Battle Rifle** · May 15, 2003, 22:10

Orange tip on US mil surp means that it is tracer ammo. If the 7.62X54R is loaded with the same diameter bullet as the 7.62X39 then it is actually .311, not .308. This will cause over pressure if the round is loaded hot.

Scott S · May 16, 2003, 09:38

One thing to add to what HBR wrote. In US milsurp, .30 cal orange-tip doesn't light until 100ish yards. I bought a boatload of this stuff from Wiedner's and loaded a hundred or so to put thru my FAL at a nighttime shoot. It was pretty disappointing seeing no trace from almost every round before the slug buried itself into the range backstop at 125 yards. If you have a 1000 yard range, orange-tip would probably be fun. If not, don't bother.

Wadman · May 16, 2003, 10:14

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott S
One thing to add to what HBR wrote. In US milsurp, .30 cal orange-tip doesn't light until 100ish yards

Sounds like they didn't want the bad guys to be able to pinpoint the source of the fire.

racer766 · May 16, 2003, 11:42

Quote:

Originally posted by Hebrew Battle Rifle
Orange tip on US mil surp means that it is tracer ammo. If the 7.62X54R is loaded with the same diameter bullet as the 7.62X39 then it is actually .311, not .308. This will cause over pressure if the round is loaded hot.

I would not even mention .311 bullets and reloading for 7.62x51 in the same sentence. The only references to reloading with .311 bullets that I've seen detail blown up receivers and barrels. Not a good image.

Ammo is cheap. Guns and human anatomy aren't.

Eclipse · May 16, 2003, 12:29

Would be interesting to see how it would work in a 7.62x39 AK or AR rifle though.

TrooperDan · May 16, 2003, 23:29

Quote:

Originally posted by cheif61
I've seen Russian surplus 7.62x54R orange tip ammo. What is the purpose of this ammo. I've also seen the silver tip and blue/silver tip fairly cheap. Is there any problem with pulling these bullets and reloading them into .308 or 30-06?

If you saw Russian 7.62x54R with an orange tip, it had to be reloaded with a US tracer projectile.. or someone got cute with some model airplane dope!

A US tracer in most Russian rifles will very likely tumble and keyhole as many Russian bores are too large to properly spin the bullet. However it does work well in most Finnish barreled Mosin Nnagants as they run a little tighter than their Russian counterparts.

Dan in NC

cheif61 · May 17, 2003, 05:55

I saw it advertised in the Shotgun news as new surplus not reloaded. I don't remember which company was selling it other than it was one of the full page ads in issue either 12 or 13. I already gave those issue's away and it's not in 14.

Texas Jaguar · May 20, 2003, 14:47

ScottS is right on the money. The orange tip projectiles are designated M25 tracer. It is designed to ignite no closer than 100yds from the shooter so as not to expose his position to return fire.

The bullets are apx 155grs and the tracer element is supposed to burn from 100 to 900 yds. I've seen these bullets loaded in 30-06 and 7.62x51 US ammunition.

Once the tracer element begins to burn out of the back of the bullet it makes them a bit unstable when they hit something. I've had some pretty bizarre richochettes with them. I had one bounce out of a backstop and end up in a just harvested wheat field about 150yds away. It was either still burning or hot enough to ignite the wheat chaff. The farmer told me it was a damn good thing, for me, that I set it afire after he had harvested the wheat than before. Nuff said?

May 15, 2003, 18:54	#1
cheif61 Registered FALaholic #: 1328 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Texas Posts: 190	What is orange tip mean? I've seen Russian surplus 7.62x54R orange tip ammo. What is the purpose of this ammo. I've also seen the silver tip and blue/silver tip fairly cheap. Is there any problem with pulling these bullets and reloading them into .308 or 30-06? I've also seen Hungarian yellow tip advertised in a flyer from AIM surplus and have no idea what it does. __________________ David http://www.webpal.org/freecd.htm Last edited by cheif61; May 17, 2003 at 06:38.

May 15, 2003, 22:10	#2
Hebrew Battle Rifle Horses Ass Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 5777 Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Arkansas Posts: 6,812	Orange tip on US mil surp means that it is tracer ammo. If the 7.62X54R is loaded with the same diameter bullet as the 7.62X39 then it is actually .311, not .308. This will cause over pressure if the round is loaded hot. __________________ THANK YOU JESUS

May 17, 2003, 05:55	#8
cheif61 Registered FALaholic #: 1328 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Texas Posts: 190	I saw it advertised in the Shotgun news as new surplus not reloaded. I don't remember which company was selling it other than it was one of the full page ads in issue either 12 or 13. I already gave those issue's away and it's not in 14. __________________ David http://www.webpal.org/freecd.htm

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May 16, 2003, 09:38	#3
Scott S Registered FALaholic #: 355 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 3,413	One thing to add to what HBR wrote. In US milsurp, .30 cal orange-tip doesn't light until 100ish yards. I bought a boatload of this stuff from Wiedner's and loaded a hundred or so to put thru my FAL at a nighttime shoot. It was pretty disappointing seeing no trace from almost every round before the slug buried itself into the range backstop at 125 yards. If you have a 1000 yard range, orange-tip would probably be fun. If not, don't bother.

May 16, 2003, 12:29	#6
Eclipse Registered FALaholic #: 725 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: South Dakota Posts: 1,549	Would be interesting to see how it would work in a 7.62x39 AK or AR rifle though.

May 20, 2003, 14:47	#9
Texas Jaguar Registered FALaholic #: 6874 Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 292	ScottS is right on the money. The orange tip projectiles are designated M25 tracer. It is designed to ignite no closer than 100yds from the shooter so as not to expose his position to return fire. The bullets are apx 155grs and the tracer element is supposed to burn from 100 to 900 yds. I've seen these bullets loaded in 30-06 and 7.62x51 US ammunition. Once the tracer element begins to burn out of the back of the bullet it makes them a bit unstable when they hit something. I've had some pretty bizarre richochettes with them. I had one bounce out of a backstop and end up in a just harvested wheat field about 150yds away. It was either still burning or hot enough to ignite the wheat chaff. The farmer told me it was a damn good thing, for me, that I set it afire after he had harvested the wheat than before. Nuff said?