forming Grendel from 7.62 x39 Lapua brass???

[762cavalier]

So I have a box of brand new Lapua X39 brass that I have had forever. Is it worth it to form into Grendel brass? Do I just run it through the grendel die and fireform it? I don't load for x39 as I have more than enough loaded ammo and only one SKS to shoot it from.

[Von Gruff]

Most of my brass is reformed Lapua 7.62x39 brass and being Lapua, you know it is going to be good although down a gn or two over Grendel brass in capacity, although if you develope a load for it and keep brass segregated there is no problem. You will loose marginal length in the neck but not enough to be any concern. Go for it.

[LR1955]

So I have a box of brand new Lapua X39 brass that I have had forever. Is it worth it to form into Grendel brass? Do I just run it through the grendel die and fireform it? I don't load for x39 as I have more than enough loaded ammo and only one SKS to shoot it from.

There are a number of threads on the subject so run a search and you can find out every single thing you ever wanted to know about sizing down 7.62 X 39 brass, loading it and fireforming it as you do some practice. Even how you need to reduce loads by about 10% because of the lesser volume of the 7.62 X 39 brass, how you don't need to anneal it, and how you will get maybe five shots on it before the primer pockets open up. Even how it doesn't matter if you use magnum, regular, or match grade primers.

So, run a search.

LR1955

[Grendel-Gene]

I have quite a bit of old AK-47 brass that I have just run through a grendel resizing die, re primed and loaded up with 26.5 grains of BLC2 powder and a 123 Amax bullet. I shoot it "normally" (for plinking only) and afterwards I reload normally like the rest of my Grendel ammo with 28 grains of XBR 8202 and the aforementioned 123 A-max... The intermediate round between the AK and the grendel is the 6.5 x 39... ( I call it the GRENAK ). Like I said, great for plinking while you save the regular Grendel brass for the serious shooting.

[Rust]

The lapua brass reforms very well compared to some other 7.62x39 I've tried. I've done about 200 and think I only messed up 3-4 figuring it out which seemed like a pretty reasonable rate of return back when you couldn't find factory brass. I did find that it does form a ring in the new neck at what would have been the shoulder of the old case. In my case the chamber was loose enough not to give any pressure issues. but if you have a tighter chamber it can cause problems and you will want to ream or neck turn the new cases after forming. My 5 and 10 round mags even feed the necked down fireforming loads reliably to. It makes them great plinkers, and with good bullets they're fine for a little target shooting as well. I fireform with 26 grains TAC, and usually a 120g (whatever) bullet.