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Bought an M44...now where to buy ammo and what about stripper clips?

3K views 27 replies 10 participants last post by  brockkl 
#1 ·
Ok....so I bought an M44 and I must say it is pretty sweet.
Where can I buy cheap ammo?
Any places locally ( here in Phoenix, AZ)?

Also, can someone explain a stripper clip to me?

I can load 5 rounds into the internal magazine without a stripper clip right?
I would just have to do it one at a time right?

Thanks,
 
#3 ·
Yes lets see some pics now that she is yours. I would scout around a little I found a LGS where I live who bought a bunch of 7.62x54r and he sells the whole 440 tin for $149 which I don't think is too bad , but the nice thing for me is he busts them open and sells 20 packs for 6.99 that lets me stop in when i have a few extra dollars and buy a pack at a time. I will eventually have 440 rds for about 4 bucks more than buying it all at once in the tin which is tough atm, singing those laid off blues.
 
#4 ·
Yeah, I will put up some pics when I have a minute.
I was looking at one of the LGS and they had Winchester ammo but it was twenty dollars for 20 rounds. I may have to buy box at that price just to try out my new piece. After that, I will have to buy online.
 
#6 ·
Cool, thanks Kripp.
I called a LGS and they said they have military surplus non-corrosive for $6/20 but I think I might just drive out to Cabelas over the weekend and pick some up.
 
#13 ·
I called a LGS and they said they have military surplus non-corrosive for $6/20
ALL SURPLUS MILITARY AMMO IS CORROSIVE-NEVER LET THEM TELL YOU DIFFERENT!!!!!!
Yeah, Thanks Kripp.
I was told by them last night that it was non-corrosive, I called them again today and they said it was corrosive....so I didnt buy any. Then I tried another LGS and they had surplus and said that they couldnt say for sure.....but it was probably corrosive. I didnt buy any of that either.
I made the trip out to Cabelas and just grabbed a couple boxes of Brown Bear for 9.99/20 rounds.

I bought FMJ and Soft Point....any thoughts on which one is better to use?
 
#14 ·
There is nothing wrong with shooting corrosive ammo through these guns. When they were built, corrosive was all there was to shoot. That is why the oil bottles for these guns have 2 compartments, one for oil and the other for a corrosion fighting solvent. Nearly all that I own and shoot is milsurp corrosive ammo and have never had an issue with a pitting barrel. You just have to clean out the barrel and bolt face as soon as you are done shooting. I use a bore snake soaked in blue Windex initially then follow that up with another bore snake that is dry on the first half and gun oil on the bottom end. Hoppes #9 works just as well as the Windex also. Soft point ammo is something I never use because I do not hunt, I prefer fmjbt ammo for it's accuracy and ease of loading, plus it's what all the surplus ammo is anyway. Alot of LGS workers and owners are not milsurp experts and therefore have no clue as to the properties of milsurp ammo so back when I was new to this I consulted guys who had spent many years collecting and shooting these types of guns. Their knowledge and experience has proven invaluable to me.
 
#15 ·
Thanks Krippp, you are a smart man.

I think I am gonna try to avoid corrosive ammo...just to be safe. Also, I dont want to have to thoroughly clean my gun after each shoot.
Thanks for all the info.
 
#16 ·
Krippp,

I was just reading about HeadSpace in some of the stickys.
Is this something I need to be worried about?
My receiver and bolt both match and I bought my M44 from a Big 5 Sporting Goods out here in AZ.

Any thoughts?
 
#20 ·
He's correct, the Hoppe's works just as well if not better, the only reason I use mostly windex is due to the sheer amount of guns I take shooting usually, it's more economical to use windex.

Understand that the corrosive salts are only contained in the primers of the ammo, we are talking a very miniscule amount per round. It is not as drastic as alot of guys make it out to be. I actually have an old chinese T-53(M44) that is beyond hope of repair, that I have put over 500rnds of corrosive surplus through. I have cleaned it 3 times total, it is a test to see exactly how fast corrosive damages the barrel. I have never neutralized the salts, the results would shock you. There is no pitting yet in that barrel.
 
#21 ·
I wouldn't trust just using Hoppe's myself. Here's a good article. This is generally what I try to do.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu13.htm
Hoppes will nix the salts just as well as the windex. then a squirt of CLP (I put it down all my bores)

It isn't acidic Alien's blood we are dealing with here, it's just a little salt. :)
LOL. Yeah, maybe I am making a bigger deal out of it that it needs to be.
I am just very cautious when it comes to my babies ( guns of course)
 
#22 ·
I called a LGS and they said they have military surplus non-corrosive for $6/20
ALL SURPLUS MILITARY AMMO IS CORROSIVE-NEVER LET THEM TELL YOU DIFFERENT!!!!!!
Yeah, Thanks Kripp.
I was told by them last night that it was non-corrosive, I called them again today and they said it was corrosive....so I didnt buy any. Then I tried another LGS and they had surplus and said that they couldnt say for sure.....but it was probably corrosive. I didnt buy any of that either.
I made the trip out to Cabelas and just grabbed a couple boxes of Brown Bear for 9.99/20 rounds.

I bought FMJ and Soft Point....any thoughts on which one is better to use?
Wow $10/20 rnds . I'm glad I picked up stock a few years ago . I think I paid $80/880 rounds in a spam can . I picked up a 440 can last fall for my father for $60 .. I'd call around for some bulk prices for sure before coughing up that much ..
 
#24 ·
As for Stripper clubs I usually find them near collages.

Ammo is every where I always buy FMJ on the internet and hunting ammo locally.
 
#25 ·
He's correct, the Hoppe's works just as well if not better, the only reason I use mostly windex is due to the sheer amount of guns I take shooting usually, it's more economical to use windex.

Understand that the corrosive salts are only contained in the primers of the ammo, we are talking a very miniscule amount per round. It is not as drastic as alot of guys make it out to be. I actually have an old chinese T-53(M44) that is beyond hope of repair, that I have put over 500rnds of corrosive surplus through. I have cleaned it 3 times total, it is a test to see exactly how fast corrosive damages the barrel. I have never neutralized the salts, the results would shock you. There is no pitting yet in that barrel.
When I was a youngster we shot a lot of surplus corrosive ammo because it was what we could afford. The military never told soldiers to piss down the barrel or find a source of hot water. The military told them to clean their rifles with the provided cleaning kit each time they shot it. We used either surplus or Hoppes No.9 and never had a problem. When people post that Windex isn't necessary and that hot water is for black powder some of the 'chemically unsure' -- especially the younger posters -- tend to weird out a bit.

Windex is cheaper than a cleaning solvent but you'd probably be just as well to pour tap water down the bore if you're that paranoid.
 
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