Rifle Ping.
I think you’re good to go, that looks like 7.62x52R to me, and the bullet isn’t supposed to fit into the barrel all the way, the extra diameter allows it to engage the rifling.
If you’re worried, tie the rifle to a tire, and set it off with a string. Inspect the case, bolt and breech for pressure signs.
Im now curious to see what on my 7.62 x 54R cartridges when I get home.
although I haven’t examined the rifle it looks like you’re good to go in shooting it. The Moisin Nagants had a very robust action that was one of the first designed to shoot smokeless cartridges.
If you’re really concerned take the rifle to a compitent gun smith to look over and maybe proof test.
Do you have a a competent local gunsmith? The rifle should be checked out by one before firing anyway and they’ll be able to tell you whether you have the correct ammo or not.
Check the headspace on it before you fire regardless of the ammunition. I borrowed a headspace gauge for free from one of the Mosin clubs on the web.
That looks like the exact same round I fire from my Mosin-Nagant M-44.
Mine is surprisingly accurate for such a cheaply made weapon ($88 at a gun show in Dale City a few years ago)..
Ammo produced in military arsenals rarely has a caliber
stamped on the case. The original packaging should say,
although those look like 7.62x54R to me.
Who cares? It’s a Mosin!
You could shove a proesthetic limb in there and fire it off without any problems. That’s the whole point!!
If you can chamber the bullet it will work.
The bullets look like military manufactured rounds because of the red seal around the primer.
That bullet is bigger than the 30-06 which is smaller than the dealer bullet you have.
Rarely are military cartridges stamped with the caliber.
A quick internet search should satisfy your concerns.
Since they seem to chamber well, and the bullet seems to fit the barrel, I’d just take the thing out and fire it. If you wanted to be careful, you could always brace it with sand bags, use a small rope, and pull from a distance.
Oh, the ammo is right, it’s just the wrong gun.
I’ll take that misfit M/N M44 off your hands.
(Those things used to be all over the C&R catalogs, now can’t find any. Knew I’d kick myself.)
Hungary, 21/87, Steel core light ball,147 grain, 1987
Its fine to shoot.
Just checked my latest stash. No head stamps save for “10” on one side and “55” on the other. Mine have brass cases. Looked at some of my earlier ones also. None marked. I’ve been shooting these for years, most in paper wrappers from gun shows. You can buy commercial (non-milsurp) ammo that is probably marked.
If you’re really concerned, put you rifle in a vise and hook a string to the trigger and light it off.
I suspect you’ll have no problems.
Ammo’s fine, and probably mildly corrosive. Headspacing may be a concern.
The 7.62x54R projectile diameter is actually 7.92mm (0.312 in), which is why your 7.62x63 (Winchester .30-06) projectile with a diameter of 7.82 mm (0.308 in) will muzzle check the way you show in your comparison picture.
Also, if you find that the rifle prints groups to the left or right of the target center, extend the bayonet. These rifles were factory zeroed at the front sight post with the bayonet extended if they did it at all.
Looks like the right ammo to me. The fit you show is normal...I can take a picture of my Mosin the same way if you’d like.
21/87 is Hungarian ammo. It’ll work fine. It is Milsurp so it’s corrosive. I use a bottle of Windex to hose down the bore to neutralize the salts after I’m done shooting. I clean it up like normal when I go home.
If you're in doubt of the bullet diameter the only accurate way to measure is to pull a bullet and use a micrometer. A 30/06 bullet is .308 in diameter but some European and Asian .30 calibre guns use .311 dia bullets, the British .303 and the Japanese Arisaka for example