is an extremely ''hot'' calibre reputed to fall somewhere between .357 and .44 magnum in power and among the most frequently asked questions among firearms collectors are ''Is it the same as .30 Mauser?'' and ''How hot is it?'' followed by ''What's the hottest?''.
''Is it the same as .30 Mauser?''
The short answer is ''NO!". There are several differences between the two and I will leave it to the died-in-the-wool techies to cover exactly what they are. According to Frank C. Barnes' Cartridges of the World (6th edition), ''The (7.62 Russian Tokarev) is very similar to the 7.63 millimeter Mauser and some brands of Mauser ammunition can be fired in the Tokarev pistol.'' The same holds true for the Czech CZ52, however, it is not advisable to fire the 7.62x25 in firearms designed for the 7.63mm ''30Mauser'' cartridge. While Barnes indicates German field loads for the .30Mauser (generating 1410 fps) are actually hotter than the Russian x25 (1390 fps), 7.62x25 ammunition from several other Communist bloc countries and the People's Republic of China is frequently hotter than the German Field load for the 30Mauser. I, personally, have chronographed 1983 production Chinese that edged 1500 fps.
In his discussion of the .30Mauser cartridge, Barnes notes ''Until the .357 Magnum revolver cartridge came along, the 30Mauser was the high-velocity champion of the pistol world. It has a flat trajectory that makes long-range hits possible, but lacks stopping power on man or heavy animals because of the light full-jacketed bullet.''
These words hold equally true for the FMJ 7.62x25.
Here it may be useful to note that Barnes shows various standard .357Magnum loads to develop between 1235 fps and 1445 fps. He shows various standard .44 Magnum to develop between 1350 fps and 1560 fps.
How hot is x25?
I will report results here from two separate sources, Ken Shackleford's reloading page ( http://w3.one.net/~melchar/tokarev/ ) and a report from Bill Krause who frequents the c-r-ffl ''board''. Essentially, the available data indicates 7.62x25 average muzzle along the lines of the .44Magnum, while the 30Mauser cartridge equates to the .357Magnum when compare raw muzzle velocity.
Shackleford's Reloaders' Pages
Regarding the CZ52 pistols and hot ammunition, Shackleford has noted, ''...the old Czech pistol seems to like about anything I throw at it... the more powerful, the better. :-) Could get a guy in trouble. Be careful.'' Shackleford's pages (link above) contain a good deal of information besides the simple muzzle velocities being discussed here. I would highly recommend a visit to his page for anyone conducting in-depth research into the properties of the 7.62x25 and 30Mauser cartridges. As of December 14, 1998, Shackleford indicates completed testing on ten individual batches of ammunition-- seven being 7.62x25 and three of 30Mauser.
By raw muzzle velocity, Shackleford shows one batch of Sellier and Beillot x25 to be the hottest peppers in the garden at 1545 fps. He indicates a second batch generating 1525 fps. Given the headstamp info, I am unable to determine the specific difference between the two batches-- but I'm not a big 'headstamp' kinda guy.
Second in sheer speed is a batch of Bulgarian surplus x25 (possibly 1950s) at 1543 fps. Third on the list would be 1990s production Norinco Chinese x25 flying at 1499 fps.
Fourth and fifth speediest comes back to Eastern Europe with Polish surplus at 1483 fps and the supposedly ultra-hot Czechoslovakian with magnetic slugs at 1482 fps. I might add here that several shooters (myself included) have had a notable misfire rate with the Polish surplus.
Here comes China again at sixth place on Shackleford's Countdown. His tested batch of 1980s production Chinese chronoed at 1478 fps. Interestingly enough, it was 1980s Chinese that I chronoed edging 1500. My AVERAGE, however, probably agrees with Shackleford's. I am also not a mathematics fan, so my series of 25 shots through the chrono were more of a ''gee whiz'' scenario than a formal test-- ie: I didn't write all the shots down and divvy out the average.
Seventh place in Shackleford's x25/30Mauser testing went to SBP's 30Mauser at 1463 fps. Eighth to a batch of Hansen 30Mauser at 1378. The Russian x25Tokarev as Barnes had discussed above chronoed at an average of 1354 fps for ninth place. And a batch of Fiocchi came wandering last over the finish line at a ''mere'' 1318 fps.
Factory Load Ammunition
For The CZ 52
by Bill Krause
Sample 1-Chineese Norinco-Yellow box 60 rounds per box.
Case copper washed steel. Berdan primed Headstamp 12 o'clock=947
6o'clock 93 Charge: 8.8 grains of darker colored extruded powder.
Bullet 85.5 grain copper wash jacket that reacts to a magnet lead
core FMJ.
Sample 2-Chineese-Brown box , some with Chineese characters, 70
rounds per box . Case copper washed steel. Berdan primed
Headstamp 12 O Clock two parallel lines like ll 6 O Clock 92
Charge: 8.8 grains of darker colored extruded powder, appears to
be the same as sample 1. Bullet 86.5 grain copper washed jacket
that reacts to a magnet lead core FMJ Appears slightly different
than sample one.
Sample 3-Czech-Labeled by my gun shop as "too hot" for
a Broomhandle. Brown boxes labeled 7,62 mm naboje pistoletowe 70
szi 70 rounds per box. Brass case Berdan primed
Headstamp 54 at 12 O Clock design of a crown at 6 O Clock Charge
8.3 grains of fine grain light colored extruded powder. Bullet 86
grain jacket reacts to a magnet lead core FMJ.
Sample 4-Eastern European-Looks like a lot like a scaled down
version of my S&B 7.62X39 Enamel painted steel case Berdan
primed Headstamp 10 O Clock 53, 2 O Clock bxn, 6 O Clock l Charge
10.1 grains of dark flake powder. Bullet 84.4 grain copper(?)
jacket that reacts to a magnet lead core FMJ On stripper clips.
Sample 5-Czech M48-A purported sample of the legendary Czech ammo
it is suppose to be armor piercing and is no longer available.
Enamel painted steel case very similar in appearance to sample 4
. Berdan primed Headstamp 6 O Clock 52, 10 O Clock oxm, 2 O Clock
l Charge 9.8 grains of dark flake powder. Bullet 84.6 grain
Nickel or Chrome plated jacket that reacts to a magnet lead core
FMJ on stripper clips.
Sample 6-Sellier & Bellot (Modern)-Brass case Boxer primed
Headstamp 12 O Clock S&B, 6 O Clock 7.62x25, 2 O Clock 10
Charge 7.9 grains of silvery ball powder Bullet 84.8 grain
copper(?) jacket that reacts to a magnet and lead cored FMJ
Sample 7-Sellier& Bellot 7,63 Mauser(older)-Brass case Berdan
primed Headstamp12 O Clock SBP 6 O Clock 7.63 Charge 8.7 grains
of light colored flake powder Bullet 84.5 grain copper (?) jacket
that reacts to a magnet and is lead cored FMJ Bullet is
cantalouvered
Sample 8-Fiocchi 7,63 Mauser-Brass case Boxer primed
Headstamp 12 O Clock
GFI 6 O Clock 7.63 Mauser Charge 5.5 grains of silvery flake
powder Bullet 86.5 grain
Copper jacket FMJ Bullet is canalouvered No magnetic reaction to
either case or bullet
Sample 9-Winchester 7.63 Mauser- At least 60 years old Brass case
Boxer primed
Headstamp 12 O Clock WRAGo 6 O Clock 7.63 Mauser Charge 6.1
grains of silvery flake powder. Bullet is 86 grain lead (?)
hollow point cantalouvered No magnetic reaction to either case or
bullet.
Sample 10-Bulgarian Mil Surp- Brass cased Berdan primed Headstamp
12 O Clock
* (a star) 6 O Clock 52, 9 O Clock 3, 3 O Clock 10 Charge 8.3
grains of very fine grained silvery gray extruded powder. 85.7
grain copper(?) jacket that reacts to a magnet and is lead cored
FMJ bullet.
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