Description
Sterling 7.62×39 123gr FMJ is steel cased practice ammunition for the AK pattern rifle and the SKS. A 123 grain full metal jacket bullet at the original Soviet bullet weight, 20 rounds to the box and 1000 to the case, priced to be shot rather than stored.
- Why Sterling 7.62×39 123gr FMJ matches the platform
- Full specifications
- Buying Sterling 7.62×39 123gr FMJ in volume
- Honest notes before you buy
- What Sterling 7.62×39 123gr FMJ will not do
- The bottom line
Why Sterling 7.62×39 123gr FMJ matches the platform
The 123 grain bullet is what the 7.62×39 cartridge was designed around. Sterling 7.62×39 123gr FMJ runs at roughly 2,350 feet per second from a 16 inch barrel, which is the velocity every AK and SKS sight ladder was calibrated for. Shoot the original bullet weight and the irons are honest out to a few hundred metres.
Lighter and heavier loadings exist, and they change where the rifle hits. A 154 grain soft point drops noticeably faster and a 100 grain load rises. If you zero on one thing and practice with another, you are learning the wrong rifle.
Full specifications
- Caliber: 7.62x39mm
- Bullet weight: 123 grain
- Bullet: Full Metal Jacket
- Case: Steel, coated, non reloadable
- Primer: Non corrosive
- Rounds per box: 20
- Rounds per case: 1000
- Intended use: Range and training
Steel case is the trade being made here. The case is polymer or lacquer coated rather than brass, which cuts the cost substantially and costs you the ability to reload. It is also slightly less forgiving of a dirty chamber, so keep the chamber clean and it will feed as reliably as anything else.
Buying Sterling 7.62×39 123gr FMJ in volume
The 1000 round case is the point. Sterling 7.62×39 123gr FMJ is bulk AK practice ammunition, and the AK is a rifle that rewards volume. It was built to be shot loose and hot, and getting genuinely competent with one means putting a lot of rounds through it.
Non corrosive primers are worth confirming, and these are. Corrosive surplus needs the bore cleaned the same day or it pits, which is a real chore. Sterling 7.62×39 123gr FMJ cleans up on a normal schedule like any commercial ammunition.
Honest notes before you buy
Practical accuracy is what you should expect. Three to four inches at 100 yards from a typical AK is normal and has more to do with the rifle than the ammunition. If you are chasing tighter groups from an SKS or a Type 56, the limiting factor is not this cartridge.
Check your range rules on steel case before buying a case. Some indoor ranges prohibit it outright, and ranges that pay for brass reclamation often do too, because steel contaminates the scrap.
What Sterling 7.62×39 123gr FMJ will not do
This is the important caveat. A 123 grain full metal jacket bullet does not expand. It is a paper and steel plate bullet, not a defensive or hunting projectile. FMJ is illegal for deer in many states and unreliable on game everywhere. Buy a soft point for hunting and a purpose built defensive load for defense.
Steel cased ammunition stores as well as brass provided it stays dry. Moisture is the enemy rather than time, so keep it sealed and off a concrete floor and it will be fine for many years.
The bottom line
Bimetal jackets are also common in this class of ammunition, meaning the jacket contains steel and will attract a magnet. Ranges with steel targets frequently ban bimetal for the same reason they ban steel core, so ask before you turn up with a case. You can read more about the bullet design at swiftbullets.com, or browse the rest of our stock on the MAG5 Firearms ammunition page.
MAG5 Firearms keeps the Sterling 7.62×39 123gr FMJ in stock and moving, and we are glad to talk through bullet choice before you order. If you are working up a load for a new rifle, a single box of the Sterling 7.62×39 123gr FMJ is a sensible place to start.
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