Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ – Great Brass Cased Range Ammo

Description

Brass cased 7.62×39 at a sensible price is genuinely hard to find, which is most of the reason the Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ is worth knowing about. It is boxer primed, non corrosive, non magnetic and reloadable, and it costs far less than the premium brass cased options while doing the same job at the range.

• Brass, boxer and non corrosive
• Full specifications
• What it is for
• Honest notes before you buy
• Function testing and case life
• The bottom line

Brass, boxer and non corrosive

Three things separate this from the steel cased bulk ammunition most people shoot through an AK. The case is brass, which seals the chamber properly and is easier on an extractor. The primer is boxer rather than berdan, so the case can be reloaded. And the priming compound is non corrosive, so you are not on a clock to clean the rifle. The Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ gets all three right.

Non magnetic is the fourth, and it matters more than people expect. Plenty of indoor ranges refuse steel cased or steel core ammunition outright because of backstop damage and fire risk. The Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ passes the magnet test, which means you can shoot it where a lot of cheaper 7.62×39 is simply not allowed.

Full specifications

• Caliber: 7.62x39mm
• Bullet weight: 123 grain
• Bullet: full metal jacket
• Muzzle velocity: 2350 fps
• Muzzle energy: 1509 ft-lbs
• Ballistic coefficient (G1): not published for this load
• Case: reloadable boxer primed brass
• Quantity: 20 rounds per box
• Part number: BELOM7.62, 20 rounds per box

At 2350 feet per second and 1509 foot pounds the Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ is loaded right at the standard specification for the cartridge, which is where you want it. Ammunition loaded hot for marketing numbers works the action harder and shortens brass life, and there is nothing to gain from it in a rifle designed around this pressure.

What it is for

Range work, training and practice. This is standard ball ammunition, so it is what you feed the rifle to build skill without spending premium money. For an AK or SKS shooter who wants brass cases and a clean chamber without paying match ammunition prices, the Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ occupies a useful middle ground that barely existed a few years ago.

It is also a reasonable choice if you are starting to reload for the cartridge. Twenty pieces of brass per box adds up quickly, and once you have a few hundred cases the economics of shooting 7.62×39 change completely. Many shooters buy the Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ specifically as a source of usable brass.

Honest notes before you buy

One practical note on accuracy. This is ball ammunition, not a match load, and expectations should match. Two to three minutes at a hundred yards from a typical AK is normal and entirely adequate for what the Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ is for. If you want to find the accuracy ceiling of your rifle, a match load is the tool for that.

Do not use full metal jacket for hunting. It does not expand, and on a hog or a deer it produces a small wound channel and a long tracking job. Several states also prohibit non expanding bullets for big game. Keep the Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ for the range and buy a proper soft point if hunting is the plan.

Function testing and case life

Brass cased ammunition can behave slightly differently in an AK pattern rifle than lacquered steel does, because brass grips the chamber wall more. Most rifles run the Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ without any issue at all, but shoot a box before you commit to a case. A sticky extraction problem, if one exists, shows up immediately.

Case life is limited by the chamber. Military pattern chambers are generous, so brass fired in an AK stretches more than it would in a bolt gun. If you are reloading cases from the Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ, neck size rather than full length resize where you can, and watch for the bright ring near the case head that warns of impending separation.

The bottom line

For an AK or SKS shooter who wants brass cases, a clean chamber and indoor range access without premium prices, the Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ is a sensible everyday load. 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 Belom 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 Belom 7.62×39 123gr FMJ is a sensible place to start.