like a 30.06 but just a little bigger.

[SF18C]

Okay I need a little help.

A guy I work with bought a beauty of an M1 Grande several months ago, then went on the hunt for some bulk ammo to shoot and finally gets a deal on 400 rounds of 150 grain 30.06. Well, he gets his order and the bullets are just a tad too long! My google fu says they are a Greek variant with some mixed reviews.

The casing even looks slightly different and has the markings of H X P 77.

Any idea what this is and what it is for? He wants to send it back but I guess the place he ordered from says it is 30.06 and all sales are final.





Any ideas?

[RX8er]

Someone smarter than me will chime in I'm sure but I think that is a Greek .303.

Here's a website that has a lot of great info and I think this pertains to what you have:
http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewto ... 96&t=25730" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Wes]

The actual 30.06 bullet can range in size as long as theoverall length is from 2.94 to 3.34 and from the looks of you pic it doesn't look like that big of a discrepancy. It is hard to tell from the pic but the cartridge seems the same between the two., but even then a .02 difference is typically acceptable.

[jimlongley]

Rim rebate, shoulder length, and case length all look different to me.

[The Annoyed Man]

Someone smarter than me will chime in I'm sure but I think that is a Greek .303.

Here's a website that has a lot of great info and I think this pertains to what you have:
http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewto ... 96&t=25730" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Look at the case head. The one on the left is very different from the one on the right. .303 British is a rimmed cartridge, similar to the design of the 7.62x54 Russian. The picture below is .303 British:

[olafpfj]

Someone smarter than me will chime in I'm sure but I think that is a Greek .303.

Here's a website that has a lot of great info and I think this pertains to what you have:
http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewto ... 96&t=25730" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's most assuredly NOT a 303.

303 is a rimmed cartridge and the case is noticeably shorter than 30-06. Just went out and compared the two since I hove both.

Quick google search says HXP 77 is Greek M1 surplus.

[SF18C]

Thanks for the link!

He did state it will not fit in his Garand properly and while it is close, it is a different size.

If it was me I would not try shoot it.

[Wes]

The actual 30.06 bullet can range in size as long as theoverall length is from 2.94 to 3.34 and from the looks of you pic it doesn't look like that big of a discrepancy. It is hard to tell from the pic but the cartridge seems the same between the two., but even then a .02 difference is typically acceptable.

Look at the case head. The one on the left is very different from the one on the right.

Quite, didn't notice that at first. Yea, I wouldn't shoot it.

[The Annoyed Man]

The actual 30.06 bullet can range in size as long as theoverall length is from 2.94 to 3.34 and from the looks of you pic it doesn't look like that big of a discrepancy. It is hard to tell from the pic but the cartridge seems the same between the two., but even then a .02 difference is typically acceptable.

Look at the case head. The one on the left is very different from the one on the right.

Quite, didn't notice that at first. Yea, I wouldn't shoot it.

cartridgedifferences-caseheads.jpg (11.25 KiB) Viewed 3260 times

I wouldn't shoot that ammo in the Garand if it were mine. That ammo is obviously out of spec.

[SF18C]

So the google-spher has mixed reviews on this Greek HXP ammo.

Some folks ARE shooting thru their M1s, reports are is it very dirty and not vey accurate.

If this stuff is not 30-06 ammo, any idea what is it for?

[RX8er]

Like I said, someone smarter than me.....

I mistook the HPX 77 for an HPX 71 and I had been reading earlier in the day about cheap military surplus HPX71 ammo.

[K.Mooneyham]

I did the quick search for "HPX 77" and at least one forum says its just another batch of Greek .30-06 ammo. But, with the internet, you get what you pay for. IANAL or a gunsmith.

[howdy]

Tell your friend to buy surplus 30.06 from the Civilian Marksmanship program. They have 200 rounds for $98 and it comes loose in a metal ammo can. It will take about 6 weeks to get it but it works well in my CMP M1 Garand.

[JSThane]

I'd bet it IS .30-06, just... manufactured out of spec. If it's foreign military surplus, I'd not be surprised at all to see variances like that. Looking at the extraction groove, I'd guess the Greek stuff was "modified" to allow a heavier, more difficult to break extractor, as well as moving the walls of the cartridge forward a bit to deal with out of spec feed ramps and the like.

Not sure I'd want to shoot that in a Garand, though; not because of the weird-looking extraction groove, but because it IS foreign surplus, and I don't know their quality control, the powder burn rate, or how much force it's going to put on the operating rod of the rifle, as compared to US military ammo. I doubt I'd have any qualms shooting it in a quality bolt-action, though, especially not one built off a Mauser-style action.

[9mmfan]

HXP is what the CMP is selling. I got 400 rounds of the stuff from them a while back. I just went and checked, and it compares to the American Eagle M1 safe ammo about like that pic. Problem is, I don't remember if I have shot any of the Greek stuff out of my M1, or just the modern stuff. I'm going to have to go out to th garage and check my brass. Hold on.