Recently sold my only AK that shot 5.45.

I have a couple sealed tins of 7n6 and an ammo cans full of an opened tin. It’s little bundles wrapped in brown paper stacked in ammo cans. Quick search on ammoseek shows like .80c/rd but what’s the real world price? Would like to move it all in one shot.

SGAmmo has new Tula for $0.73/round shipped...

That would be a good benchmark.

I recently valued my 7n6 at $0.54/rnd sold in bulk, based on GunBroker prices. Maybe I should up that for insurance replacement purposes.

31 packs of 30rd = 930rds
Spam can 1080x2 = 2160rds
3090 total rounds

I'll give ya 6 hundred for the lot + shipping if you wanna dump it.

Sold a couple cans on GB for $550.00, plus tax and shipping. Local gun classifieds it's sitting at $500.00 per can.

Did all the loose packs come out of the same tin?

The Russian stuff in the tin and paper bundles is steel cored ammo, if that makes a difference to anybody.

B scale hardness steel core though. The more desirable 7N6 would be the "M" version in production late 91-92+ onward. Same core but hardened to 60C on the Rockwell scale.

Interesting. I'll need to check my head stamps.

Unfortunately, none of the "M" was imported. You will only find it in cartridge collections here in the US.

I've come across quite a bit of 7n6M of the Bulgarian variety

Would that be marked on the wooden cases and tins if it was Bulgarian 7N6M?  

As I might need to double check some just in case.  Didn’t even realize it existed.

According to the European collectors I know who study Soviet and WP ammunition, only the USSR/Russia made the 7n6M. There are questions if they actually switched over to the M at all, as no confirmed examples are known.

The Bulgarian 5.45 surplus with '90 and '91 dates that came in were regular 7n6 pattern. If you have some with a confirmed, hardened core, I'd love to examine it for my collection.

I've found most Bulgarian late 91 and 92 have the hardened core.

Headstamp 10/92
Bullet Weight: 53.5gr
Bullet Length: .996"
Core Weight: 22.2gr
Core Length: .598"
Core Diameter: .1625"
Hardness: 54/57 RHC (tested two spots)
Material Makeup:
1.00% Mn
98.76% FE
.032% MO


5.45x39mm 7N6 by Buffman RANGE, on Flickr

5.45x39mm 7N6 by Buffman RANGE, on Flickr

Fantastic information! With your permission, I'd like to share this with the cartridge collector community.

I'm sure it will be a revelation.

FWIW, I'm told all Soviet/Russian production dated 1987 and later is of the "M" variety. A Ukrainian soldier and ordnance expert I'm an acquaintance of has recently confirmed 1995 dated 7n6M.

By all means go right ahead. I got some from 90-91 that was the RHB core, so I would say anything marked 92 at least from my experience is the harder core.

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@Buffman_LT1

Still sorting out my 7n6 and looking for 7n6M in the stash-
Any idea on how to tell early vs late ‘91 Circle 10 stuff from crate/tin markings?  All I can find is lot/year/plant and the type/lot/year for the powder.   Maybe by powder lot number?  (Low vs high, assuming they went in order?  Not that I can read the powder type anyhow).

Just trying to see it there is any way to tell vs testing some from each different lot I guess.  Looks like I have some ‘91 and ‘92 Circle 10 tins, plus a ‘93 as well.  All the rest is either older or late 70’s various Soviet plants so I know they will be the regular 7n6.  

Also I do need to go check my range box and loaded mags to make sure I am not shooting up the better stuff while blasting paper!  

Then I have a couple small 40mm cans full of paper wrapped 30 rd bundles to check as well, but all of that likely will be earlier Soviet stuff, (though I certainly won’t mind if some of the M variant got mixed in with it…)

Also- almost forgot to ask 2 other things:

Have you done any testing on the 7n6 vs 7n6M performance wise?  

And you mentioned the hardness reading on the M stuff, any idea where the hardness of the regular stuff comes in at?  

Thanks for all the prior info, I was happy when I found stuff that appears to be the M variant!

Can't help you from the tin/create markings.
Typical 7N6
Hardness: 44/48 RHB (tested two spots)
Material Makeup:
.416% Mn
96.26% FE
.390% CU
1.90% ZN
.830% PB

You can see it defeat a plate here:


Here is 7N6 being stopped by a 100% pure PE plate.