Do any of you use surplus Brass Case NATO spec European ammo in your high end 308 AR’s for plinking? I’m talking KAC, Larue etc rifles.
Larue says NEVER to use it but failed to provide an explanation as to why. I’m talking DAG, Port, Hirtenberger etc type ammo. Any experiences or observations appreciated.
I don’t own a 308 AR but I’ve shot a shit ton of Port out of two different M1A’s without any problems. Same with about 2k of Hirt.
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Same here. I have a large stockpile of Hirt ammo and LaRue manual says the following in capital letters: WARNING: DESIGNED TO USE PREMIUM AMMUNITION ONLY (ESPECIALLY NO STEEL CASED AMMO). FAILURE TO USE CORRECT AMMUNITION MAY CAUSE OPERATION FAILURES, DAMAGE, INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE.
I called Larue and the man on phone said NOT to use anything other than match grade USA made ammo. I asked about NATO spec ammo made in Europe with NATO head stamp and he said not to use it. I asked why and he just repeated the quote above. If it’s NATO spec 7.62 isn’t it good for use in all rifles chambered for this round?
I wonder if they have this same ammo requirement for the LaRue 5.56 rifles??
Some of that import .308 surplus is really horrible stuff. I don’t know if it can hurt anything, but we shot some that was like 6 MOA crap. I was spotting for Pappabear and asked him if he was shooting with his eyes closed or what… I could see bullet trace going everywhere at 300 yards.
I don’t have a high end .308 AR, but I do use all of the above in my SCAR 17S for plinking. Never had a problem with it.
I see a lot of guys at the range with $2000+ AR10’s scratching their head why the gun isn’t maintaining its “1MOA guarantee” when they’re shooting Eastern European M80 clones and it’s putting up 4"+ groups at 100.
A lot of the Euro surplus and older Federal Gold Medal uses brass that is too soft for AR use, causes extraction problems.
I use some of it my LMT LM8 for plinking and it’s fine. Don’t expect match grade results and carry on. Sorry, but the BS from LaRue is just that, BS. I fully understand there is a fine line between shooting REALLY bad ammo and reliability but to go out plinking with match grade ammo each and everytime just because you bought a $3000 gun? Just the other day I was out shooting the steel plate at 300 knocking the crap out of it with the “crap” ammo and having a blast. Would I have done that with match ammo? Give me a friggin break.
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I do have a KAC SR-25 Match/Mk11 Mod 0 and I only use factory new 168 gr. Sierra Matchking ammo. That is what the weapon is designed to use. I have loads of South African 7.62 NATO and E. German 7.62 NATO. I have used it in my M1A without any problem.
I have fired thousands of rounds of both Hirtenberger and Portuguese surplus through my M1A’s and .308 Garand without any issues. I have seen both rounds make an AR-10 puke.
Possibly find corrosive NATO marked… that I have found 
over 3 packages of it. After shooting over 120 rnds. Inconsistent loaded rnds. Most likely reason… Majority loaded for use in machine guns so to creates larger beaten zone for better coverage target area.
My OBR loves Portugese surplus 308. Out past about 400yds it behaves less predictably than match ammo. But 400 and in it is good blasting ammo for shooting steel.
I assume Lake City M118 and M852 are ok in the OBR?
Can’t find it right now, but there was a thread somewhere on here discussing use of M118LR in the OBR.
Hmm…
I shot M80 ball through my ECC just to see if it would work.
It does and accuracy isn’t totally horrible but I wouldn’t put surplus in it. I have an HK91 for that.
It kind of defeats the purpose of having a 308 AR like that.
I ran about 400 rounds of 8 year old surplus m80 ball through my ECC during non precision portions of Jack’s Dual Use class and it ran without issue.
And it didn’t just blow up?
Not MichaelVain but why do you think M80 ball would blow up an ECC?
FWIW, the M80 I used was new Federal ammo, not exactly ammo can surplus. I’m not going there with a rifle I spent so much on. Honestly it was not bad accuracy. Not the same as ammo it was intended for use with but if I were caught in like WW3 Red Dawn and only had M80 it would still be better than if I were using an M14 or HK91.
I think if you used West German silvertip DAG or SA ammo you would be kinda crazy though.
I’ve shot Santa Barbara Nato through my LMT MWS and it grouped just fine(2"). I also have 2x 200rd battlepacks of Port lying around that I will shoot through it. I have no reservations shooting NATO spec through it but I also have 168 SMKs for it as well. I have 350rds of POF crap that I have yet to try and more than likely it will be regulated to either being sold or shot out of my M1As.
Check the Portuguese and South African stuff before hoarding - a lot of it gives some guns troubles if your not suppressed, no major accuracy issues - but function due to erratic powder performance.
I’ve shot several thousand rounds of old M-80 ball thru SR-25’s with no issues.