Brass case
Reloadable · accepted everywhere
The same case material as almost all other rifle ammunition. Heavier and usually more expensive than steel, and the only choice if you reload or shoot at a range that bans steel cases.
Rifle ammo · the AK and SKS round
122 to 125 grain full metal jacket for the range and certified nonlead loads for hunting, brass or steel case, over the counter in Kearny Mesa. And the first check: not every 7.62 is this 7.62.
Start here
Which 7.62x39 Should You Buy?
Most 7.62x39 is range ammunition, and the real decision is the case and the bullet construction — because that is what range rules are about.
- Range practice
- 122 to 124 grain full metal jacket. Brass-cased ammunition is accepted at every range and can be reloaded; steel-cased is often cheaper and runs fine in most AK and SKS rifles, but check your range allows it.
- Hunting
- Certified nonlead only, in California. Nonlead soft points and copper bullets are made in 7.62x39; ordinary lead-core ball and lead soft points are not legal for taking wildlife here.
- A Mini-30, a bolt action or anything not an AK
- Rifles built outside the AK and SKS family can be pickier about case type and bullet diameter. Start with brass-cased ammunition from a maker the manual lists, and see how it runs.
A 7.62 that is not a .308
7.62x39 was adopted by the Soviet Union in the 1940s and became the cartridge of the AK and SKS. It is a short, moderate-recoil round, good out to ordinary rifle distances and easy to shoot a lot of.
Its bullet is nominally 7.62mm but usually measures about .310 to .312 inch, a little wider than the .308 inch of .308 Winchester. That only matters if you reload — do not swap bullets between the two — but it is one more reason the cartridges are not related.
What the box is telling you
Case, Jacket and Core
7.62x39 boxes describe three separate things. Each one can matter at a range.
Steel case
Lacquered or polymer-coated · not reloadable
Common in 7.62x39, and most AK and SKS rifles are built to run it. Some ranges do not allow it, and the cases cannot be reloaded. Which imported makes are on shelves has changed over the last few years — call for today's.
Bimetal jacket, steel core
The magnet test
A bimetal jacket is steel plated with copper; a steel core is a separate insert inside the bullet. A magnet sticks to either, and many ranges ban both. We will tell you what a box says it is — bring a magnet if your range checks.
Hunting means nonlead in California
California requires certified nonlead ammunition to take any wildlife with a firearm, statewide. That rules out ordinary lead-core 7.62x39 for deer and pigs. Our lead-free hunting page explains what counts, and a phone call tells you what is on the shelf.
Counter mistakes
Four Different Rounds Called 7.62
Seven-six-two is a bullet size, not a cartridge. These four all carry it, and none of them is interchangeable with another.
7.62x39
The subject of this page: the AK and SKS round, also chambered in the Ruger Mini-30 and a number of bolt-action rifles. The second number is the case length in millimeters, and it is the part of the name that tells the cartridges apart.
7.62x51 NATO, or .308
A much longer, more powerful cartridge for battle rifles and hunting rifles. It will not fit a 7.62x39 rifle. Our .308 Winchester page covers it and its NATO twin.
7.62x54R
A long, rimmed cartridge for the Mosin-Nagant and a few other rifles. The R is for rim. It is far larger than 7.62x39 and not related to it.
7.62x25 Tokarev
A bottlenecked pistol cartridge for the Tokarev pistol and some submachine-gun-style firearms. Same bullet size, entirely different gun. If you own one, call before you drive — it is a special order question more than a shelf one.
On the shelf in Kearny Mesa
7.62x39 Loads We Have Carried
Real boxes that have been across this counter and on the deals board. Pictured as printed, so you know what you are looking for on the shelf.
Recent 7.62x39 boxes on this counter came from Sellier & Bellot — and that is a record of what we have sold, not a promise of what is on the shelf today. The shelf moves daily and this site is updated by hand, so call or text before you drive out and somebody will go and look.
Why there is no price on this page
Ammunition pricing moves with the wholesale market, and a figure printed next to a caliber is wrong within weeks. So we quote 7.62x39 on the phone, with a number that is true today. The one exception is the deals page, where a fixed price on a fixed quantity runs for a fixed week.
Before you drive out
Buying 7.62x39 in California
A few minutes longer than buying anything else, and almost every problem we see at the counter could have been sorted out at home.
- 7.62x39 is rifle ammunition: 18 and over in California.
- Every ammunition sale in California happens face to face at a licensed vendor. State law, not our policy, and the reason there is no cart on this site.
- Bring your California driver's license or ID card. If it reads FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY, bring a passport or certified birth certificate as well.
- Every purchase runs a DOJ eligibility check with a state-set fee collected on the state's behalf — not our charge, and we do not mark it up. The most common reason one fails is a stale record, not eligibility.
General information, not legal advice. Reviewed — the rules that govern every purchase are published by the California Department of Justice.
Ammunition and accessories only — no firearms, and no shooting range at this location. If you need somewhere to shoot what you buy, we keep a list of ranges around the county. Se habla español.
Common questions
7.62x39 Questions We Get at the Counter
Real questions from real customers, answered the way we answer them in person.
Is 7.62x39 the same as .308 or 7.62 NATO?
No. 7.62x39 is a much shorter cartridge for AK and SKS pattern rifles. .308 Winchester and 7.62x51 NATO are longer and more powerful, and neither fits a 7.62x39 rifle. The second number in the name, the case length, is what tells the 7.62s apart.
Can I use steel-cased 7.62x39 at the range?
At some ranges, not others. Steel-cased and bimetal ammunition are common range restrictions, often checked with a magnet, and a steel-core bullet is a separate restriction. Brass-cased, lead-core ammunition is accepted everywhere. Check the rules for the range you are going to before you buy for it.
What does bimetal mean on a box of 7.62x39?
It describes the bullet jacket: steel plated with copper, instead of solid copper alloy. The core underneath is usually lead. A magnet sticks to a bimetal jacket, which is why ranges that ban steel in bullets often ban bimetal too. A steel core is a different construction, and the box should say so.
Can I hunt with 7.62x39 in California?
Only with certified nonlead ammunition, which California requires for taking any wildlife with a firearm, statewide. Nonlead soft points and copper bullets are made in 7.62x39. Game-specific rules beyond that are set by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife — check the regulations for your species and zone.
Can I reload steel-cased 7.62x39?
No, not in any practical sense. Steel cases are typically Berdan-primed and are not made to be resized and reloaded. If you reload, buy brass-cased, Boxer-primed 7.62x39 and keep the brass. Our reloading components page covers what we can get.
Do you have 7.62x39 in stock, and how much is it?
Call 858-987-0509 or text 310-499-3499 and we will quote today's price and check the shelf while you are on the line. The catalog carries no prices because ammunition moves with the wholesale market; when 7.62x39 is on the weekly deals board, the price is published on the deals page. This site is updated by hand, so treat nothing on it as today's inventory.
Stock & deal questions
Tell us the rifle and we will match the load
Text is usually faster than a call. Send the rifle, whether you need brass or steel case, and the range you shoot at — somebody will tell you what on the shelf fits.
Se habla español
- Ask if your caliber is in stock today, and what it runs.
- Ask what the in-store Deal of the Week is before you drive out.
- Ask what to bring for the California eligibility check.
- Ask anything about a load, a caliber, or your gun. No pressure, no attitude.
- Phone
- immediate during business hours
- Text
- anytime — immediate during business hours, forwarded after hours
- Hours
- Mon – Fri 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM · Sat – Sun 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Keep reading
Where to Go Next
Where We Are
LAX Ammo San Diego4411 Mercury St, Suite 103San Diego, CA 92111
Kearny Mesa, San DiegoOpen in Google Maps
Hours
- Mon – Fri
- 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Sat – Sun
- 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Call or Text
858-987-0509Calls only
310-499-3499Text only
Text anytime. Anytime — immediate during business hours, forwarded after hours.
Before You Visit
- Bring your California ID — every ammo purchase needs an eligibility check.
- Purchases happen at the counter. No online checkout, and we don't ship ammo.
- Ammunition and accessories only. No firearms, no range at this location.
Se habla español
How California's ammo law works