Ammo ID question

[number6]

Because a friend recently purchased a couple of 91/30s, I thought I would give him 2 packs of 7.62x54r Mosin ammo, which has always gone bang when it was supposed to.
I purchased it a bunch of years ago, so I took a look at the head-stamp to ID it. I used the head-stamp guide on 7.62x54r.net, looking at all the usual suspects first. Didn't find it there.

Then I looked at the next set of Socialist countries. Still nothing. So the last country of manufacture I viewed was Albania, because I had decided that was the least likely country of origin, mainly because they used to be so closed off & secretive.
Well, I guess I was wrong, because I found a pic of the head-stamp numbers, which were 90 on top, and 3 on the lower part of the rim. I also checked to see if it was stamped on the inner flat or outer edge of the rim. It was the inner position.

Can someone help me identify this ammo? I just dug out the spam-can it came in. The can is the galvanized version.
There are 3 lines of less than pristine data printed on it.

The first line is: " 762-ZAK [T] MODEL 53,, "
2nd line: " 15 - 90 - 3 "
Last line(best as I can make out): " COP 440 3/1B1 * 89 "
Where I put the *, there is a number I can't make out.

[Richard Simmons]

Sounds like Albanian to me. Is it wrapped in brown paper with a string around it, (20rd bundles)? IIRC the Albanian I had was some what underpowered compared to Russian 7.62x54r and there was quite a bit of variation in the rim thickness from case to case as it didn't like to chamber in several of my Mosins. Don't recall that it was particularly good or bad as far as accuracy goes.

[Schuetzenman]

Can you take a photograph of it? I have at one time purchased and resold about all the 54R surplus types. Albanian was in the mix of different sources. There was brass cased and steel cased versions of Albanian offered. The brass cased ammo had the problem of thick rims. All of it came wrapped in paper with a string tied around it. I often found the string to be colored; blue, red and white, green, green and white. I can't recall any twine / hemp colored strings tying the ammo up unlike early Russian surplus ammo in this round.

[Richard Simmons]

I too recall the string being multi-colored. Didn't know it came in steel cased. The batch I had was brass.

[Schuetzenman]

I too recall the string being multi-colored. Didn't know it came in steel cased. The batch I had was brass.

Yep the vast majority of the Albanian was the brass cased version. But some O.D. Green colored lacquered steel cased version of it came it toward the end of the Albanian 54R ammo importation phase. The steel cased ammo had thinner rims and didn't present any problems to chambering in Mosin rifles unlike the brass cased version. Like you posted, this ammo was not the worst in accuracy, but it wasn't a tack driver either. I tested it in M44, 91-30 and M39 rifles.

[number6]

This is it. I wet the top and it made the letters stand out a little bolder. I got one wrong the first time. Later on, I'll edit my original post to reflect that.
The paper wrapped packs use white/pink, white/red, blue/white, and white strings. There might be other colors but I only pulled 4 packs.
The rounds are brass cased, shown laying on the lid.


http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr11/czharry/CommBloc/Albanian_762X54_zps4aad5995.jpg (http://s465.photobucket.com/user/czharry/media/CommBloc/Albanian_762X54_zps4aad5995.jpg.html)

[number6]

I took a pic of the spam can, and a few paper-wrapped packets of this brass cased ammo, in the post just above this one..

Can anyone give me me the info of this ammo from what is printed on this can?

(it got me a little worried because the photo didn't show up until I reloaded the page.)

[res45]

As stated it Albanian which is very good ammo,it's the same ammo found in this can just a differ date of mfg.
http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinAmmo014.htm