K98 caliber question

[Breadstick]

Thanks for that detail!!

[brickboy240]

No problemo!

Most people do not know anything about the various "8mm Mauser" ammo types floating around.

I found most of it out while paying around with several K98s, VZ-24s and a G33-40.

-brickboy240

[Breadstick]

Well,

I got it totally cleaned out, reassembled. What a solid action. It's smooth, clean and more solid than some brand new modern day bolt action rifles!

Looking at really buying ammo now:

http://www.ammunitionstore.com/produ...round-box.html

http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/produc...ser-soft-point

OR as recommened
http://www.cabelas.com/rifle-ammunit...rage-box.shtml

I do plan to SHOOT the gun!


this is the rifle:

[brickboy240]

All of those are fine choices.

You might also check for some of the 1970s Yugo surplus ammo that is floating around. It is corrosive but shoots great. Unfortunately, gone are the heydays of the cheap and good surplus like the Austrian Hirtenberger stuff or the FN Belgian surplus 8mm. Stay away from the Turkish 8mm surplus from the 40s....it is cheap but lots of duds, hangfires and it is not very accurate.

That is a very nice looking K98 Mauser! Does the serial number on the bolt match the one on the receiver? If so...your headspace should be GTG. If not, you might want to have a smith check the rifle's headspace.

Also, if you DO ever shoot US made 8mm Mauser with the .320 diameter 170gr bullet that is loaded lightly....don't be surprised if you see your primers backed out slightly after shooting. It is not dangerous....just what happens when your ammo is underloaded.

Stick to the Euro made 8x57 and you will never see that problem. The US made 8mm Mauser is the wrong sized, wrong weighted bullet, underloaded.

-brickboy240

[Breadstick]

Yes all numbers are matching.

From the front band, to the mag plate, bolt handle,reciver, safety etc.etc all the same number.

Just ordered the Sellier & Bellot 8mm Mauser Bulk Ammo 100

SO It's now just a waiting game until it arrives.


Here is another I just got cleaned up....the 1909 Argentine 7.65 mauser...

[brickboy240]

Do you have a Swedish Mauser?

I swear...the M1896 Swedish Mauser Long Rifle in 6.5x55mm has got to be the nicest shooting military bolt gun out there. Very well made and very accurate.

I have two of them and they are my favorite Mausers..no doubt.

The 6.5x55 also kills whitetails like lightning while not tearing up your shoulder.

-brickboy240

[rojocorsa]

FWIW, I've tried some 1949 Turk 8mm out of mine and it was fine. Kind of on the hotter side, but it wasn't a problem.

Here is a pic of mine:



bnz45 "kriegsmodell" that was reconfigured by the Russians to the normal wartime style/layout. There is no RC mark or crappy finish on the wood, but there is electropenciling. This one still has all the eagles and stuff on it. Nice gun.

Unfortunately, being a last year of production, the chamber is rough and leaves concentric burrs all over extracted casings. (It will be polished soon). Also, the receiver has been filed on someplaces just to get the action smoothed out. It also got a trigger job. Once I put a decent front sight on it, it will be a very good shooter.

I have only shot surplus 8mm through it thus far, but I think I will learn to handload for it soon. Sierra makes .323" bullets....I'm thinking a 200gr pill would sound about right for this bad boy. (twist is 1:9.4").

[MichaelZWilliamson]

To be pedantic, the Gewehr 88 is not a Mauser. It was designed by a military commission, stealing liberally from Mauser (bolt), Mannlicher (magazine feed) and Lebel (Barrel).

The Gew 88 changed cartridges and barrels several times, and was still in use by the Turks in the 1950s.

It is true that the pressure specs for the original ones are 2/3 that of the later Mausers. This is due to a combination of chamber size predominantly, barrel wall thickness, and weapon design. The bore diameter is the same for most, at .311. The groove diameter changed from .318 to .323, but there are other variations as well. The bore on MOST variations is not nearly as significant as the chamber, but there are some Czech barrels that are down around .314.

And yes, that's the reason US ammo is loaded so lightly. Just in case.

Here's my new Commission Sporter




My Steyr contract military


An oddball Haenel Karbine in 7mm


and a Turkish 1938 rearsenal that will shoot almost anything


/hijack and back to the awesomeness of Mausers.

[rojocorsa]

Reading through this thread makes me want to go shoot my Mauser. Sadly, I have not had the chance to upgrade it like I want/need to.

[wintermute]

In the post WW-1 era many Mausers were rechambered to 8x60 to comply with the disarmament provisions of the Versailles Treaty and the numerous other treaties between the belligerent parties... the changing of calibers for the Mauser 98 has been going on for a long time.

I just want to say thank you for this post. I inherited a sporterized Gewehr 98 from my grandfather. The bore diameter is .323 (and barrel stamped with an "S"), so I thought I was good to go with 8x57 IS ammo. If I hadn't read this, I could have been in for a surprise. Gotta get me some Cerrosafe!