quote:

6.5x55... Mm. I'd go K31 first, which is 7.5?

Love me some K31.

But - despite what the name would have you believe - it's actually 7.62mm. Same bullets you can buy for a .308 or .30-06, you can reload in 7.5x55 brass. (That's assuming it's box primed brass and not typical surplus)

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
something to spending some time behind a K98.

Call me crazy but I prefer it over the '03, which I bought and sold.

Blasphemy!!

Of the two, I prefer the look and feel of the K98k, and K98ks make up a large chunk of my milsurp collection. But I prefer actually shooting the M1903, especially the M1903A3 with its handier peep sight.

However, I like the P14/M1917 much better than either the 98k or '03. If I had to take the bolt-action service rifle of my choice into battle in WW1 or WW2, I'd choose a M1917.

The only drawback on 8mm is availability. Good luck finding any. If you have a big stash from days gone by that is great. Now it is pretty much non-existent, even from Privi, S&B, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by blasto:
The only drawback on 8mm is availability. Good luck finding any. If you have a big stash from days gone by that is great. Now it is pretty much non-existent, even from Privi, S&B, etc.

I see 8mm Mauser regularly at various online retailers. Some of it is pricey hunting ammo, but there's still plenty of less expensive new production from places like Prvi, and there's still a bit of surplus ammo available out there. Mainly 1950s Yugoslavian ammo. (Known for hard primers.)

You'll still occasionally run across other surplus, like Turkish and Romanian ammo, at gun stores/shows, GunBroker, and Armslist too.

A quick Google shows both PPU and Yugo 8mm available at various places like SGAmmo, AimSurplus, AmmoToGo, TargetSportsUSA, J&G Sales, and Lucky Gunner.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by blasto:
The only drawback on 8mm is availability. Good luck finding any. If you have a big stash from days gone by that is great. Now it is pretty much non-existent, even from Privi, S&B, etc.

I see 8mm Mauser regularly at various online retailers. Some of it is pricey hunting ammo, but there's still plenty of less expensive new production from places like Prvi, and there's still a bit of surplus ammo available out there. Mainly 1950s Yugoslavian ammo. (Known for hard primers.)

You'll still occasionally run across other surplus, like Turkish and Romanian ammo, at gun stores/shows, GunBroker, and Armslist too.

A quick Google shows both PPU and Yugo 8mm available at various places like SGAmmo, AimSurplus, AmmoToGo, TargetSportsUSA, J&G Sales, and Lucky Gunner.

Good to know. I'm pacing myself, still have some spam cans.

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
something to spending some time behind a K98.

Call me crazy but I prefer it over the '03, which I bought and sold.

Blasphemy!!

I gave a fair go, I like the Mauser better. Let's be honest, the '03 is a copy. Of the Mauser.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by blasto:
The only drawback on 8mm is availability. Good luck finding any. If you have a big stash from days gone by that is great. Now it is pretty much non-existent, even from Privi, S&B, etc.

I see 8mm Mauser regularly at various online retailers. Some of it is pricey hunting ammo, but there's still plenty of less expensive new production from places like Prvi, and there's still a bit of surplus ammo available out there. Mainly 1950s Yugoslavian ammo. (Known for hard primers.)

You'll still occasionally run across other surplus, like Turkish and Romanian ammo, at gun stores/shows, GunBroker, and Armslist too.

A quick Google shows both PPU and Yugo 8mm available at various places like SGAmmo, AimSurplus, AmmoToGo, TargetSportsUSA, J&G Sales, and Lucky Gunner.

8mm is as easy to load as 30-06, one of the most forgiving cartridges in existence.

Speaking of that 1950's Yugo ammo. Years ago I got my hands on about 8,000 rounds or so of that stuff (I think it was Yugo. Might be some other Iron Curtain country). I think it was produced in 1957. Every time I used it, about one out of five would misfire. After recocking, it would go on the second shot. Eventually I decided to tear it down and fix it.

I was surprised to see that there was some corrosion on the inside of the brass. The powder, a square sheet powder, was fine, except for a few flakes that seem to be corroding to the inside of the case in random places. It looks like there might have been some type of lube or other contamination that caused the powder to react. There was no external indications of this corrosion, as the outside of the cases look great. Some online forums were discussing this ammo, and it seems it is known to fail due to this corrosion, sometimes in head separations.

I now pull down that ammo and recover the components. I have had great success in using the powder, minus one grain, in re-formed and trimmed 30-06 cases. I only paid .05/round, so it makes my final cost .08 each. Cheap fun for a rifle as capable as an 8mm. I still have about 6,000 of those cartridges to pull down.