G'day all, I am trying to locate a set of dies for this obsolete cartridge, and here in Australia it is proving to be near on impossible. An old gunsmith mate gave me an M96 mauser with twin switch barrels, ( 6.5x55 and 9x57 ). I have just had the rifle completed and now I'm having an exhibition grade display case made for it and I want to put the dies for both calibres in the case. I am hoping that the dies may still be available in the states, maybe huntingtons or rcbs even redding, but here in oz I am having no luck whatsoever. Any help greatly appreciated, if anyone can give me email addresses or web sites to check on that would be great...................cheers XXXX
Any of the die makers in the states will have the 9x57. I've had to 9x57R guns and had two sets of dies (RCBS and Reddington, never used the reddington).
I think you can buy 9x57 brass from Old Western Scrounger. If not, I assume you could form it from 8x57 mauser brass. You can't get 9x57R brass, but it was simple making it from 8x57R. Just got a .35 whelen expander ball (when it was tough to get .35 whelen brass) and passed it through the 8x57R necks.
Hope you like the round. I shot 250 grain bullets from Hawk (.356, not .358 for mine). Mine shot slow but was a bruiser!
Thanks for the replys fellas, it definately is 9x57, stamped in the barrel and I also have the reamers for both chambers. I have made my own brass by the old ackley method of firing 8x57 in the rifle, thus fire forming to my chamber, what a sweet cartridge it is!
