Greetings,

I just ordered a mauser 98 from Mitchell's Mausers. I need ammo! Where can I find good, cheap non-corrosive stuff? This may be a tall order but notice that I didn't ask for good free non-corrosive stuff.

Migra

Check out the ads at WWW.AIMSURPLUS.com - they show having 1970's Romanian 8mm for S29.95 per can of 380 rds if you buy two or more cans. I can't speak for this ammo but you may want to check some of it out.

I bought a couple of Mausers from Mitchells and they are nice rifles. You might want to handload for it. Thats what I did. I bought 500 cases and dies from Midway along with 1,000 185 gr. Core Lokt bullets from Remington. That way I know I've got good clean ammo. Bill T.

Here are a few pics of my rifles. Bill T.

Yessiree very nice rifles from Mitchells. I got mine last week. It's like it came from the factory. I've converted a truck load of VZ 24s that had good actions but everything else was toast. I wanted one example of a pristine Mauser and this one doesn't disappoint. Actually it's Christmas gift for my 13 year old son who has an interest in historic military arms especially ones of WW II vintage. We'll shoot it. Mostly steel targets in the back 40 so I'm not worried about extreme accuracy but I am concerned about rusting out that beautiful barrel with corrosive ammo.

Migra

quote:

Originally posted by migra:
Yessiree very nice rifles from Mitchells. I got mine last week. It's like it came from the factory. I've converted a truck load of VZ 24s that had good actions but everything else was toast. I wanted one example of a pristine Mauser and this one doesn't disappoint. Actually it's Christmas gift for my 13 year old son who has an interest in historic military arms especially ones of WW II vintage. We'll shoot it. Mostly steel targets in the back 40 so I'm not worried about extreme accuracy but I am concerned about rusting out that beautiful barrel with corrosive ammo.

Migra

Migra,

Most all 8x57 ammo in quantity lots will be corrosive. I took to reloading my Vz-24 with 200 Sierra MatchKings for plinking to avoid the corrosive ammo. For hunting I just switch to 200 Speer HC. So far the two bullets seem interchangeable in all reloads.

migra,

As long as you properly and thoroughly clean your rifle after firing corrosive ammo in it the barrel will not suffer the ravages of corrosion.

OK now I'll ask a dumb question. To clean a barrel after using corrosive ammo does regular Hoppes work or is there some other secret. I've heard boiling water works but shit, this isn't my muzzleloader it's modern (more or less) rifle.

Migra

I clean with hot slightly soapy water. I've used Windex, it also works well. Rig a funnel and hose and flush from the breech end with the muzzle down. This dissolves and washs out the salts that cause the corrosion. Run some soapy patches thru the bore and flush again with clean hot water. Wipe the bore dry and then go ahead and clean with Hoppe' s (or the brand of your choice). If you want to get anal about it, field strip the bolt and give it the same hot water treatment, then dry and oil it. When I was in the Corps, we often showered with our M14's, especially the night before inspection. A clean rifle is a happy rifle.

I just spray windex with ammomia down the barrel a few times,let it sit for a few minutes ,spray again and run a few patches down ,a few dry patches,some oily patches , wipe off the bolt and I'm done.
I've had my two mausers for a few years now and not a spot of rust on either,so it must be good enough.I buy 700 rounds for about $50 plus shipping about twice a year of corrosive ammo from turkey,greece,yugoslavia,and probably some others.Doesnt seem to matter which except the heavy bullet stuff from greece(200 gr)shot a little better than the lighter bullet rounds from turkey(150 gr) in my yugo m48a. the turk
m 38 was actually sighted in perfectly with turk surplus.
I handload for hunting,using the 150 gr hornandy at aroung 2550,plenty in the under 100 yards woods hunting I do.
I take about 200 rounds to the range and shoot until I get sick of it.I fitted recoil pads to both my mausers and I usually shoot about 100 rounds between the two before Ive had enough.somewhere around $7 as opposed to $100 for factory ammo.

One of the best things about owning a military rifle in 8X57 IS THE CHEAP AND ACCURATE MILITARY AMMO available!

Corrosive.... but sometimes available cheaper than premium 22LR!

Just clean your rifle properly after use.

quote:

Originally posted by migra:
OK now I'll ask a dumb question. To clean a barrel after using corrosive ammo does regular Hoppes work or is there some other secret. I've heard boiling water works but shit, this isn't my muzzleloader it's modern (more or less) rifle.

Migra

Regular Hoppes is NOT the answer to adequate cleaning of any bore, either old or modern, with corrosive salts deposited in it. You may get away with it depending on the humidity of the environment in which you store your rifles, BUT, to be absolutely safe, you should use a water-based cleaner. The corrosive salts readily dissolve in water, but are generally not soluble in petroleum-based oil or solvents.

The best trick is to first clean out carbon, etc., with something like Hoppes, or Butch's, or Shooter's Choice, whatever. Then with the muzzle pointing downward either use a flex-neck funnel to pour hot water in through the chamber end, or else pump hot-water through the barrel from the muzzle end.

To pump water in, put a TIGHT patch or two on your rod, and insert in bore from chamber end. Put muzzle end of barrel in a bucket of hot water, with or without soap in it.. Push patch through til jag & patch hits the bottom of the bucket but does not come out of the bore. Then pull back on rod 'til patch is pulled back almost to the rifle's chamber. Push up and down like that a number of times. That will draw water up into the bore with each upward stroke and push it out on the downward strokes.

After finishing, run another dry patch or two through from from breech end. The heat of the water will have warmed theBarrel to where it will dry pretty well. Then run a single patch through the barrel with a very light bit of oil on it. Done.

P.S. - Do NOT let your rifle sit over night after shooting without cleaning it, if you have fired corrosive ammo in it. Doing that will soon lead to a "frosted" bore or worse.

I'm glad to see that the Yugo 198gr. is still available. Although it used to be cheaper.
Heavy Ball Yugo 8mm


I use the method jb (ammonia windex) described above at the range.

Hot water is probably as good (maybe even better), but the spray bottle is handy and directs the liquid right where you need it... down the chamber and barrel.

Don't forget to wipe the face of the bolt.

When I get home, I use my favorite Shooter's Choice/Kroil mixture.

Having said that....I'm always willing to try other methods...... especially if they involve less WORK!

I have a question for all the corrosive ammo shooters out there. When will the supply of corrosive ammo dry up? I thought they quit making this stuff when they discovered electricity? The supply seems to be unexhaustable. Where is it all coming from?? I thought after the 50's most everything was non corrosive? Mercuric primers went bye bye a long time ago. Did someone bury this stuff in a salt mine?? Bill T.

billt, I suppose eventually the supply of corrosive military ammo will dry up. But so much of this stuff was stockpiled in the 50s and 60s in eastern European contries that it's going to take a while to run through the supply!

I'm doing MY patriotic best to exhaust that supply!

PS - billt, you need to put a sling on those 48s!

Reload and you won't have to worry about it!

My time is also worth something to me.... . I enjoy reloading and reload for most calibers I have..... but when good quality accurate ammo is available and is dirt cheap.... makes sense to use it instead of reloading.

Thanks for the info guys. I'll probably end up reloading for this rifle. Eventually. Damnit, I knew I shouldn't have sold those 8mm dies at the gun show for $5.00. In the mean time I guess I'll buy the corrosive stuff and keep the barrel cleaned.

Migra

quote:

Originally posted by billt:
I have a question for all the corrosive ammo shooters out there. When will the supply of corrosive ammo dry up? I thought they quit making this stuff when they discovered electricity? The supply seems to be unexhaustable. Where is it all coming from?? I thought after the 50's most everything was non corrosive? Mercuric primers went bye bye a long time ago. Did someone bury this stuff in a salt mine?? Bill T.

I have had greek ammo dated 1938 and yugo dated 1978 ,so there still alot out there.

quote:

Damnit, I knew I shouldn't have sold those 8mm dies at the gun show for $5.00. Migra

Migra,

When you do get around to buying dies, you might want to look into the X-Dies from RCBS. You never have to trim cases with them. Thats what I did. I figured with 2 Mausers I'll be shooting quite a lot of 8 MM and if I don't have to trim, it's a lot less hassle. They are a little more expensive, but worth it. Bill T.

quote:

Originally posted by craigster:

As long as you properly and thoroughly clean your rifle after firing corrosive ammo in it the barrel will not suffer the ravages of corrosion.

Would cleaning it with one of the foaming bore cleaners -- the kind that you inject into your barrel and let set for a half hour and then wipe out with clean patches -- be sufficient to do the trick?

___________

quote:

Originally posted by LE270
Would cleaning it with one of the foaming bore cleaners -- the kind that you inject into your barrel and let set for a half hour and then wipe out with clean patches -- be sufficient to do the trick?_

I've used both Wipe Out and Outers version, they both work very well for removing copper fouling. I really don't know how well they would work when it comes to dissolving the corrosive salt residue.

all you really need to neutralize corrosive ammo is water.

quote:

Originally posted by DaMan:
My time is also worth something to me.... . I enjoy reloading and reload for most calibers I have..... but when good quality accurate ammo is available and is dirt cheap.... makes sense to use it instead of reloading.

yeah but D'man...

I have found that the 8 x 57 in particular is a candidate for reloading.. as I have not found the accuracy of anything near what handloading will do for that round...

Depends if you are just shooting it for the sake of shooting off some rounds... or you are looking at some accuracy....

Although one does not see reload data using fast powders for the 8 x 57.. I have found that they usually actually give the best accuracy and velocity combination....

It is like a big version of the 223, and I often wonder if the 223 was not a scaled down 8mm Mauser case on the design board....

Whatever works well with a 223, ( for fast powders) I have found works exceptably well in the 8 x 57.. however being that the load data is close to non existant.... one has to kind of walk out into unchartered territory....

My personal most commonly used load is 35 grains of SR 4759 or, 44 grains of IMR 4198.. for velocity 47 grains of RL 7.....

These are used with Large rifle primers, any brand really.....

Bullets... 170 grain Speer SMP ( my personal favorite for the cartridge) then the 175 grain Sierra or the 180 grain Nosler.....

I find the 150s don't have enough sectional density for field work...

and velocity falls off too much for the 200 grainers.....

although I saw in an old Speer manual from the mid 1960s where they sold a 225 grain RN.....

sure with that puppy was available now a days!
Talk about retro nostalgia..... big game.. close range!....Cool!

cheers
seafire

Don't overlook Hornady's 170gr. RN bullet and 47-49gr. IMR 4064.

I would never discourage anybody from reloading ANY cartridge.

And ..... IF, I were going to use my 8x57s for hunting or serious competition, I would start to reload for that caliber. Or if my 8mms were my only guns..... I'd also reload for them.

But I have other rifles that are better suited to the hunting and precision/target tasks.

With my older military rifles, I like to test their capabilities with the typical military ammo issued during their service.

It's part of the fun with these war horses!

And fun I will continue to enjoy as long as inexpensive quality ammo is available.

quote:

I find the 150s don't have enough sectional density for field work...

They work great on deer, never recovered a Hornady 150gr, and they allways drop in their tracks

quote:

Originally posted by DaMan:
I would never discourage anybody from reloading ANY cartridge.

And ..... IF, I were going to use my 8x57s for hunting or serious competition, I would start to reload for that caliber. Or if my 8mms were my only guns..... I'd also reload for them.

But I have other rifles that are better suited to the hunting and precision/target tasks.

With my older military rifles, I like to test their capabilities with the typical military ammo issued during their service.

It's part of the fun with these war horses!

And fun I will continue to enjoy as long as inexpensive quality ammo is available.

D'man;

I can respect that!

cheers
seafire

I ordered two cans of the Romanian stuff from AIM yesterday. I suspect I should have bought the Yugoslavian stuff but I'll give that a try next. The shipping on this stuff is almost as much as the ammo itself!

Migra

migra, I found some Berdan (non-reloadable) brass cased, non-corrosive, FNM (Portuguese military) heavy ball (198gr.) on strippers.

BUT THE PRICE IS RIDICULOUS!

Scroll down for prices.

Non-Corrosive FNM 8mm

Compare this to the price the same company sells the Romanian corrosive light ball (154gr) ammo!

Romanian 8mm light ball (non-corrosive)

And here's the Yugoslavian heavy ball (it's 198 gr.) corrosive from the same company for comparison.

Yugo heavy ball corrosive

The Romanian has steel cases, and steel core bullets, not very accurate in my guns. The Yugo is better, and the most accurate I've shot was some 50's Egyptian with 198gr bullets.

I like to order from here

AIMSURPLUS

Major Caliber, That's the place I ordered the Romanian stuff I bought from. RE: DaMans last reply. Holy Ratshit Batman. That non corrosive stuff is expensive! I'll shoot the cheap corrosive stuff and clean with hot water.

Migra

Ditto on the Egyptian maching gun ammo. That was some fine stuff. Is it all gone?

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:
Ditto on the Egyptian maching gun ammo. That was some fine stuff. Is it all gone?

I still have about 600rds of it, and 50 tracers!

quote:

I'll shoot the cheap corrosive stuff and clean with hot water.

migra, let us know how that Romanian stuff works out for you!

On the subject of 8x57 ammo, I have a new flyer from AIM Surplus and they list some 8mm ammo that sounds too good to be true! How about 1970's Yugoslavian 8mm Brass Case Ammo? This is supposed to be some of the best 8mm ever made but I cannot speak from first hand as I never fired any of it. At ten cents per round the price is right!
Go to http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/copy_of_8mm.html and have a look for details.

I'll let you guys know how the Romanian stuff works out. This gun is a Christmas present so I wouldn't feel right about shooting it before the kid.

i have some of the yugo now.shoots about the same as all the other surplus i have,just fine!

quote:

Originally posted by migra:
OK now I'll ask a dumb question. To clean a barrel after using corrosive ammo does regular Hoppes work or is there some other secret. I've heard boiling water works but shit, this isn't my muzzleloader it's modern (more or less) rifle.Migra

NO "nitro-powder" solvent can be relied upon to clean the corrosive primer salts out of a barrel after firing corrosive ammo. You have to clean with hot water. Soapy hot water is probably better. When we used M2 ball made before 1957 (the "safe" date) in our M1's, we stripped them compltetely and immersed them in garbage cans filled with water and heated with immersion heaters. After soaking in the water for 15 minutes, the bores were scrubbed with bore brushes saturated with GI cleaning solvent (which was formulated to deal with corrosive priming), dried, then oiled and reassembled. This treatment positively prevented rust!