Anyone into MilSurps and reloading for them?

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palmettokat said:
"I don't think your friend is too much of an expert....and likely that brass is berdan primed. Pretty much useless in the reloading world...yea you can do it but why on something so common as a 3006."


He has some specs on reloading the older military 3006 brass that gives lower specs. So go from there. As to the brass being thicker it is and even by my eye sight can see that.

As to the primer, nope it is not berdan primed. So very much reloadable. He reloads a good bit of it. I will soon be doing the same.
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Just use standard operating procedure--start low and work up. If using it in a Garand or other gas gun-do some more research for loads specifically for these guns.
 
This afternoon got copy of what he based this upon: Sierra's 5th edition reloading manual, page 544. It reads: " Loads for G.I. cases should be reduced by one to one and a half grains to compensate for their heavier construction."

That follows some comments on the Garands so it might be possible they are talking about only for that rifle but I do not think so.

Think will follow MTRMN's suggestion and begin on the low side.

Thanks all. PK
 
palmettokat said:
This afternoon got copy of what he based this upon: Sierra's 5th edition reloading manual, page 544. It reads: " Loads for G.I. cases should be reduced by one to one and a half grains to compensate for their heavier construction."

That follows some comments on the Garands so it might be possible they are talking about only for that rifle but I do not think so.

Think will follow MTRMN's suggestion and begin on the low side.

Thanks all. PK
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Never read that before....interesting.....I stand corrected.....it however does not change that most of the military cases I have seen are berdan primed....you said your stuff has the friendly primers so it sounds like you are on top of it.
 
Let's see -- I have two M1903A3s, a Garand and a Canadian Ross in .303. I also have a sporterized M96 Swede in 6.5X55 and a sporterized Springfield in .35 Brown-Whelen. I load for and shoot all of them.
 
For me -- MilSurps will be fed mostly by reloads. I have the dies for all except for the 7.5 Swiss already. I've loaded 30-06, 30 Carbine, 6.5x55 already and will roll some 8MM and 30-40 Krag soon.
30-06 in my Garands, M1903, M1903A3, M1917, and Belgian Mauser
30 Carbine - M1 Carbine
6.5x55 Swedish Mauser
8MM - Yugo, Kar98 and M48
303 Brit - Enfields No 4 Mk 1
7.5 Swiss K31
7.7 Jap Arisaka
30-40 Krag in 1898 Krag
7.62x25 CZ52
 
fpgt72....man it is a big learning process to me. My friend can quote more specs off the top of his head then I can find. Amazes me but he has been at it for a long time.

I do appreciate the info on the primer but again his guidance prevent that error. Now one error his missed or maybe can say he had never run into with military surplus is how hard some primers are. I have two 3006 rifles and one has no issue firing them and the other will dimple the primer but not hit hard enough to fire all, about 50%. Talked with local shop and they said it is not rifle issue but primer issue. Another story. One reason pushing to reload. PK
 
fpgt72 said:
Never read that before....interesting.....I stand corrected.....it however does not change that most of the military cases I have seen are berdan primed....you said your stuff has the friendly primers so it sounds like you are on top of it.
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I haven't seen a lot of different military 30-06 cases, But NEVER seen a Berdan primed one. All of the ones I've dealt with have been US made. I've seen "surplus" from other countries for sale from time to time-maybe this is what you're talking about.
 
I reload .303, 7.62x54R, 30-06, 7.5x 55, 7.62x25, 7.62x39, 6.5 x 55, 30 carbine, 7.7 jap, 8x57 Mauser, 6.5 carcano, 308 win, and 8x56 R...that is all I can think of off the top of my head that are milsurps calibers.
 
Cosmoline said:
IMHO handloading for surplus arms represents the greatest challenge and most rewarding one in handloading short of making your own wildcat. You can spend a lifetime wringing all the secrets out of rifle and load combinations. You'll find a hidden history written into these old war rifles. The precision of the Swiss, the practicality of the Red Army, the marksmanship of the Finns. You'll find unexpected elegance in places like Greece and Sweden. And you'll learn that everything is a matter of tradeoffs. The more precise, the more picky. The best can be the enemy of good enough.



I agree, Lee 54R dies are plenty good enough. And they're easy to find.
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I will not attempt to improve on your post, as it boils all down to it's essence.
 
tahunua001 said:
I am, I got into it from necessity because of my two jap guns, my french gun and now most recently a M95 steyr. the steyr with handloads is right on par with my M1 garand and slightly better than my mosin nagants.

I have yet to shoot the 7.7 japanese enough to warrant reloads, I've just been putting hornady custom through it. it's about as accurate as my 1903 springfield and enfield number 4 though the zero if off and I haven't taken the time to drift the sight.

the 6.5 jap is a tack driver no matter what I put in it. it's a carbine so velocity sucks compared to the long rifles but I regularly ring an oxygen tank at 400 yards with that little gun off sandbags. it is easily the most accurate milsurp I own(second only to a 1903A4 sniper I used to own).

the 7.5 french sucks. it's zero is way off and the only way to adjust it is to get a rear sight with the peep drilled in a different spot which is impossible to find. I never shoot it, I've been trying to sell it for several months... no takers.
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Mas36: For windage the front sight is only soft soldered in the dovetail, little heat and it can be easily drifted.

The rear sight for 100 yard or less elevation, can be shimmed to lower aperture.
 
fpgt72 said:
I don't think your friend is too much of an expert....and likely that brass is berdan primed. Pretty much useless in the reloading world...yea you can do it but why on something so common as a 3006.
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Methinks you speak out of turn there.

Most reloading books will caution against loading thicker wall military surplus boxer primed brass with loads listed for commercial brass, without working slowly up to them.
 
Mas36: For windage the front sight is only soft soldered in the dovetail, little heat and it can be easily drifted.

The rear sight for 100 yard or less elevation, can be shimmed to lower aperture.
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this is only on certain guns. my gun is not part of that group.
 
tahunua001 said:
this is only on certain guns. my gun is not part of that group.
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If it is a Mas-36, perhaps you could enlighten me as to the differences.

If you are referring to rear sight, merely press down on aperture and then shim as required with paper, plastic, brass, or what ever.
 
tahunua001 said:
and you do this to fix 8 inch right deviation at 25 yards?
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The answer to your horizontal question was as posted here: Mas36: For windage the front sight is only soft soldered in the dovetail, little heat and it can be easily drifted.
 
Anyone else into older Military firearms, & reloading to bring out there inherent accuracy?
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This must be a rhetorical question :neener:

There might be a couple of folks who do that :eek:
 
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