8 x 57 JS Question

[slammy]

I just bought a chex Mauser. It was sold as a .308. The guy threw in a box of shells they are labeled 8 x 57 JS after comparing the shells to my standard .308 there is no way they are the same round, could this be equal to Eastern block 8mm?

Thanks in advance for your help....Merry Christmas!

 

[highorder]

You need to find out what caliber your Czech Mauser is chambered in.

If it's an unmodified military rifle, it's chambered in 8x57JS. ("8mm Mauser") Does it show any signs of being rebarreled? Do you have any pics?

I don't believe a .308 will chamber in an 8mm mauser, but I caution against fooling around with live ammo in the house.

 

[NCsmitty]

I'm sure you mean Czech Mauser. Unless it has been converted, it probably is an 8mm Mauser chambering. I suggest having a knowledgeable person look the rifle over before attempting to fire it, to determine the proper ammo for it.



NCsmitty

 

[slammy]

NC, yes I meant a Czech Mauser. Seems all marking match so I think the guy I bought it from just did not know the difference....he must have never tried to shoot a .308 round threw the rifle as 1. he still here and 2. the rifle is in grade A shape.


Thanks....

 

[fyrfytr]

You would have more problems putting an 8mm(.323) through a 7.62 (.308)

 

[MMCSRET]

The 308 will chamber and fire in a standard, unaltered 8MM, the extractor will hold it back against the bolt and it will fire. The case neck will substantially disappear as the case will straighten out and fire form to the chamber. The bullet is 308 and will not fill the 7.92(.323) bore, so pressures will be low. This is not a recommended practice but is, for the most part, not dangerous to fire arm or "stupid" fire arm user. Be careful and be safe, and be sure!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[highorder]

Shows what I know...

I thought the .308 was too big at the shoulder to chamber in an 8mm.

 

[Brimic]

Check the metal near the muzzle for stampings- if it has an import mark, the caliber will be stamped there as well. It should say something like 7.92 on it.

 

[slammy]

Thanks to all....I will check gthe stampings....Geez I love this site!

 

[slammy]

Looked for import marks I found "Cole L,ville Ky stamped on the barrel but no numbers. I did find a small stamp on the bolt which reads 8K that is also stamped on the barrel anybody know what the 8K might stand for? The crest is worn and hard to read but it looks like it also might have the 8K stamp under it.

Thanks in advance......

 

[panrobercik]

Unless someone really did a number on the rifle , there are two possibilities.
If the rifle has the original barrel than it will be chambered in 7.92x57 , AKA 8mm Mauser.
If the rifle has been converted by Israelis than it would have a big 7.62 stamp on the receiver indicating being converted to 7.62x51 AKA 7.62 NATO or very similar to 308 Winchester.
308 round is smaller than the 8 mm Mauser therefore it will chamber in 8mm rifle. If the rifle was converted than 8mm round will not chamber.
Post a picture of the headstamp of the ammo you got. Does it chamber ?

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

I am from the L,ville KY area. I used to know some of the old hands who did alot of work on mausers in the immediate post WWII time frame up to around the mid '90's. Many are dead now, but I will check with a couple and see if that stamp was used by anyone they knew.

Try a quick bullet test at the muzzle, to see if it is a .308 or .323.

 

[Brimic]

A .308 bullet will drop straight through the barrel if the barrel is a 8mm.

 

[slammy]

The 8x57 does chamber and seems to lock up normally. I just did a complete strip and cleaned all the cosmoline (sp) off the rifle but I still can't find any kind of stamp that would indicate caliber. It does not look like anything has been done to the barrel. The only thing that looks strange, is the bolt release has better bluing then the rest of the rifle. I'll try to get some pic's up in a bit.

I inserted the .308 bullet in the muzzle and there was a lot of play.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Odds are good that it is an 8x57 but if you don't have it cast and measured you can always use the tire method. Tie it to a car tire and load it up with an 8x57 catridge. Tie a string to the trigger and hide behind a tree as you pull the string.

 

[slammy]

Lets see if this works....

 

[panrobercik]

that would be Yugo, not Czech
Get a shot of the whole rifle

 

[highorder]

That is a Yugo Mauser crest.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I thought the .308 was too big at the shoulder to chamber in an 8mm.

I'm also thinking it would take some effort to get it in there, though I'm sure a determined idiot could manage with little more than a sore palm.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Should be an 'Import' mark on it, probably along the side of the barrel, close to the muzzle end. Sometimes the caliber will be stenciled on along with the importer identification.

If not, play it safe and do a chamber casting...it's cheap, easy to do, wont harm the rifle and will keep you in one piece!

 

[Brimic]

Looked for import marks I found "Cole L,ville Ky stamped on the barrel but no numbers

That is most likely to be imported by Cole Distributing, of Scottsville, KY.

http://www.coledistributing.com/

You might be able to contact them to confirm if its their import mark. If it is, its definately a 8mm- all of the surplus yugo mausers are chambered in 8x57. Its extremely unlikely that someone rechambered the rifle to something else as a 30-06 round will not fit in the short action so it wouldn't be chaged to 8mm-06, andit would be even more unlikely for someone to sleeve the barrel.

 

[panrobercik]

if you have the 8mm ammo and it chambers well, I would go with the tire test.
Yugo Mausers were not historically converted to any other caliber like the German K98 was converted to 7.62 NATO.
When I get a "new" surplus rifle I always do semi-tire test, I just point it down range and keep away from my face when firing first few rounds.

 

[slammy]

Well M4, because I'm here I guess you can tell I'm not an idiot shooter. Hell I bought it to sell not to shoot. I guess the guy who sold did not have any better information than the guy who bought it.

More pic's coming and I have to say she is pretty a good looking Rifle.

 

[slammy]

Pic's of the entire rifle... I thought a good deal $125 plus allmost a box of ammo.....

 

[NCsmitty]

It's hard to see, but it looks like it might be stamped M48 A. I can see the 8 and the A in the picture.
They are generally good shooters if the barrel was taken care of properly. The surplus ammo is all corrosive and cleaning is imperative.



NCsmitty