8x57j .318 360

[Dwayne M]

I have an old German drilling with 16 ga side by side and rifle on the bottom. I have sent it to a Gun smith to have it chambered. They say that it's 8X57J .318 (360). I maybe wrong but if I have 8X57 cartridge it should chamber. Just for sizing I have tried 6.5X57 which is a smaller caliber. It would no where near chamber. Before I go out and pay an arm and a leg for bullets. Or Call the Gun Smith, I would like to know could the 8X57J .318 *360) be right when no other **X57 Cartridge fits into the chamber?

 

[rocinante]

The newer (from like the 1920s) standard is .323 AFAIK the casing or total length never changed for 7.92x57 Mauser. Your other round might not chamber because of the shape of the casing.

Sounds like a cool old gun.

 

[NCsmitty]

Welcome to THR, Dwayne M.

There are a few different versions of 8x57 and your gunsmith needs to determine the proper cartridge.

Many old drillings were 8x57R-360. This rimmed cartridge was a lower powered case based on the 9.3x72R.
Here's a link to a previous discussion on THR.

www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=442748


The 8x57j is a rimless .318 dia bullet case similar to the current 8x57js that is .323 dia.

The 8x57j was originally used in the 1888 Gewehr military rifle and is known as the 8x57j Commission.

As far as I know, there is no 8x57j .318 (360) case, but I do not have all the answers.


NCsmitty

 

[Steve Marshall]

The body diameter of the 8x57R 360 is .427" @ the base. On the more familiar 8x57JS it is .470" @ the base. These are two decidedly different cartridges that happen to be about the same length.