I received a K-98k from my beautiful wife for christmas. It is a 1939 manufactured, Russian capture German rifle. I know it uses 7.92x57 ammo and that this is commonly called 8mm. My first question is can modern 8 mm ammo be used safely in the firearm? My second question is what is the best way to clean the residue from corrosive ammo ie milsurp? And last but not least where is the best place to buy milsurp?
Ammunition for K-98k
- Thread starter Huddog
- Start date
- Status
Retro
Member
Before you shoot it, you may need a shoulder pad because the 8 mm in a mauser kicks like a mule... Don't know how those German soldiers do it during WWII in a prone position with the stock recoiling against their fragile collar bones... No wonder we won because M1 garand kicks a$$.
Ammo: surplus 8mm is corrosive, and you need to either rinse the barrel with warm water and blow-dry it, and then clean with CLP as usual. Some use diluted Windex instead of water. Either way works fine.
Modern 8 mm soft-points (hunting variety) is not corrosive... if you are concerned, always have the headspace checked by a gunsmith.
K98k sights are kinda weird, and I didn't know how best to use it.
You can buy surplus ammo from aims, CTD, etc... a lot of online sites.
Ammo: surplus 8mm is corrosive, and you need to either rinse the barrel with warm water and blow-dry it, and then clean with CLP as usual. Some use diluted Windex instead of water. Either way works fine.
Modern 8 mm soft-points (hunting variety) is not corrosive... if you are concerned, always have the headspace checked by a gunsmith.
K98k sights are kinda weird, and I didn't know how best to use it.
You can buy surplus ammo from aims, CTD, etc... a lot of online sites.
dstorm1911
Member
HEHEHE Actually the 8X57 is a very very mild recoiling round,
As far as ammo, don't think in terms of a few boxes get at least 8 or 9 hundred rnds as the availability is starting to get a lil more stressed,
Currently Souther ohio guns (otherwise known as SOG) has a decent price AIM usually does as well, I bought out the 50S Yugo Century had left when they were selling it to dealers at $53 per 900 rnd sealed tins, some of the tins were damaged so I repacked it all in large 50 cal. ammo cans (1800 rnds will fit in each of the tall GI cans BTW) while repacking I inspected it and it was all bright shiny brass cased and about 2/3rds was on original stripper clips alot of dealers got in on the deal and should be selling it soon, myself I got 29,700 rnds and every case was perfect inside, I use it in a 1919a4 as well as 2 MG42s and all my mausers so far its been perfect and very accurate when used in the 98/22 Czech mauser thats onea my favorites.
The recoil in a KAR98 is very close if not a lil softer than a .308 so don't be to worried bout it, My 12 year old neice at 4'11" and 105lbs burns up about a hundred rnds every sunday through a Czech VZ24 when we take everyone out shooting its how we spend our Sundays we take around 25 or 30 guns and all the freinds family that wanna play and we got blast away and do a barbeque etc.. Judy hasn't dislocated her shoulder yet we even get some younger kids playin with the mausers but most like the AKM47s and the FALs more.
As far as ammo, don't think in terms of a few boxes get at least 8 or 9 hundred rnds as the availability is starting to get a lil more stressed,
Currently Souther ohio guns (otherwise known as SOG) has a decent price AIM usually does as well, I bought out the 50S Yugo Century had left when they were selling it to dealers at $53 per 900 rnd sealed tins, some of the tins were damaged so I repacked it all in large 50 cal. ammo cans (1800 rnds will fit in each of the tall GI cans BTW) while repacking I inspected it and it was all bright shiny brass cased and about 2/3rds was on original stripper clips alot of dealers got in on the deal and should be selling it soon, myself I got 29,700 rnds and every case was perfect inside, I use it in a 1919a4 as well as 2 MG42s and all my mausers so far its been perfect and very accurate when used in the 98/22 Czech mauser thats onea my favorites.
The recoil in a KAR98 is very close if not a lil softer than a .308 so don't be to worried bout it, My 12 year old neice at 4'11" and 105lbs burns up about a hundred rnds every sunday through a Czech VZ24 when we take everyone out shooting its how we spend our Sundays we take around 25 or 30 guns and all the freinds family that wanna play and we got blast away and do a barbeque etc.. Judy hasn't dislocated her shoulder yet we even get some younger kids playin with the mausers but most like the AKM47s and the FALs more.
full metal
Member
mosin nagant
I own a m-44 carbine.thats a mosin nagant carbine neat little rifle but i want to know if ther is a after market trigger for it?the trigger that it comes with is very simple and clumbsy.i was thinking of puting a thinner trigger tang to lighting the trigger pull,any ideas? or info welcomed.
I own a m-44 carbine.thats a mosin nagant carbine neat little rifle but i want to know if ther is a after market trigger for it?the trigger that it comes with is very simple and clumbsy.i was thinking of puting a thinner trigger tang to lighting the trigger pull,any ideas? or info welcomed.
ajax
Member
Full Metal I can help you with this one. Huber Concepts. Type that into google and you'll get his web site.
mustanger98
Member
This is meant as comparison and not so much as arguement. It's subjective based on personal experience.
I wouldn't shoot a K98k from prone. But then, mostly my shooting is standing offhand or across the bench. IMO, it'd be best to shoot this one from standing because you can absorb a lot more recoil from standing.
I mixed up a bottle half-and-half, water and ammonia. I just swab out the chamber, bore, and inside the bolt, and wipe off the bolt face and firing pin, then clean as normal with Hoppe's #9. I haven't had any problem with it rusting.
Not only are modern 8mm (8x57JS, 7.92x57) hunting loads non-corrosive, they also don't kick as hard. They're not loaded to has high of a pressure as milsurp ball.
Those sights are geared towards being Minute-Of-Enemy to 400m. Here it is, best of my knowledge:
100m- aim for the belt buckle, hit COM
200m- aim for the belt buckle, hit COM
300m- aim for COM, hit COM
400m- aim for the head, hit COM
That was with 198gr German ball. I've shot some S&B 196gr SPCE (non-corrosive, but costs a mite more) and POI was a lot closer to POA.
I've bought Turkish headstamped 1935 from CTC. It's 196gr steel jacketed running about 3100fps. That stuff kicks like a mule. I've also bought Romanian from AIM and that's 153gr FMJ running IIRC about 2700fps and it don't kick so hard.
I wouldn't shoot a K98k from prone. But then, mostly my shooting is standing offhand or across the bench. IMO, it'd be best to shoot this one from standing because you can absorb a lot more recoil from standing.
I mixed up a bottle half-and-half, water and ammonia. I just swab out the chamber, bore, and inside the bolt, and wipe off the bolt face and firing pin, then clean as normal with Hoppe's #9. I haven't had any problem with it rusting.
Not only are modern 8mm (8x57JS, 7.92x57) hunting loads non-corrosive, they also don't kick as hard. They're not loaded to has high of a pressure as milsurp ball.
Those sights are geared towards being Minute-Of-Enemy to 400m. Here it is, best of my knowledge:
100m- aim for the belt buckle, hit COM
200m- aim for the belt buckle, hit COM
300m- aim for COM, hit COM
400m- aim for the head, hit COM
That was with 198gr German ball. I've shot some S&B 196gr SPCE (non-corrosive, but costs a mite more) and POI was a lot closer to POA.
I've bought Turkish headstamped 1935 from CTC. It's 196gr steel jacketed running about 3100fps. That stuff kicks like a mule. I've also bought Romanian from AIM and that's 153gr FMJ running IIRC about 2700fps and it don't kick so hard.
Jackal
Member
If your gonan do any serious accuracy testing, I would suggest using some Federal 8mm ammo. With my Yugo M48 Mauser, I can put 5 shots into one hole at 50 yards. With surplus ammo however, these results are not ever gonna happen, at least with my rifle. As far as recoil, dont worry about it. The 8mm is a pussycat and if you are recoil sensitive, just use a slip-on recoil pad like the ones made by Limbsaver. The current crop of commercial 8mm ammo is actually loaded weaker than most any mil-surp ammo. The reason being that the major ammo companies do not want anyone chambering a hot round in thier 100 year old, poor condition rifle and have it explode in thier face.
Retro
Member
Yeah, Mustang. I used the 1950 Yugo Surplus Ball corrosive ammo, and that thing kicked like crazy... and I bruised my collar bone after around 50 rounds.
In comparison to M1 Garand 30.06 and Mossin Nagant full-length rifle, K98k Mauser was the most unpleasant to shoot for me. And I traded away my
K98k along with that huge case of Yugo ammo.
I have shot .308 (lake city 7.62) in my FAL with the gas tube shut-off (i.e. single-shot only), and the recoil wasn't that bad at all... And 30.06 was an excellent round with minimal recoil in my M1 Garand. But Mauser... man, I have respect for that gun because it hurts.
In comparison to M1 Garand 30.06 and Mossin Nagant full-length rifle, K98k Mauser was the most unpleasant to shoot for me. And I traded away my
K98k along with that huge case of Yugo ammo.
I have shot .308 (lake city 7.62) in my FAL with the gas tube shut-off (i.e. single-shot only), and the recoil wasn't that bad at all... And 30.06 was an excellent round with minimal recoil in my M1 Garand. But Mauser... man, I have respect for that gun because it hurts.
mustanger98
Member
Hey Retro, I still have my Mausers... M48 Yugo in military new condition (came to me in cosmoline; looks like it'd never been fired), 1943 CE code (JP Saur) K98k, and 1940 VZ-24. I didn't shoot 'em more than four or five clips at a time and that's been a while so I still have most of my ammo that I mentioned, but one observation I made is the VZ-24 don't seem to kick near as hard as the K98k does.
I don't have an FAL or any other milsurp in 7.62mm, but I do have an M1 Garand that I'll agree is a very nice shooter. Not only can I comfortably shoot Lake City M2 ball, but I also know a couple of nice handloads, toned down some, that work well in it.
aka108
Member
If you are not yet in the reloading game it might be time to give it some thought if you plan on doing a lot of shooting with it. Brings the cost way down and accuracy up. Recoil is similar to 308 and 303.
Thanks for all the useful information. I don't expect I'll put huge amounts of ammo through the Mauser, but you never know I understand those things can get kind of addictive. My primary issue is finding a place to shoot rifles.
However, I went by the gunsmith today and am taking the rifle in tomorrow to have the headspacing checked he also mentioned checking the bore to see if it was 317 or 323 anybody have an idea as to what he is talking about?
Thanks again
Huddog
However, I went by the gunsmith today and am taking the rifle in tomorrow to have the headspacing checked he also mentioned checking the bore to see if it was 317 or 323 anybody have an idea as to what he is talking about?
Thanks again
Huddog
mustanger98
Member
Before 1905, the 8x57mm round was "8x57J". "J" stood for "Jaeger"; this was the infantry round. The bore diameter was .318".
In 1905, the 8x57mm round's bullet was changed to the present-day .323" diameter and the round was designated "8x57JS" (and I forget what the "S" stands for). All existing military rifles were re-barreled to this diameter. Your rifle is dated 1939 so it will be the later .323" and compatable with milsurp ammo and modern sporting ammo.
Your rifle is military from 1939, but I believe your gunsmith has another historical detail in mind. German and Austrian hunters had and still have hunting/sporting rifles in either bore diameter. Those guys know the difference between the two and "8x57J" (.318) and "8x57JS" (.323) are as different to them as .243Winchester and 6mmRemington are to American hunters. However, American hunters as a general rule, according to my understanding, haven't been as well versed on Euro rifles/ammo. The ammo manufacturers, knowing the problem with public knowledge on this detail, make the 8x57JS round with the .323" bullet operate at a lower pressure and with a softer bullet so if the .323" bullet were fired in a .318 bore, it still wouldn't overpressurize the barrel. From a handloading point of view, you don't really have that same "advantage", so you have to know your rifle's bore diameter.
Any window cleaner with ammonia will work to neutralize the corrosive salts... spray and wipe liberally before you start with your regular cleaning. Good old soap and water works too, use HOT water, it will eveaporate quickly and leave nothing to rust.
I've got some good ammo pick-ups at gun shows (if you don't want to pay shipping and buy 390 rds in bulk for mail order) for no more than $2/15rds.
They can be uncomfy to shoot from prone, as are many bolt action steel butt-plate rifles.
S&B makes hot loaded (meaning loaded like its supposed to be) 196gr soft point thats reloadable, Century Arms makes "hot shot" 170 gr ammo that's very accurate, though it shot a LOT lower @ 100 yards than the milsurp Yugo. ammo I've been shooting. The 196 gr stuff was dead on @100 yards.
I've got some good ammo pick-ups at gun shows (if you don't want to pay shipping and buy 390 rds in bulk for mail order) for no more than $2/15rds.
They can be uncomfy to shoot from prone, as are many bolt action steel butt-plate rifles.
S&B makes hot loaded (meaning loaded like its supposed to be) 196gr soft point thats reloadable, Century Arms makes "hot shot" 170 gr ammo that's very accurate, though it shot a LOT lower @ 100 yards than the milsurp Yugo. ammo I've been shooting. The 196 gr stuff was dead on @100 yards.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
