best source for 8mm Mauser ammo?

[Dorrin79]

picked up a M48 Yugo Mauser in 8mm Friday.

I was wondering what the best price for ammo for this is? I'm not interested in anything corrosive.

My local gun shop had S&B 8mm for $9.95 / box of 20. Domestic commercial seems to run anywhere from $16 - $24 / box of 20 depending on type and brand.

So, is the $10 S&B the cheapest out there? If so, is there someplace I can buy it online? I bought all that my local shop had, and CheaperThanDirt doesn't carry the S&B 8mm for some reason.

While on the topic, does anyone know of a place that sells the stripper clips for the M48, or a replacement buttplate? That metal one really tenderized my shoulder when i was trying it out Saturday.

 

[cslinger]

Your best bet is surplus ammo. Usually runs about $5 to $8 per 70 round bandolier on stripper clips. Try Southern Ohio gun, Aim Surplus, Ammo Man or local gun shows or stores.

THIS AMMO IS CORROSIVE!!!! Just a warning. This is not a big deal really. After shooting take your gun home and fill up a bucket with very hot water and dish detergent, like Palmolive or whatever. Disassemble your bolt and throw the bolt in pieces into the bucket. Put the bore end of the gun in the water and use a patch and rod to act like a piston to cause the soapy water to be pulled up into the barrel. Give it a good few minutes of this. Take a rag dipped in the soapy water and wipe down all the parts you didn't get to with the piston effect like the magazine.

Take th bolt out and wipe it down with a dry towel. Dry off the rifle and the barrel with clean dry patches. Then do a NORMAL gun cleaning with hoppes or whatever. After it is all said and done I recommend a coating of Breakfree CLP inside and out.

This sounds a lot harder than it is. It really is quite easy and doesn't take much time at all but if you shoot any surplus ammo YOU MUST follow this routine or you will have a rusty and pitted gun in no time, like days. You must do this as soon as you get back from the range.

New production stuff just clean as normal but you just can't beat the price of surplus 8mm and it tends to be hot too.

One other word of caution with surplus 8mm or really any ammo surplus or otherwise. If you pull the trigger and nothing happens count off to 60 before clearing the round. Hangfires can happen with any ammo old or new regardless of caliber but there have been a couple of batches of 8mm notorious for it. Again no big deal and not real likely but something to always remember. Some people will tell you to count to 30, I say 60 to be safe.

FWIW, I have never experienced a hangfire but an ounce of precaution and all that.

Have fun and shoot safe.
Chris

 

[cslinger]

One other thing....

Be a man shoot that thing with the steel buttplate. It will make you humble and teach you that there really isn't too much out there that will bother you in regards to recoil anymore.

When you shoot it pocket it tight into your shoulder, almost like you would a shotgun. Pull it tight and fire. This really makes it not to bad on the shoulder. If you hold it wrong though, she will let you know.

Chris

 

[Fatelvis]

I found the S&B ammo to shoot pretty accurately (out of the rifle Ive shot). Why not shoot that, and use the brass to load some good, accurate loads, using Sierra`s new 8mm match bullet? Just a thought!

 

[Dorrin79]

cslinger -

I know the Turk surplus is cheap, but I do a lot of my shooting outdoors in South Texas. The humidity is so high here that I am concerned that even a couple of hours of exposure could start the corrosion process. I have heard that in humid environments this can happen...

As for the buttplate, maybe you're right! I noticed that after shooting ten rounds with the Mauser, I couldn't even feel the recoil from my SKS (not that it kicks that hard to begin with).

Fatelvis -

The S&B worked great for me Saturday. Do you know of any online retailers that carry it in 8mm?

 

[Tamara]

I know the Turk surplus is cheap, but I do a lot of my shooting outdoors in South Texas. The humidity is so high here...

As opposed to the cool, dry air of west-central Tennesse?

Hey, cslinger; any rust in that Mauser bore?

(FWIW, I shoot a fair amount of S&B and save the brass, in case I decide to set up to reload 8mm Mauser...)

 

[cwalker3]

AIM Surplus has Romanian 8mm for $25 for 360 rounds. It is corrosive, but you sure can't beat the price. I've shot a lot of corrosive ammo and have never had a problem with rust. What I do is run a few patches down the bore soaked with a 50/50 mix of ammonia and water while at the range. (A lot of people also use Windex.) I also wipe down the bolt with the same mixture. When I get home, I clean as I normally would.

For a good read on how to clean after shooting corrosive ammo, go here: http://www.empirearms.com/clean.htm

 

[Dorrin79]

alright, ya'll convinced me...

is it necessary to disassemble the bolt and clean it with ammonia (or windex or whatever) as well, or just the bolt face and bore?

Thanks for all the useful info...

UPDATE - ya'll convinced me so well, in fact, that I just ordered one of those 380 rd tins from AIMSurplus.

should keep me shooting for a while.

If it eats my bore, though, I'm holding ya'll responsible...

 

[cslinger]

As opposed to the cool, dry air of west-central Tennesse?

That is just what I was going to say.

I really don't think you will have any problems. I did have a very small patch of rust form just outside of the crown but that was because I neglected to clean it for a day after shooting. That cleaned right up and I have never had any rust or pitting of any kind when I follow my own advice.

My bore and barrel are positively shiney.

If I think I am going to be out for a long time before i get to clean the guns I shoot corrosive through I just bring along my cleaning kit and some windex. Soak some patches in windex and run them through the bores. This seems to do a passable job until I can do a good thorough cleaning. The rust will form fast but not so fast you can't go shooting for a full day at the range.

Chris