Diving into 8mm waters.

[rocinante]

I bught two mausers for 200.

One was a yugo 24/47 still in the cosmoline. Seems to have all matching numbers, only one small repair on the walnut stock, and not too many dings. as far as I can judge a pristine bore. Nice bluing. No importer mark that I could find.

No real questions about the yugo. As a lefty I even like the straight bolt.

The other is a turkish, marked Anakara 1935. Nice golden oak stock with absolutely no repair work just a reasonable number of handling dings, bluing that looks plum in spots and gone altogether. as far as I can judge a pristine bore. What strikes me the most about it is it is a quality rifle. Just how heavy and crafted stuff like the barrel band, trigger guard, bolt release.

Doing a little research it said it is a model 1903 and has an intermediate action? That confuses me because its bolt is longer than the yugo which is always called intermediate. I've read many threads where they use the turk action to build big bore precision rifles. Is this rifle suitable for that?

I just bought a 900 round case for 350 out the door. The crate still had the twist wire lead seals and the tin says 93-02 on it. I was relieved the can had a pull wire on it to open it. Given this is 9-12-2009 I did pretty good? yes? no?

So far I have a 550 dollar investment into 8mm world. I want a semi auto in addition to the bolt guns. The ideal would be a yugo M76 but that is out of my budget right now. I see what appears to be real nice FN49 and Hakims in the 500 dollar range. I think I prefer the FN49 but many have said the Hakim is a quality rifle and highly accurate with its direct impend (sic) mechanism. Just for range shooting.

In general any and all 8mm musing. I think I am off to an okay start.

 

[rocinante]

and another thing. What would be the recommended treatment for the golden oak wood on the turk? I don't want to redo it just nourish the wood and make it look cared for if that makes sense.

 

[rocinante]

Well I don't mind talking to myself. Both rifles the safeties are insanely stiff. Are they really suppose to be usable?

 

[NCsmitty]

Congratulations on your purchases. The 1935 Turk conversion and the 24/47 do indeed have intermediate actions. The 24/47 bolt will fit in the Turk if you try, just do not try to fire it like that due to headspace concerns.
The Turk was produced in 1903 in Germany and is a classic example of German machining. Your rifle was converted to 8MM from 7.65x53 by Turkey in 1935. Notice the notch in the receiver to clear the longer 8MM rounds, and the high mag stripper notch.

Here's a site for more info on the Turks including pics. Maybe you already know about it.

www.turkmauser.com/

Back about 3yrs ago, you could buy Turk 8MM ammo for about $60 for 900rds. It was pretty hot ammo as a rule. I still have some left.

The wood on the Turk will respond to Tung oil to retain it's color, after you wipe the stock with mineral spirits and remove as much cosmoline as possible. It should be a nice addition to your collection.

The safeties can be worn some or out of tolerance, or just sticky.

NCsmitty

 

[ThomasT]

Well first you have to give everybody time to find your post. Its saturday (at least it is here) and lots of the regular guys are out with families and girlfriends. Its raining here so I don't have much else to do.

I have had my dads 8mm mauser that was sporterized by my grandad back in 1963. I killed my second elk with it. I love the round. Its seems to be the full equal of the 30-06 with handloads.

I just bought a Yugo 24/47 and I am just starting to mess with it. I think I will have to replace the rear sight with a Mojo sight so I can get it to hit point of aim. Right now it is about 8" high and no way to lower the rear sight more.

If you go shooting take a towel or something to go between your shoulder and the steel buttplate. Its has a fair amount of recoil at least when bench shooting. By the way you did well on the price. i paid $184 with all the shipping and transfer fees.

 

[rocinante]

Oh I know I am being a little bratty but this is the place where guys generally know their stuff and I am excited about my new toys.

NCSmithy I did see that site but what you shared is just what I need to know. I can also see where the feed ramp looks machined a little rougher than the rest of the metal. Maybe that is part of the conversion too. So bottom line is a good quality action but suitable for 308 or smaller cartridges?

The bolts do kinda fit but neither one will close in the other rifle. The Yugo bolt comes closer to closing but I didn't force it.

Yeah ammo prices have gone up. I have only been shooting a few years and am groaning that most everything has doubled in price in the last year. I could of gotten some cheaper 50s yugo ammo but I figured I would get the still affordable but supposedly more consistent ammo. I want to see how well these guns shoot and that is hard to judge with questionable bullets. So far the biggest caliber I shoot is 7.62x39 and 8mm sounds like a good big caliber to play with. Just for fun and the thrill of the noise and recoil you got surplus ammo much cheaper than 308. If you want to get serious there is better ammo available too. Cost advantage seems to disappear though.

I do have a MN 91/30 too. I was surprised how little it kicked.

Ratshooter I have been seeing the 24/47 shoots high. If it seems to have any accuracy at all and a keeper I will get some peep sights. Helped a lot on my 10/22.

LIMBSAVER already on it.

 

[ThomasT]

Your not being bratty at all. I'n just having fun with you. I did the same thing in one of my threads except I started posting answers to myself. Another poster ask if if was okay to butt in to the conversation I was having with myself.

I did try some of the 8mm romanian the cheaper than dirt sells. I am about 28 miles away and went to the store to get it. I have only shot 5 rounds but it shot as good as my handloads. It was a hundred bucks plus change for 340 rounds. Thats not great but acceptable since loose bullets are now $21 and up for a 100 round box.

I like the fact that these guns seem almost indestructible.

 

[longdayjake]

neither rifle should feel stiff at all. Are you sure you got all the cosmoline out? You should completely take the bolt apart which is insanely easy. Tell us what you did to clean up the rifles.

 

[NCsmitty]

So bottom line is a good quality action but suitable for 308 or smaller cartridges?

bratty?

rocinante, if you're considering sporterizing any of your milsurp rifles, be prepared to spend a lot more than what you would spend on a new Marlin or Savage rifle.
The only way around the expense is if you are capable of doing a lot of the metal work yourself.
I suggest learning the history of your rifles, and keep them, shoot them, and enjoy them.


NCsmitty

 

[rocinante]

bratty? the act of being an impatient horse's patoot. Don't you have kids?

No I guess I aren't really thinking of sportizing milsurp but I do have a strong urge to improve just about any machine I own and really like. You should see my mustang.

I do enjoy the aspects of history and knowledge building. Really there is no other class of objects like firearms that seem in some way to be tied to something epic or at least interesting.

Nothing wrong with the safeties and they are well oiled and nada cosmoline left. I completely disassembled and cleaned the bolts. Heat gun, brake cleaner, and brushes are foes even commie mystery goo can't overcome. They work just are stiff.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

If the contact area of the trigger to cocking piece (aka sear)is worn it will change safety to cocking piece tolerance making for a stiff operating safety. It may take some careful polishing to smooth the safety's operation. EMPHASIS put on the work CAREFUL!

 

[plumbernater]

HI I just aquired a k98 mauser 8mm that was sporterized right after ww2 that my dad had. From what I was told it was sent home from germany during the war. It also has a german scope on her its a OGIEE made in berlin of the same time. My dad used to hunt hogs with it in the swomps around santee south carolina and the 8mm does a job on a hog. Shes very accurate and dont quite have the flat range of the 30.06 but really nice to shoot. You will have to get used to the kick. She will extract any thing, the monster extraction claw on those mausers are the best.Oh yes I also got with the gun the ammo pouch from ww2 with 1942 8mm rounds in the strippers still in it.

 

[rocinante]

Took them both to the range. The turk feeds and ejects really really smooth. The yugo was okay but it stuck a few times. I have never been on a 100 yard range. To my dismay although not surprise I really really suck. I can't tell you if either rifle is accurate because I found I had a hard time just hitting the target much less getting groups an inch or two or three or four or ... from the bullseye. And yes virginia they do kick and recoil pads are highly welcome.

I HAD FUN THOUGH!!!!!!!! Sure the hell beats church, mowing the grass, and football on tv.

 

[ThomasT]

Rocinante a hundred yards is a long ways out ain't it? It kinda makes you wonder about threads where the poster is asking about 300 to 600 yard shooting.

When you read about people getting 3-4" groups at 100 yards with a mini-14 or a lever action 30-30 you realize thats really not bad shooting. Not with open sighted rifles with field use sights.

 

[rocinante]

You just aint tooting its a long ways off. I mean given my performance today I have a better chance hitting Miss USA than getting sub MOA results and she has already changed her number on me. Long story The iron sights are hard to see by me and even if I had my former jet pilot quality eagle eyes an inch square 100 yards away is flea size. The front post of the rifle isn't needle pointed either. Sigh. I AM NOT GIVING UP. I fear this will end up like my teenie efforts to become a rock star. I had the ambition and the hair just not a lick of talent. Like my firearms I had a good instrument too. I really really want to know what the rifles and the ammo are capable of though. Maybe I will have to fork over for one of those big heavy things that clamp the gun in place and you adjust the directions with knobs and all you really do is pull the trigger. i.e. take me out of the equation. Nothing I was shooting today was suitable for scopes. It is painfully clear to me if I am ever going to even come close to respectability as a shooter I need clarity and magnification.

 

[ThomasT]

I need clarity and magnification.

Now you know why I have a scope on one of my 30-30s. The romance of open sights is a lot of fun but the bottom line is that you can't shoot what you can't see. Period.

Have a look at the Mojo sights. Its more money but it should improve your groups.

 

[stolivar]

Here is my 38 turk

Total of $150 in it not counting the scope. Lowered safety, d&t, bent bolt, Mounts and rings. She shoots around 1 1/2 inches with a scope all day long



steve