Heresy!

[Vaarok]

A couple years ago, somebody offered up a Krieger match barrel on the Gunboards.com trader. The seller was a competition shooter who wanted to exploit cheap ammo, and back then ammo was very cheap, so they'd had a barrel custom ordered. However, they'd grown bored and put a GI barrel back on, and sold the rifle, and then sold the barrel.

Fast forward to today, it's more expensive, with M2 ball arguably second only to 8x56R in terms of price, and reloads pushing thirty cents plus time.

Which makes me especially glad I bought that barrel. I finally got the last pieces and time, and had it installed today. The barrel's a little fat, and the rear handguard doesn't fit properly, but everything went together as it supposedly should. I'm in the whole project for $625.

And so I present: A M1 Garand in 8mm Mauser!

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Sell it at the next gunshow for an asine amounts of money claiming it was a top secret WWII German Rifle.

 

[tmanbuckhunter]

Very interesting. Anymore pics?

 

[Vaarok]

What you see is what I've got laying on the floor next to the computer. The gas cylinder and ferrules fit VERY tight over this barrel, so I'm not going to hammer it all together quite yet- I need to do some sorty-sorty through the junkbin and see if I have some parts that fit looser.

 

[1911fan]

It's not a top-secret German gun, it was one of those very rare few carried by super-secret American agents when they dropped in to work with the Maquis. By using captured 8mm, they could jump with only one loaded clip, plus a few others in a pocket, sparing their bodies the weight of shed-loads of ammo on landing.

Be sure to keep a lookout for its brother, the 9mm Thompson.

I'd do it if I could, I love 8mm Mauser.

ed

 

[robmkivseries70]

I'd use an adjustable gas plug and start with it all the way open in order to go easy on the action.
Best,
Rob

 

[Murphy4570]

Well that's different.

30-06 is horrendously expensive. I almost regret purchasing a M1903 Springfield, as shooting it for fun will be pricey.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Be sure to keep a lookout for its brother, the 9mm Thompson

Too bad we can't play around with original Thompsons like this Garand.

 

[fireman 9731]

Yep, 8mm is a sweet round, and it actually makes a Garand economical almost!

 

[Huckelberry75]

Mmmmmm, I love my 8mm's. Cool project, thanks for sharing.

 

[Jeremy2171]

I was wanting that barrel!!!!

 

[colt1911fan]

Thats some high speed stuff right there nice work.

 

[BrocLuno]

Cool project

 

[NG VI]

That is the coolest, funniest thing I've seen in awhile. Keep us updated?

 

[Slamfire]

Tell us how it shoots.

I am curious to know what you had to do with the gas system to get it to function. Gas guns are carefully tested and tuned in the lab to get the right pressure curve.

The 8mm Mauser was a great battle rifle round. The rim is not as thick as it could be for automatic weapons, but it is just fine for a 1888 round. With 200 grain bullets around 2500 fps it is quite powerful.

No one ever complained that the 8mm Mauser lacked stopping power or range.

 

[Palehorseman]

30-06 ammo is only expensive for factory or decent surplus. If one reloads, not so much.

 

[Get R Done Guns]

Give us pics of the completed rifle with targets!

 

[Tim the student]

Looks like good work, and very interesting. Good job.

But yeah, a bit of blasphemy!

 

[Buck Kramer]

M-1 carbine in 8mm Kurtz???? lol

 

[Cop Bob]

Interesting.... I can remember buying 8mm from Interarms for a nickel a round...It's creative, blasphemy (sorry the purist in me), but creative...(that's the "Whaddayamean I can't do that" side of me) I like it, not sure I would have done it, but I like it...

You defiantly want to look into a tunable gas plug.. the wrong powder/pressures/burn rate and you will bend gas rods...