I'm sure this topic has been beat on a lot but I thought I'd post what I've learned over the last few days. I don't post much because I don't have a lot of new things to bring to the table but I thought this might be of interest.
I recently picked up an M76 from Assault Weapons of Ohio in 8mm Mauser (awesome rifle, by the way) and started searching for cheap ammo. I found cheap ammo but also a lot of horror stories connected to it (50's Yugo, the Iranian stuff in this thread, etc). Having more time than money (and maybe good sense) I ordered 400 rounds from Samco (pretty good customer service). While I was waiting on it to arrive I ordered some Berdan primers from Graf's and fabbed up a simple hydraulic primer knocker-outer. My plan was never to shoot the stuff but to pull it down and reload it with new non-corrosive primers and possibly powder if the stuff in them was junk.
Pulling them down was quick and easy (Hornady collet puller in my L&L progressive). The de-primer worked very well. Not as easy as depriming boxers but not intolerable and actually fairly quick.
The powder was a loss. Several rounds had powder "clods" that looked like they were caused by moisture. I did load a few test rounds with that powder before I found the clumped rounds but the rifle hated them. Wouldn't group at all. Not a real shocker for 60 year old powder stored in who knows what kinds of conditions.
I've about got a load dialed in using WC846 (I have plenty on hand since I load a lot of .308) and so far the bullets and brass seem to be OK. A couple of things I did notice:
1. 5 rounds out of the 400 I pulled apart were missing the anvil in the primer pocket. They look like a boxer case in the attached picture. I'm assuming this would be one cause of the misfires I've read about in various forums
2. The Tula primers from Graf's went in well with both a hand primer and the press with no milling of the crimps. They want to back out of the case firing just the primers (popped a few just to make sure they would work with the cases and the rifle) and also want to back out slightly when loaded. A small drop of nail polish after priming has solved this problem. I'm not sure that's not why they were lacquered in from the factory in the first place.
Please note this isn't a complaint thread at all - I'm happy with the service and products from all the companies I've mentioned and have no issues with the ammo as it's about what I would expect for 50/60 year old ammo that's been halfway around the world. Just thought I would post up in case anyone is looking to purchase this ammo or rework it as I'm in the process of doing.
Branden
I recently picked up an M76 from Assault Weapons of Ohio in 8mm Mauser (awesome rifle, by the way) and started searching for cheap ammo. I found cheap ammo but also a lot of horror stories connected to it (50's Yugo, the Iranian stuff in this thread, etc). Having more time than money (and maybe good sense) I ordered 400 rounds from Samco (pretty good customer service). While I was waiting on it to arrive I ordered some Berdan primers from Graf's and fabbed up a simple hydraulic primer knocker-outer. My plan was never to shoot the stuff but to pull it down and reload it with new non-corrosive primers and possibly powder if the stuff in them was junk.
Pulling them down was quick and easy (Hornady collet puller in my L&L progressive). The de-primer worked very well. Not as easy as depriming boxers but not intolerable and actually fairly quick.
The powder was a loss. Several rounds had powder "clods" that looked like they were caused by moisture. I did load a few test rounds with that powder before I found the clumped rounds but the rifle hated them. Wouldn't group at all. Not a real shocker for 60 year old powder stored in who knows what kinds of conditions.
I've about got a load dialed in using WC846 (I have plenty on hand since I load a lot of .308) and so far the bullets and brass seem to be OK. A couple of things I did notice:
1. 5 rounds out of the 400 I pulled apart were missing the anvil in the primer pocket. They look like a boxer case in the attached picture. I'm assuming this would be one cause of the misfires I've read about in various forums
2. The Tula primers from Graf's went in well with both a hand primer and the press with no milling of the crimps. They want to back out of the case firing just the primers (popped a few just to make sure they would work with the cases and the rifle) and also want to back out slightly when loaded. A small drop of nail polish after priming has solved this problem. I'm not sure that's not why they were lacquered in from the factory in the first place.
Please note this isn't a complaint thread at all - I'm happy with the service and products from all the companies I've mentioned and have no issues with the ammo as it's about what I would expect for 50/60 year old ammo that's been halfway around the world. Just thought I would post up in case anyone is looking to purchase this ammo or rework it as I'm in the process of doing.
Branden
