Why long range .30 calibers in WWI?

[Jeremy2171]

Slamfire is correct about the old Mauser's especially the one in the picture. It is a Spanish FR7 which is nothing more than an 1893 action re-barreled and chambered for the 7.62mm CETME round and will not withstand 308 Winchester pressures. I can't speak to the strength of Garands and how they will handle the same pressure. Nor will I try.
I have personally built 5 Spanish 1893 Mauser's and one of which is chamber for 7.62 CETME for which I hand load to 300 Savage pressures to prevent such a catastrophic failure that Slamfire shown is his post. The other 4 are 7mm Mauser and are tack drivers.

No he's not...it's meant to use NATO. not CETME. The pic he showed came apart due to improper handloads...not 308/7.62 NATO which are the same pressure.

I'd say the Spanish know what it's chambered in...

 

[MEHavey]

There is always a fight between standardization and those who make a case for unique and new & improved.

The Gentle Readers should read -- and heed -- Superiority

 

[Jim Watson]

Did Spain use 7.62 CETME ammunition in their CETME automatics?
I vaguely recall that they soon if not immediately went to NATO standard.

I'm thinking the 7 to 7.62 conversions were meant for border guards and support troops who were not likely to pound old rifles with a lot of shooting. That Slamfire's Little Bomb was simply worn out... or overloaded by Bubba.

Japan is not in NATO, they had a lighter load for their small statured troops.

 

[Jeremy2171]

Did Spain use 7.62 CETME ammunition in their CETME automatics?
I vaguely recall that they soon if not immediately went to NATO standard.

This is correct...they quickly went to NATO standard.

 

[JShirley]

Nope.

The M1 Garand was designed around the Cartridge, Caliber .30, Ball, M1, and it worked just fine. The development of Cartridge, Caliber .30, Ball, M2, is unrelated to the M1 Garand rifle, but the switch did required slight tweaks to the gas port size.

The Garand was designed around the .276 Pedersen, which is why the Garand had some initial problems after being chambered in .30-06.

 

[Jeremy2171]

The Garand was designed around the .276 Pedersen, which is why the Garand had some initial problems after being chambered in .30-06.

No it started in 30-06. Went to .276 then back to 30-06.

What "initial" problems?

 

[Robert]

As always when we get this deep into a thread, we have wandered very far from the OP. Let's call it a day. And we do have a Rifle forum to discuss all things rifle...