Surplus Turk 8x57 ammo data

[Junior1942]

When I bought my surplus Turk 38 rifle I also bought a case of surplus Turk 8x57 ammo. I stopped firing that ammo after the second occurrence of a leaky primer in only perhaps 20 rounds total fired. To determine the reason for high pressure I pulled the bullets from four rounds and did some measurements. Remember: the following data came from only four rounds.

Primer depth below flush: .010" to .020"

Bullet diameter: .3235" to .3245"

Bullet weight: 198.8 to 197.1

Powder weight: 41.1 to 39.9

Obviously this ammo was manufactured with a goal of quantity, not quality. Fire a round which happens to have a too-large bullet and also happens to have a too-heavy powder charge, and you have too much pressure and a leaky primer or worse.

Solution? Pull the bullets and reload with a reduced charge of the surplus powder. I went with 37 grs and new cases with non-corrosive primers.

[Hackleback]

The Turk ammo is known to be a bit on the warm side. It is also known for brittle brass in some lots- in some lots neck spits are common. If I remember correctly, the powder is a square flake.

If you are looking for 8mm surplus ammo that will not beat you up, try the Romanian. It is steel cased and a much lighter recoil. The Rominian is a bit dirty (sooty) though.

[Johnch]

LOL you got most of it to go off ??

I bought several cases of it 2 years back

I must have got a good batch for bullet di and powder charge .
Because I never had any presure problems ...............but my barrel is slightly over sized

But I had AT LEAST 10% that failed to fire

I pulled all the bullets from the rnds that didn't go off and reloaded them in new cases .
Because my cases had less capasity .
I also reduced the powder charge , but I can't remember how much I used

Johnch

[singleshotbuff]

Juniour,

I pull down and reuse the bullets and powder from my case of Yugo 8X57mm ammo. Not because of pressure excursions, I just like to use non-corrosive primers. FWIW I found this ammo to be very consistent in both powder charge weight and bullet weight. I weighed 10 charges of the pulled down powder, they averaged 41.1grs and didn't vary more than .5gr total. The powder is a square flake and I reduce the charges 2grs to use the powder in commercial cases. Makes good ammo. I also can't buy Jword bullets and powder for what I can get this ammo for.

SSB

[Junior1942]

If I remember correctly, the powder is a square flake. Yep, mine too.

This was a one time buy on surplus ammo. I won't do it again.

[NickSS]

Well I guess different lots are of different quality. I've shot off two cases of the stuff (2000 rounds) without a single missfire or other problem in three different 8mm rifles. Accuracy has been about what I expect for open sights and my eyes these days so I have no complaints.

[Freightman]

All the Turk ammo I have used 5000 + had a 154g nickle/cuppro bullet and all went off as designed. There is no more Turk at the suppliers, but I have good luck with the 198g Yuggo and it is more accurate and not as hot as the Turk.

[Ricochet]

Junior, what year was that made? I haven't seen or heard of any Turk ammo that didn't have a 154 grain bullet. Most of it's got a silvery copper-nickel plated steel jacket. Some of the post WWII stuff is copper colored.

[Larry Gibson]

I'll join the last couple posters...I've shot a lot of the Turk from the early '40s up through the '50s. Never saw or heard of any of it loaded with other than the 154 gr bullets.

What is the headstamp?

Larry Gibson

[Junior1942]

The box flap reads: 11-1954. The only other readable (by me) letters on the flap are "Hu-05-79" and "Cep. 24/53".

Looking at the head, at 0 there's an "11" and at 180 there's a "54" and at 90 and 270 there's a "*".

This came from J&G Sales who said it was Turkish.

[trooperdan]

Junior, that ammo is Yugoslavian, not Turkish. Most of the Turk ammo was in stripper clips and bandoleers and is pretty darned hot. I have a couple of cases of each. The Yugo has good boolits and good powder if you want to go the the trouble of breaking it down.. I do, but I just enjoy messin with ammo! I usually "reload" the Turk and Yugo both, pulling the boolits and dropping the charge 5 grains or so with the factory boolits or cap it with a REAL boolit of my own making.

[mag_01]

:coffee: ----I shot some Romanian 8mm surplus yesterday---felt and sounded like my rifle (M24/47) Yugo wanted to come apart a few split cases in 20 rounds----maybe this is machine gun ammo-----Will try another rifle next time..

[mag_01]

Head stamp-----22----74----8mm ammo

[Shepherd2]

I'm on my second can of Romanian 8mm ammo. It is the light ball stuff, 147 grain bullet I think. I tried some of the Yugo heavy ball ammo and the Romanian is very pleasant by comparison. I've shot about 500 rounds of it in 5 different Mausers including a M24/47 without a dud or a split case. The headstamp on the current lot is 22 72. Both cans I bought came from AIM. I was thinking the other day that I should buy a full case (2 cans) and add it to my surplus ammo stash.

[WBH]

The Yugo I bought years ago came with 200 rounds of ammo that I just happened to shoot 3 rounds of the other day. I do believe it is Turk as well. The steel jacketed bullet is seated over 49 grains of a square cut heavy flake powder which fills the case to just about .25" under the case mouth. It it obviously a compressed load. The headstamp is 1945/ T*C/ 7.9/F*

This stuff is HOT. Quite unpleasant to shoot actually. I am going to give it away.

[armexman]

WBH I'll take it of your hands if your close to Colorado. I can drive 450 miles one way if neccesary. Please respond with info. I can have my people in Oregon or California get it for me<Maybe>.Thanks

[MikeSSS]

Shot some 1943 Turk ammo in my $60 Turk rifle. The necks split, it wouldn't stay on a 2' by 2' target at 100 yards. Had many that wouldn't fire too.

Got some American brass and loaded up some Sierra 150 gr FBSP's, probably using BallC2 or Varget. This stuff shot very well. What a difference the ammo makes!

Got a mold now, the special order one from Midsouth. Eventually I'll get around to loading up some with cast boolits.

Got my eye on a very nice Russ capture K98. That comes first.

[Ricochet]

Which special order mould did you get, the Maximum or the Karabiner?

[bruce drake]

I'm not a regular J-bullet shooter but I have a stash of that '72 Romanian 8mm stuff and they are definitely nice shooting. I've shot them in my Turks, a Yugo 48 and a CZ-24 with not a hitch at all and with very good groups. Definitely a pleasure to shoot compared to the `54 Turkish ammo I've shot before.

Bruce