Surplus 8 mm Ammo

[mag_01]

Took the turk Mauser to the range today and fired 18 rounds ---The 18 round would not come out ----with a cleaning rod I removed the stuck case which had split at the neck and about 3/4 way down the case ---Ammo was Romanian---and had a little blow-back thru primer from another----thank goodness these old Mauser's are strong.

[Hackleback]

I think I would clean the chamber very well and check head space. I have had zero problems with the Romaninan ammo. They do tend to smoke(soot) the case sides like the case does not seal the chamber very well.

[Junior1942]

Me, I'd pull those bullets and reload with at least 5% less powder.

[Ricochet]

Junior, the Romanian steel case 8mm from the '70s is already very mildly loaded. That stuff's loaded with 154 grain bullets that chrono at ~2500-2550 FPs from long Mausers. (Turk ammo with the same bullet weight runs 2950-3000 FPS.) I don't think the cases would take pulling and reinserting bullets if they're splitting at the neck. That's a brittle case problem, not something from overloading or headspace.

The only "problem" I've encountered with the 1978 batch I have is that the cases don't obturate, so that black sooty gas leaks back and occasionally stings my eyebrow with a powder particle. Clean the whole action area and bolt thoroughly with water, as the primers are corrosive.