8mm Mauser ammo ID help

[walkswithsticks]

I came into possession of 75 rounds of 8mm Mauser ammunition (7.9X57). I checked the only indentification guide I could find on the internet, but it was for 1937 to 1947 and does not match my headstamp.
There are 4 sets of characters separated by a / mark.

First is a T followed with a symbol that looks like an O with a nub followed by a C
Second is 1949
Third is FS
Fourth is 7.9

Anyone recognize it or know of an identification guide that I can reference?

Thanks,
Bill

[phaessler]

This might help...
http://www.turkmauser.com/ammo.aspx

Pete

[8mm Mauser]

If it is surplus ammunition then it is more than likely corrosive. Surplus ammo i think is a bad deal because you cant reload it and it can damage your bore if left uncleaned after shooting corrosive ammo.

[UBER7MM]

If it is surplus ammunition then it is more than likely corrosive. Surplus ammo i think is a bad deal because you cant reload it and it can damage your bore if left uncleaned after shooting corrosive ammo.

There is a sticky on this forum regarding converting bernand primers to boxer. Of course I can't find it now. I agree with you about corrosive primers.

Good shooting,

[P.K.]

Shoot away, just ad the "Windex" to your cleaning ritual. ;-)


http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/corrosive/index.asp (http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/corrosive/index.asp)


*Note* Provided the surp ammo is in good condition and free of corrosion, damage, etc.

[phaessler]

Shoot away, just ad the "Windex" to your cleaning ritual. ;-)


http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/corrosive/index.asp (http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/corrosive/index.asp)


*Note* Provided the surp ammo is in good condition and free of corrosion, damage, etc.

+1 on P.K.'s thoughts there. No reason not to shhot it, corrosion on a damaging scale doesnt accur once the bullet has left the muzzle, its plenty of time to clean after a range outing, or at the range. The 8mm is a fine round and the surplus rounds are fun, not namby-pamby either so the range is there too. And the berdan brass, recycle it, or give it away. Plenty of 06' brass to convert.
0.02

Pete

[Beekeeper]

8mmMauser,
I have been shooting since I was 16, Back in those days most ammo was milsurp and had corrosive primers.
I am now 76 and still shoot milsurp ammo when I can get it , out of the same rifle I shot it out of when I was 16.
If you clean your rifle correctly it will not be affected by Milsurp ammo ,corrosive or non corrosive.
Who ever told you it would ruin your rifle was giving you some bum information.

You own a milsurp rifle now, how does the barrel look to you?
Considering it had minimal cleaning during its life , consider that it was fired with almost all corrosive ammo.


beekeeper

[halbautomatisch]

8mmMauser,
I have been shooting since I was 16, Back in those days most ammo was milsurp and had corrosive primers.
I am now 76 and still shoot milsurp ammo when I can get it , out of the same rifle I shot it out of when I was 16.
If you clean your rifle correctly it will not be affected by Milsurp ammo ,corrosive or non corrosive.
Who ever told you it would ruin your rifle was giving you some bum information.

You own a milsurp rifle now, how does the barrel look to you?
Considering it had minimal cleaning during its life , consider that it was fired with almost all corrosive ammo.


beekeeper
^^^^THIS!^^^^^^

No reason not to shoot milsurp, as long as you clean it the same day as you shoot it, you'll never notice a difference. If you don't have time to clean it right away, hit it with windex and clean it the next day, it'll be fine.

[TommyT]

What you have is Turkish made 8mm Mauser ammo. Made in 1949 and loaded with about 48 grains of flake powder under a 154 grain bullet. Good shooitng stuff and yes, it is corrosive primed.

[Multigunner]

I've seen Windex recommended for cleaning away corrosive salts, and seen some remarks that windex was not better than water for the purpose because the salts are disolved by the water in the formula rather than the ammonia. Some windex and other similar window cleaners do not contain ammonia anyway.
But thinking on this it would seem to me that anything that is formulated as a cleanser, especially when it dissolves oil or carbon deposits from air pollution would help in dissolving the salts by breaking them loose from the other fouling that binds them to the surface and covers them with a water resistent coating.

Military instructions for cleaning a .303 with water required two pints of hot clean water, which may not always be available, with one pint of cold water being a suggested minimum.
Also they stated that no attempt to clean should be made unless oil is available to protect the bore after cleaning.

[8mm Mauser]

The barrel is in great condition on my m24/47. In my m48 however, it has some pitting. And I wasnt saying that you should NEVER shoot corrosive ammo, just some people might get a little lazy and not clean it. In my opinion, I would rather be on the safe side and not mess with that stuff. But everybody feels different about it.

[walkswithsticks]

The cartridges appear in excellent condition, so I will shoot them come warmer weather and clean accordingly. If the brass is boxer primed, should it be good for reloading?

[phaessler]

Unfortunately it will be berdan primed. This is good stuff, shoot it up and have fun, and as you say clean accordingly.
I just found a couple of hundred Turk rounds in my stash of stashes, dated 1942-43.

Pete

[Eddie O]

8mmMauser,
I have been shooting since I was 16, Back in those days most ammo was milsurp and had corrosive primers.
I am now 76 and still shoot milsurp ammo when I can get it , out of the same rifle I shot it out of when I was 16.
If you clean your rifle correctly it will not be affected by Milsurp ammo ,corrosive or non corrosive.
Who ever told you it would ruin your rifle was giving you some bum information.

You own a milsurp rifle now, how does the barrel look to you?
Considering it had minimal cleaning during its life , consider that it was fired with almost all corrosive ammo.


beekeeper

I know I'm chiming in on this really late, but when I seen yor reply I had to say I could not agree with you more. This corrosive Ammo Hype is something that belongs on Mythbsters. I prchased a K98 "Shooter" twenty years back after it had been drug through water, snow, heat. blood and sweat for at least four years, fired hundreds if not thousands of rounds of "Corossive" Ammo and cleaned at times only sporatically at best.

I fired whatever Mil-Srplus Ammo I could find for twenty years and on occasion missed cleaning the weapon for a Week or more with no rusting or pittting.
I cleaned the Weapon normally, no witches brew of Windex,WD40 and gallons of water and it has no more rust or pitting from the day I purchased it.

Yes Berdan Primers contain salts that attract moisture that promotes rust, but so does a fingerprint, a damp Basement or Shed and a hundred other things. Clean your Weapons well, include the Bolt and Gas Chamber if it has one on a regular basis and shoot up all the Mil-surplus you can find.

If you still subscribe to the "Corrosive Ammo" hype please PM me and I will make all that nasty ammo go away for free.

Eddie O

[Shiloh]

Shoot away, just ad the "Windex" to your cleaning ritual. ;-)


http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/corrosive/index.asp (http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/corrosive/index.asp)


*Note* Provided the surp ammo is in good condition and free of corrosion, damage, etc.

Thats what I did. I have a small stash. Thought about pulling the bullets, reducing the charge 10% reseating and shooting as normal.
There is a muzzle blast with this stuff that reminded me of naval guns. It kicks like a mule even with a heavy Yugo Mauser.

Shiloh

[Eddie O]

Thats what I did. I have a small stash. Thought about pulling the bullets, reducing the charge 10% reseating and shooting as normal.
There is a muzzle blast with this stuff that reminded me of naval guns. It kicks like a mule even with a heavy Yugo Mauser.

Shiloh

Funny you should note that. I had suggested I might do the same and at least two of the Boolet Masters advised against it. Something about the nature of some powders to only partially burn and then generate a second burn that would take the pressure to a dangerious level.
If I recall I believe they noted this was possible with a slow burning Powder but did not specify any particlar Powder?

Eddie O

[tawastom]

Sounds like Turkish ammo

[frnkeore]

Regarding cleaning, I rarely shoot any kind of loaded ammo that I didn't load. I do have some 8mm Turk 1949 ammo and have shot a little of it. My cure is to shoot reloaded (non corosive, of course) ammo afterward. I've also done the same with my '06 Rem 7600 after shooting WW2 surplus ammo. I shoot a minimum of 5 rounds and haven't had any problems.

I do the same thing after shooting black powder loads.

Frank

[43PU]

All I have is ammo that is corrosive for the 8mm Mauser. I have 5 or 6 k98 bring backs (with capture paper work) 2 m48s and a Egyptian contracted FN-49 and I shoot nothing but surplus through it. I save the Turkish stuff for the FN because it will rip part of the cases out on ejection and the good stuff goes through the boot actions where I save the brass and concert it to boxer primed via Mainejunkers instructions on YouTube. I shoot all mil surp ammo through all of my rifles and handguns and the only stuff I worry about is the 7.63n38r nagant pistol stuff to me it seems like it will rust the very same day If not taken care of.
When I'm done shooting I use a mix of 50%ballistol and 50% water everyone is right the water is what cleans the corrosive salts out and the ballistol keeps it oiled and ready to go I gave up many years ago trying to clean a millitary bore untill a white patch comes out I just run a patch down a bore 2 times for every shot soaked in my solution and call it good.

[bob208]

i have been shooting corrosive ammo since you could buy .303 british from sears for $5.00 a hundred. always cleaned the bore never had a bit of trouble. also .45 auto.7.65, 30-06 and 8mm.