9x57 Die Work Around??

[Uncle Grinch]

I've been pondering a 9x57 and got to thinking about using a combination 8x57 die and parts off my 358 Win die to make up a workable 9x57 die. Seems like it would work... case sizing with the 8x57 and neck sizing with the 358 die and expander. I also have a 35 Whelen die set if it helps any.

Any comments....

[tawastom]

I've been pondering a 9x57 and got to thinking about using a combination 8x57 die and parts off my 358 Win die to make up a workable 9x57 die. Seems like it would work... case sizing with the 8x57 and neck sizing with the 358 die and expander. I also have a 35 Whelen die set if it helps any.

Any comments....

Not real familiar with the 9x57, but im thinking it may be an issue like going from 7x57 to 8x57, the shoulder difference is pretty different.

[Uncle Grinch]

Actually the 7x57, 8x57 and 9x57 all share the same body and shoulder angle. The only difference is the neck diameter.

[Bullshop]

But if you size the case in the 8x57 die it will size the neck to 8mm. If you are going to try to pull a 35 cal expander ball through an 8mm neck I predict disapointment.
The 35 Whelen will partial neck size and also size the body without touching the shoulder. I used a 35 Whelen to size cases and a 358 to seat bullets.

[EDG]

To make a work around just buy a cheap 8X57 FL die body and have someone bore or ream the neck.
You can seat bullets with a .358 Wind die or bore out an 8X57 seater.

Or if you have a C&R you can get a set of 9X57 dies at Grafs for an excellent price.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Grinch: now,,, you know there is a 9.3x57 right? Uses .366ish boolits. This is a common european caliber and dies are readily available.

Lots of Swedish rifles were made in this caliber, and there was a flurry of used ones available a few years ago.

Don't see many nowadays, wish I had bought one. Most were Husqvarna and used M96 actions. The same guns were available in 8x57 and 6.5x55. Most were made in the mid 50's.

Might look around for one of those guns, and whereas I understand that .358 bullets are more available than .366 bullets I doubt anyone would ever shoot enough of them to notice the difference in cost. Creating a Bastard Wildcat Caliber might cost more though.

Randy

[Uncle Grinch]

Grinch: now,,, you know there is a 9.3x57 right? Uses .366ish boolits. This is a common european caliber and dies are readily available.

Lots of Swedish rifles were made in this caliber, and there was a flurry of used ones available a few years ago.

Don't see many nowadays, wish I had bought one. Most were Husqvarna and used M96 actions. The same guns were available in 8x57 and 6.5x55. Most were made in the mid 50's.

Might look around for one of those guns, and whereas I understand that .358 bullets are more available than .366 bullets I doubt anyone would ever shoot enough of them to notice the difference in cost. Creating a Bastard Wildcat Caliber might cost more though.

Randy

Randy, thanks for the info. I have a .358 Win and a 9.3x62 and was considering picking up or reboring an 8x57 to a 9x57. During my idle brain time I got to wondering if I could cobble together a 9x57 die.

All this started many years ago when I picked up a Husky in 6.5x55 (see my avatar), then a spoterized Carcano and recently I added a European 98 sporter in 8x57. I have developed a passion for these metric calibers. Mike McCabe is building me a classic European sporter on a 1922 Brazilian Mauser action in 7x57.

[W.R.Buchanan]

You obviously have good taste in firearms. The early Mauser sporting rifles were some of the best guns ever made. The Swedish ones were right in there too.

I have a Mauser ES340B .22 rimfire rifle that was made in 1929. It will surely outlast me and since it is a .22LR it will be useful for as long as ammo is made for it. Even if it shot a box every day it would never wear out. It is just that good!

I just shot it in a rimfire silhouette match last Saturday and hit 26/40 with the open sights. Only hit 14 with the Marlin39AS. I've owned it since 1968! It will go to the grave with me.

Randy

[Reverend Al]

I recently bought a 98 sporter in 9x57mm through an online auction at a give-away price ($125 ... I guess nobody else wanted to play with an odball metric calibre?) and I plan to take 8x57 brass and run it up over one of my tapered expander rods to over .35 calibre, then use my .358 Winchester fl die to slowly push the shoulder back and form the neck until it is just a light crush fit when the bolt closes. I'll fire form them and then neck size only using my .358 Win neck die. The proof marks under the barrel indicate that it is regulated for a 286 grain bullet, so I plan to try using boolits from my old Lyman 3589 mould that throws a 285 to 290 grain GC boolit with a medium hard alloy. Hopefully it will print close to the original iron sights. I have a wide variety of powders that I can test and we'll see what happens ...

[sharps4590]

Or you could just get a set of 9 X 57 dies from CH-4D and be done with it. That's what I use for my Sauer & Sohn Mauser in 9 X 57 and my Jaeger drilling in 9 X 57R.

[KenT7021]

I use an RCBS 9x57 die set I bought years ago when RCBS had a bigger selection of dies and still did custom dies at a reasonable price.My 9x57 is an M88 sporter.Original 9x57's should .354 to .355 bores as far as jacketed bullet sizes go.They are true 9mm's.

[Reverend Al]

I checked and a current die set up here in Canada is about $120 plus taxes and shipping so for the small amount this rifle will actually be shot I'll stick with my original plan and use existing, on-hand dies to make it work. I haven't slugged the bore yet, but expect it to be on the small side for a .35 calibre rifle. I have lots of sizing dies though and can make my boolits anywhere from .354" to .360" without much effort so that I can match whatever size it turns out to be ...