converting 7mm mauser brass question

[milsurpaddict]

Can I convert 7mm mauser brass into 7.62X51 NATO brass?

[Nickle]

Yes, but ask yourself if it's worth the trouble. It's not like 308 brass is that hard to find.

[TCLouis]

Yes, it can be done,

BUT

I think most folks would love to trade 308 for 7X57.

[Nickle]

I've given it some thought. I've got only a little new 7x57 brass here. I'm OK with once-fired too, just don't have any.

I'll swap you even for commercial 308 brass (used) for your used 7mm Mauser. It's got to be boxer primed and decent stuff. The 308s I'm talking about are clean and will be either Remington or Winchester. I pay my shipping to you, you pay yours to me.

How much have you got, and how much do you want? Quantity, that is.

[milsurpaddict]

Thanks

What I am looking for is NATO 7.62 X 51 Brass. I understand the 308 commercial brass is almost exactly the same but I need this brass for my 1895 Chilean Mauser that was re-barreled for NATO round. I want to shoot the Military brass as that what it was retooled for.

[bob208]

yes I can convert it for you. how much and what make do you have. I have lots of 7.62 brass to trade.

now some will try to argue this but .308 win and 7.62 are one and the same. they will try to say the chambers are different. but who has ever seen two chambers cut exactly the same ? then they will say that one is loaded to a higher pressure. well the 06 has been loaded to a lot of different pressures in its life time.

[UBER7MM]

but who has ever seen two chambers cut exactly the same ?

TRUTH! :grin:

[Nickle]

Bob is right.

The T65E3 cartridge was adopted as the 7.62 NATO. A year or two later, Winchester brought it out commercially as the 308 Winchester. The exact significance to that? Winchester has been one of the ammo vendors supplying the military (WRA and WCC headstamps). So has Remington (RA headstamp).

Same stuff, same production lines, different headstamp and load (and not always, as they both make M80 Ball for the government and for commercial sale, just isn't marked M80). Add that there really are no "7.62 NATO" reloading dies, but rather, they are marked "308 Win". AMHIK.

Your call. Just wanting you to make the decision on good info and for the right reason.

[MUSTANG]

I'm 2nd in line for a trade.

I will trade up to 1000 7.62 x51 cases (Boxer) 1 time fired, on a one for one basis for your 7x57 brass.

[TheGrimReaper]

Yes, it can be done,

BUT

I think most folks would love to trade 308 for 7X57. that is what I was thinking. Bet a lot of fellers would jump at the chance.

[milsurpaddict]

Hello everyone.

I guess I stirred up a nest with this question :) Here is my situation. When I bought my 1895 Mauser is was sold to me as a 7mm Mauser. I did not question this but now in hind site I see the error in my ways. The rifle was rechambered sometime in the 50's or 60's. So now what I have is a 7.62 X 51 NATO rifle complete with Chamber sleeve and all. Before I figured out what I had I bought the 7X57die set and I traded some 357 Brass for my 7mm Mauser Brass. So here I am now with brass I can not shoot a die set I can not use and a gun that I really do not want in this cartridge size. I have searched high and low for a long 7mm Mauser small ring barrel but can not find one. So now I have resided to shoot the NATO round while I search for the barrel. I do not want a sporter barrel so I figure it will be a long wait. I really do not want to trade my 7mm Mauser brass and if it came out that way I am sorry. What I really would like to know is can I use the 308 Winchester die set for the NATO brass and what load data should I use since my manual does not list 7.62 X 51 load data. I need to have a light load I think considering the age of the gun and the retooling of the barrel.

[junkbug]

You can use .308W brass sized with your .308W dies. The only real controversy is with maximum loads. Starting loads out of most major manuals should be safe in a 93 or 95 Mauser action. You can also look at starting load data for the .300 Savage cartridge, which has a nearly identical volume to the .308 W but is chambered for older rifles which some consider weaker. Also, if you buy or cast your own lead (unjacketed) bullets, you can use .308 W cast loads from the Lyman Cast Bullet manual. My Lyman 47th ed. Reloading manual shows many loads rated at the low 30k C.U.P. level, even for jacketed bullets. 93 and 95 model Mausers were designed for cartridges that operated in the 40K+ range.

Your real problem seems to be a lack of reference material. Go to Clark Brothers and buy the Lyman reloading manual. Its where I got mine. You really need a good printed copy of a mainstream reloading manual.

[MUSTANG]

+1 on Junkbug post above

[44magLeo]

You can run your 7x57 brass into the 308 die but you will then need to trim back to the right length. You will probably need to anneal the necks if you want more than one or two loadings. Might even need to inside ream or outside turn the case necks.
All a lot of work. I might recommend saving all the work and trade your 7x57 brass for the right brass.
Do as you want. It's your time and work your using up.
Leo

[GrizzLeeBear]

+1 on Junkbug post. Keep the loads down around starting loads in that rifle. The difference in 7.62x51 and .308 brass is that the military brass is thicker. Externally they are the same. Military chambers have a longer headspace spec. so no matter which brass you use you will have to carefully tweak the setting of your sizing die to just bump the shoulder back (what is known as "partial full length sizing"). You may want to get a neck sizing die and not even bump the shoulder back also. You will have to bump the shoulder after 4 or 5 firings, but it will extend the life of the brass not doing it after every firing. Running the die all the way down to the shell holder and completely full length sizing will lead to short brass life because you are overworking the brass.

I am guessing that you have a rebored and chamber sleeved Chilean Mauser. If so, this article should be some help.

http://dutchman.rebooty.com/1895Chile.html

I've done a fair amount of reforming brass to other calibers, but I would NOT go the the effort of resizing, trimming and fireforming 7x57 to .308. .308 or 7.62x51 brass is readily obtainable. I would trade/sell the 7mm brass to get some .308 or 7.62 brass.

[mikeym1a]

Hello everyone.

I guess I stirred up a nest with this question :) Here is my situation. When I bought my 1895 Mauser is was sold to me as a 7mm Mauser. I did not question this but now in hind site I see the error in my ways. The rifle was rechambered sometime in the 50's or 60's. So now what I have is a 7.62 X 51 NATO rifle complete with Chamber sleeve and all. Before I figured out what I had I bought the 7X57die set and I traded some 357 Brass for my 7mm Mauser Brass. So here I am now with brass I can not shoot a die set I can not use and a gun that I really do not want in this cartridge size. I have searched high and low for a long 7mm Mauser small ring barrel but can not find one. So now I have resided to shoot the NATO round while I search for the barrel. I do not want a sporter barrel so I figure it will be a long wait. I really do not want to trade my 7mm Mauser brass and if it came out that way I am sorry. What I really would like to know is can I use the 308 Winchester die set for the NATO brass and what load data should I use since my manual does not list 7.62 X 51 load data. I need to have a light load I think considering the age of the gun and the retooling of the barrel.

Hey!!! So, how much do you want for the rifle? I'm within driving distance. An oddball like this is just up my alley. Watta you think?? mikeym1a :-)