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Thread: Looking at buying a .308 converted military rifle

  1. #21
    Boolit Master Rapier's Avatar
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    A conversion is always a conversion unless by a well known smith and is signed by them. 99% of the time you are better off with a commercial custom rather than a military conversion of questionable strength and any small ring is of questionable strength just because it is a small ring.
    It really does not make any difference to me what anyone tested one to, they can buy it. As the Indian said, "you drink it."
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  2. #22
    Boolit Buddy kaiser's Avatar
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    You might check with CMP; they had M1 Garands for sale that were converted to .308Win with new stocks and barrels. They use the same clips as the 30/06 (original) models and are very accurate!

  3. #23
    Boolit Buddy

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    Another vote for the FR8. It is a large ring Mauser.
    I have one, and it has a beautiful bore, and is accurate. Short yes, but it makes a great short range hunting rifle. I have taken several deer and hogs with mine.
    And...it shoots cast bullets great.
    A bonus for me, the rotating peep makes it easier to shoot the short rifle accurately. I drilled out one slightly for hunting, as my eyes are getting old and need more light.
    I do believe these FR8 hold value well too.
    The FR7 is less common, and is small ring Mauser I believe.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master schutzen-jager's Avatar
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    iic - the FR7 is not built on the 98 Mauser action but the earlier + weaker 1895 action - my FR8 is also extremely accurate with cast bullets -
    never pick a fight with an old man - if he is too old to fight he will just kill you -
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  5. #25
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    With cast bullet pressures, I wouldn't be overly concerned about any of them.

    What I would want is an inspection period on any rechambered rifle, as the .308 cartridge is the most finicky to get to cycle properly.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
    John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"

    Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!


  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy Rapidrob's Avatar
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    There are many converted rifle to 7.62x51 NATO out there that are safe and outstanding shooters. The Chilean Mausers, depending on the model you buy, May have 1903 Springfield two groove barrels that shoot cast bullets like a pro. My rifle is dead on at 800 yards with M-80 Ball ammo.
    The Indian Enfields are very well made and too are great shooters. I've won our matches at 500 meters with mine several times.
    The converted " Navy " M-1s are great shooters as well and cycle the cast loads with a 150 plus grain bullet with no issues. ( I like the 175 grain bullet myself )
    I built a M-114 rifle just for fun ( M-1A receiver/bolt, portion of the stock and M1 Garand parts for the rest of the rifle ) and it will shoot anything loaded for it.
    Stay away from the converted FN-49 rifles. They do not like the higher power 7.62x51 pressures and can fail when fired.( locking block )

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
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    I was given a 1909 Argentine Mauser that had been sporterized complete with a 60's style Herter's stock and no bolt. I bought a Norwegian surplus barrel in 7.62 X 51 and a 98 bolt and put it all together, it feeds perfectly. Does the 7.65 Mauser have a different taper than the other Mausers?

  8. #28
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    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by beemer View Post
    I was given a 1909 Argentine Mauser that had been sporterized complete with a 60's style Herter's stock and no bolt. I bought a Norwegian surplus barrel in 7.62 X 51 and a 98 bolt and put it all together, it feeds perfectly. Does the 7.65 Mauser have a different taper than the other Mausers?
    Yes, the 7.65 has a bit more taper than the .308W but not as much as the 7x57 or the 6.5 Swede. Both my DWM and FMAP M1909 Argentine actions feed .308Ws perfectly. The feed rails of those release the cartridge rims sooner than many M98s, especially the shorter K98 actions, that were chambered in 7x57 and 8x57. The SR Mauser actions with staggered magazines had even more tapered cartridges being mostly chambered in 6.5 and 7mm and thus the feed rails and magazines had more taper.
    Larry Gibson

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  9. #29
    Boolit Grand Master 303Guy's Avatar
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    I watched an interesting video yesterday. These guys had chambered a No.4 to 300 Winchester magnum.

    Let that sink in for a moment.

    It did eventually fail after firing five oiled cartridges. But, it had survived four proofings, one of which was in 7.62 Nato plus thousands of 7.62 rounds, since it was a target rifle. Oiled cartridges apparently double the bolt face thrust. It did have a pre-existing crack in the lower locking lug, possibly from the 7.62 proofing - who knows.

    So the history of the rifle is that it was FTR'ed then fitted with a 303 Brit chambering with a 308 barrel then refitted with a 7.62 NATO target barrel which these guys then rechambered into 300 Win Mag for the destruction test. So it had fired many thousands of rounds and as I mentioned, it was proofed at each rebarreling but not the 300 Win Mag as that was a destruction test anyway. Ironically, it would have passed 300 Win Mag proofing!

    I still wouldn't run a No4 on 308 Winchester though.
    Last edited by 303Guy; 11-22-2022 at 01:12 PM.
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  10. #30
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Was at the range the other day to chronograph some 60 gr V Max in my recently rebuilt M700V in 223 Rem. Took along my modified Spanish FR8 to plink with while letting the M700V cool between test strings.

    The ammo I had loaded for the FR8 is mixed 7.62 that i loaded 12-14 years ago. I had a 5 gal bucket of "throw away" cases that had been fired 4-6 times in M14/M1As. It had all been previously sized with a Bonanza FL BR sizer, so they were due to have incipient case head separation in the next reloading/firing or two. Thus, they were "throw aways". Back then i had recently got the RCBS X die and had thoroughly tested it and found i could get 20 +/- firings per case using that X die. I sorted through the bucket of throw aways and came up with 1500+ cases to size with the X die for use in the FR8. I also had traded for about 10,000 pulled 7.62x39 FMJs and HPs. One large batch (a couple coffee cans) of those plated soft steel jacketed bullets shot horribly in .31 cal barrels but shot 2 -3 moa out of .30 cal barrels. I also had a couple jugs of AAs Data 2200 power. I worked up a load pushing the 120 gr AK HP bullets to 2850 fps out of the FR8. Thus was the 1500+ throw away cases loaded. In the intervening years i've shot up several hundred w/o a single case head speration or even the appearance of one. I've even saved the cases to reload again with that load.

    Any ways I had modified the FR8 years ago to a "scout" rifle. I had replaced the CETME front sight and flash hider with an M14 Flash hider/front sight, removed the rear sight, D&T and installed a Lyman receiver sight. Forged the bolt handle and modified the hand guard to use an SA scout mount on the barrel. I recently removed the scout mount and scope and replaced the hand guard as I had cataract surgery and can see a front sight again! At the range the other day knowing I had zeroed the sights for that ammo years ago when I loaded it i just moved the receiver sight up 3 moa as I was shooting Ram silhouette swinger at the 300 yard line. I was shooting from a bench with just my elbows on the bench. Loaded 5 rounds and had 5 hits. Loaded another 5 rounds and had another 5 hits. A couple guys came down to watch and were amazed such a rifle could shoot that well with such ammo....and it wasn't even chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor........

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by Larry Gibson; 11-26-2022 at 07:34 PM.
    Larry Gibson

    “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
    ― Nikola Tesla

  11. #31
    Boolit Buddy
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    Good story Larry!

  12. #32
    Boolit Master
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    I bought one of the Spanish 308 converted 93 Mauser carbines when they were $100 in as new condition.....it was a great little gun,however the 308 case did not work well from the 7x57 magazine .....I think maybe 3 rounds would feed ,maybe only two........To correct the magazine was a major work......you just have to look at the Indian 308s.......new shaped floorplate and magazine to suit the fatter case ........incidentally,the 303 and 7.65 cases have the same water capacity as 308,so in a strong action,308 loads can safely be used in either.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check