Mauser Sporting Rifle

Here’s my recently purchased Mauser sporting rifle, circa 1927/28 in 8x60M.

Custom made 8x60M.

I custom made this 8x60M(S) round from a trimmed resized 30-06 casing and then loaded it as you would a 8x57JS round, I used a 198gn FMJBT head.

I custom made this 8x60M(S) round from a trimmed resized 30-06 casing and then loaded it as you would a 8x57JS round, I used a 198gn FMJBT head.

It took some time and effort/research to understand what exact ammunition to use in this Ernst Steigleder Mauser, 8x60 and its variants are pretty much obsolete, some ammo is sold in Eastern Europe . It would seem that PPU make an 8x60S casing but is not available in the UK although it is in the USA.

These interbellam rifles could not be chambered in the military 8x57mm ammunition legally but could be modified to 8x60 and variants from 1918 to 1939.

To start I studied the proof marks on the rifle. The top side of the barrel shows 8x60M = (S) therefore .323 bore, I slugged the bore to confirm and this was correct.

I also did a chamber cast to prove the correct case size - confirmation of 8x60S as measured against spec. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8×60mm_S#/media/File:8_x_60_S.jpg

Other markings showed - "FLUSSSTAHL KRUPP ESSEN" translated Fluid Steel (modern good quality steel that will cope with smokeless powder) barrel made by Krupp in Essen.

Barrel top -

Stm G 12gr crown over N = Nitro proved with smokeless powder with bullet weight.

Birmingham UK proof mark -

B crossed mitres C(1952) and testers mark below.
Crown over BNP = Birmingham Nitro proved (marked on barrel/bolt and bolt handle)


Barrel Lower -

Crown over B = Gun proved after being completely finished (could be imported gun or previously no mark at all) abolished 1939 Mark.
Crown over G = Mark for rifled barrel abolished 1939
Crown over U = Inspection stamp (usually accompanied by Crown over B) Complete and finished arms abolished 1939
7.8mm = Original bore size.
60 = Casing/chamber length (may have been added after reboring of the chamber)
11/27 Date Code of manufacture November 1927
9/28 Date Code proof September 1928

In conclusion the rifle was most likely manufactured in 8x60M and not re bored to meet the new German law regarding 8x57 military ammunition between 1918 and 1939, M designation implies that although that the rifle loads the same 8x60S (.323 bore rimless) ammunition it has a hotter load, there seems not to be any information available to say how much hotter. personally I have loaded my custom rounds with the minimum powder load for a 8x57JS round, I will experiment with a slow increase to max 8x57JS load since even standard 8x60S round is between 3-10% hotter than 8x57JS.

Currently I resize a 30-06 casing to 8x60S with a Hornady full resizing die, then I trim the case to 60mm, then continue my reload rom there.

Shanghai McCoy said:

Welcome to The High Road.
Thank you for sharing the photos of what looks to be a classic example of the German sporting rifle craftsmanship.

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Thank you

tark said:

Wow! Thanks for sharing . And welcome to the monkey house!

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Thanks

ApacheCoTodd said:

That's one hell of an outfit. The vintage optics and attachment style, beaver-gal bolt handle, facetted barrel.... What a looker.

If only a fella could know its detailed past and uses.


Todd.

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Yup and this Gal, I sourced the Hensoldt Scope with Suhler claw mounts from Yugoslavia, I bought the gun here in the UK.

Shanghai McCoy said:

That's a new term to me, fits tho.
I've always called that style of bolt handle a butter knife bolt handle. I wonder what the official term is..?

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Spoon Handle Bolt.

Dave DeLaurant said:

Absolutely beautiful rifle, thanks for the photos! The octagonal barrel and rib treatments are particularly classy. Is there a mfg's logo on the scope?

Any ideas how this fine arm survived postwar destruction? US GIs frequently brought rifles like these home, but the 1952 Birmingham proof may hint at a more circuitous route out of the former Reich.

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Thanks, Its a German hunting rifle and not military so the was an allowed arm between the wars as long as it wasn't chambered in 8x57mm, I suspect a soldier bought it back as a trophy after ww2 or was imported into the UK and then re proofed in 1952. The scope is a Hensoldt Duralyt 6x that I purchased separately with the Sulher claw mounts. Claw mount bases were already on the rifle, I had to adjust and fit the scope since they are usually one offs fitted by a gunsmith.

Jim Watson said:

The "hotter load" mentioned is the "Magnum Bombe."

A little googling found

"The 1937 DWM catalog lists one load for the 8x60 Magnum Bombe cartridge: 12.0 gram bullet at 891 meters per second which equates to a 185 gr bullet at 2923 fps.
For comparison with the same bullet weight, the catalog lists two regular 8x60 loads as:
12.0 gram bullet at 791 meters per second which equates to a 185 gr bullet at 2595 fps.
12.0 gram bullet at 817 meters per second which equates to a 185 gr bullet at 2680 fps."

I wouldn't try to match the Magnum Bombe in this handsome but old rifle even though the gun is "M" stamped which may or may not signify the Magnum load.

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Agreed, I’m only going to load it within 8x57JS tolerances, it could handle a little more but not going to push it.

troy fairweather said:

I load my German guns light in fear of cracking the thin 100 year old stocks.

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This thing is built like a battleship!!