Old ammo

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Jay2020

Jay2020

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Hello
Unfortunately I just found out out my Steyr is chambered at 8x50 mannlicher. So there obviously no ammo available. I have begun bidding on a box of nazi made 8x50 from 38
. Is this a good idea? It looks good but how dangerous can it be
 
Only if you want the "collector" value for the ammo. I went to ammoseek.com and found three different places that sell New PPU 8x50r for $1.03 on up. I know squat about the 8x50R but one site said it was interchangeable with 8 x 51 Label. You might want to look into that. I also found new brass , a bit pricey, but new. I
If it was me I'd buy the PPU and then reload the brass.
 
I wouldnt shoot it.

Smokeless powders all break down over time, resulting in unpredictable burn rates and pressures. In addition, case ruptures are a serious possibility due to corrosion on the inside of the case where you cant see it.

The rate of powder degredation depends on time, the amount of stabilizer added to the ammo when new, and the conditions under which it was stored. God only knows how many heat and humidity cylces that stuff has been exposed to in the last 80 years bouncing around Europe.

I dont know where youre at, but if you are near SW FL, I know a local pawn shop that has a bunch of newer commercial production Steyr ammo. PM me if interested.
 
A. 8mm Lebel and 8mm Mannlicher are not interchangeable.
B. Is your rifle 8x50R or 8x56R? They are also not interchangeable, and there is a very good chance the 1938 ammo you are bidding on is 8x56R. I shoot that stuff all the time and it is great, sure-fire ammo.
C. M95 Mannlicher rifles can be found in both 8x50R and 8x56R. Be sure what you have before buying ammo and shooting it.
 
Skip the old ammo unless you collect ammo or need the en bloc clips. Buy newly-made ammo from someone reputable that specifically says 8x50R Austrian -- don't try any flavor of 8x50R Lebel ammo in an Austrian straight-pull.

I know of no source for newly-made 8x50R Austrian ammo at present and I've always made my own. I used to form the brass from 7.62x54R Russian, but the easiest way today is to use Privi 8x56R brass run into an 8mm Lebel die and cut to length. Annealing is necessary afterward, and some neck turning may also be needed. Lebel and Austrian 8x50R are not interchangable (rim dimensions are different, for one thing), but the neck dimensions are close enough that I use Lebel dies for neck forming, neck resizing fired cases and seating bullets. Actual 8x50R Austrian dies would obviously be a better choice, but they are expensive and challenging to find.
Steyr2.jpg

With the Austrian M95 straight pull, cartridge overall length is important for proper feeding from en bloc clips. Ammo that is too short will nose-dive instead of chambering (ask me how I know!), so try to use long bullets of about 200 grains or more -- if you use lighter bullets, you'll need to seat them pretty far forward.

I get OK accuracy out to 100 yards with .323" bullets, but the actual bore dimensions are larger. Bloke on the Range did an excellent video about ammo tailoring for the M95, but YouTube appears to have taken it down -- here are some of his ancillary videos on the subject:


 
I can't recommend firing old ammo unless you know its history . 70 years in an ammo can in a cool dry basement is not the same as 70 years in a garage drawer in Florida. You just don't know, when it comes to firearms safety there should be no question on if somethings safe. You don't want to flinching every time you pull the trigger .
 
I have 1938 Nazi ammo in 8x56R. If it looks OK, and if it sounds OK when I shake it, I shoot it. About 10% fail to ignite. There's an occasional hang-fire. All part of the fun. The ammo in its original cardboard-boxed clips is best. (But bulk ammo is iffy - I had to discard about a third of my bulk ammo - that I'd skip). What the heck, if you got it, shoot it. These are strong rifles.
View attachment 965666
Note: after shooting this stuff, clean your barrel using corrosive ammo cleaning methods.
 
I once had a M95 carbine in 8 x 50 R. I found a bunch of 1890 vintage ammo loaded with compressed black powder made for an earlier model. It was tarnished and the neck of some of the cases were split. I took a couple of boxes out and tried it. It all fired. I had a few partial head separations but the rest of the case evidently went down range. It was fun to shoot with the smoke clouds and flames from the black powder. I ended selling the rifle after that because I figured once I ran out it would be a wall hanger. Black powder doesn't age as long as it stays dry.
Buffalo arms had reloadable cases for 1.89 to 1.60 a case depending on quantity, but currently are out of stock. You might try contacting them. That price may seem high but if you fire form the cases and only neck size they will probably last a long time with light loads.
 
There is no commercial source for current 8x50R ammo. Brass is made by Bertram and available from BACO and others. As outlined above, it can also be made from 8x56R brass, available from PPU and others. If one does not reload, 8x50 is a non-starter. One can rechamber to 8x56R and use PPU ammo.
 
Years ago I was given a bunch of old ammo of various calibers. Not sure how it was stored. Anong them were boxes of Winchester- Western Xpert in 22LR. Blue and yellow boxes from the 50s. That stuff is still the favored round in an old BSA Martini 22 I have. Wish I could find more. Short story, long, if it was stored properly, old ammo is fine to shoot, but I would rather shoot newer where I know it is probably going to be more reliable.
 
Well I am embarrassed to say what happened last night. I decided to take my 8x56 dummy rounds and put them in a strip and try to load them. Well they loaded just fine. I guess taking one round and shoving it in there is not the way to do it. Now I know that I have a converted corbine in 8x56 with the stamps ground off.sorry if I wasted anyone's time but until then I had no idea. Thanks
 
Sorry, but I have to disagree with the above conclusion. I don't know why anybody would grind off the "S" designation for 8x56R caliber. That makes no sense.
 
Jay2020 said:
Well I am embarrassed to say what happened last night. I decided to take my 8x56 dummy rounds and put them in a strip and try to load them. Well they loaded just fine. I guess taking one round and shoving it in there is not the way to do it. Now I know that I have a converted corbine in 8x56 with the stamps ground off.sorry if I wasted anyone's time but until then I had no idea. Thanks
Click to expand...

Whoa -- my advice is to take this rifle to a qualified gunsmith before attempting to fire with any ammo.

If someone has done something non-standard with either the chamber or markings, you have no way to tell what else has been done to it, without at least doing a chamber casting. Ordinarily chamber casting is a DIY stuff, but you might be better off letting a pro inspect and evaluate this one.
 
Jay2020 said:
Hello
Unfortunately I just found out out my Steyr is chambered at 8x50 mannlicher. So there obviously no ammo available. I have begun bidding on a box of nazi made 8x50 from 38
. Is this a good idea? It looks good but how dangerous can it be
Click to expand...
all the 38 head stamped Nazi ammo I have seen has been 8x56 R , and bears a big red S on the brown carboard 2 clip boxes I have seen. Just yesterday I gave away my 200 rounds of it to the young man who does my plumbing that now is the owner of my Steyr made carbine so chambered.
 
I hate to bring it up but the posts have changed very weird from the Newby. I believe in helping newbies of course, but expect straightforwardness, with decent respect of course.
 
Ditto on making a chamber cast to determine what you have or take it to a gunsmith. Also beware of dewats. I was at a motorcycle swap meet about 25 years ago and one guy had a table full of M95 rifles. On close inspection someone had demilitarized them by drilling a hole through the barrel in front of the receiver. Some had it done under the wood.
 
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