gatsby1923

Hi I was just given an old ww2 german mauser in 8mm. My question is can I shoot all that old 8mm Turkish Mauser ammo on the surplus market?

Thanks alot

David M.

Briman

Yup. But check the cases of the first few shots for case head splits, backed out or badly flattened primers, and take a straightened paper clip bent in a small 'L' shape on the end to feel the inside of the fired caseheads for any groove that would indicate excessive headspace. If the serial number on the bolt matches that of the receiver, I wouldn't worry too much.
The Turkish ammo is a pretty hot load firing a 154 gr. bullet at nearly 3000 fps so expect alot of noise and recoil. Its also corrosive, so run a few windex soaked patches down the barrel immediately after you are done shooting the rifle for the day, followed by a regular cleaning.
Don't expect too great of accuracy with the Turkish ammo. The best I can get out of any of my rifles with Turkish ammo is around 2.5" at 100 yards, with 3-4" being the norm. The ammo is really cheap though and fun for plinking and practice. For best accuracy you will need to handload for the rifle.

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