"New" 88 Gewehr kinda custom 8x57J

[19_A_CPT]

At this point, my wife should just take my Credit card away, but she was pretty.
Im a sucker for vintage. Im a sucker for octagonal barrels. Im a sucker for engraved metal.

Well she had all three, so!

I couldn't pry the 423 Mauser from the hands of @Lance Hopper, so I found my own lol.

 

[7x57Joe]

She's a beaut!

 

[leslie hetrick]

i had a nice plain jane 88 years ago and used .32 special 170 gr round nose .321 dia. bullets in it at 2100-2200 fps.

 

[VertigoBE]

Very classy rifle. I love the lines of the bottom metal on those 88's

 

[19_A_CPT]

i had a nice plain jane 88 years ago and used .32 special 170 gr round nose .321 dia. bullets in it at 2100-2200 fps.

I found some Norma 8x57 J vintage ammo for $25/box. I won't shoot it much (most likely) but will hunt a few times with it. Has the dual flip up leaf sites common to African rifles.

 

[leslie hetrick]

I found some Norma 8x57 J vintage ammo for $25/box. I won't shoot it much (most likely) but will hunt a few times with it. Has the dual flip up leaf sites common to African rifles.

darn good price for that norma ammo.

 

[Spacebogan]

That is beautiful!

 

[ZG47]

At this point, my wife should just take my Credit card away, but she was pretty.
Im a sucker for vintage. Im a sucker for octagonal barrels. Im a sucker for engraved metal.

Well she had all three, so!

I couldn't pry the 423 Mauser from the hands of @Lance Hopper, so I found my own lol.

View attachment 701442View attachment 701443View attachment 701444

Beautiful rifle. Enjoy!

 

[yamoon]

Great find, use it. I have 2 Mauser 98 8x57I sporters, I hunt with both.
Mike

 

[19_A_CPT]

Great find, use it. I have 2 Mauser 98 8x57I sporters, I hunt with both.
Mike

What do you usually shoot out of them? Factory or handloads? I found some vintage Norma that says 8x57J on the box. I will use it a few times at least.

 

[yamoon]

What do you usually shoot out of them? Factory or handloads? I found some vintage Norma that says 8x57J on the box. I will use it a few times at least.

I shoot both, one has a .321 bore. I shoot 8x57IS in it, the other requires .318 bullets. The way to determine if it is safe to shoot .323 IS in your rifle is to shoot a 8x57I (.318) in your rifle, see if a standard IS (.323) bullet will slip freely in the neck of the fired brass, if it does, it is safe to shoot 8x57IS in the rifle. The high pressure comes when the chamber is too tight to allow the brass to expand and release it’s hold on the bullet. Many I rifles were rechambered to allow use of IS cartridges. This works in 98s, I have never tried it in an 88.
Mike

 

[ZG47]

I shoot both, one has a .321 bore. I shoot 8x57IS in it, the other requires .318 bullets. The way to determine if it is safe to shoot .323 IS in your rifle is to shoot a 8x57I (.318) in your rifle, see if a standard IS (.323) bullet will slip freely in the neck of the fired brass, if it does, it is safe to shoot 8x57IS in the rifle. The high pressure comes when the chamber is too tight to allow the brass to expand and release it’s hold on the bullet. Many I rifles were rechambered to allow use of IS cartridges. This works in 98s, I have never tried it in an 88.
Mike

The Imperial German Army changed the rifling depth in 1895, resulting in groove diameter of 8.22mm/.324" in a rifle with full sized bore of 7.92mm; due to jacket shedding issues with 7.92x57I ammunition. New rifling designation was Z. The bullet jacket thickness was doubled for the 7.92x57S ammunition. Military rifle chambers, in barrels originally rifled to Z specification were modified, in 1902 to suit the larger diameter projectile. Civilian rifle barrels and chambers are an entirely different matter. Be safe.

 

[mark-hunter]

Europe has neen swept with two world wars, since phasing out. 318.bore.

In ww2, they were confiscating all civilian guns in occupation zones, and after capitulion of germany, great number of guns were "liberated" and then destroyed.
So, europe had few massive, systematic, thorough purges of guns across the continent.
As a result, 318 bore relic, since before world war 1 is extremely rare.

They mention 318 and 323 bores, on occasion on hunting exam classes.
Instructors sound smart.
Then young hunters must be thinking "wow, we must take care of that, not to mix the ammo, and use it in wrong gun! Must check what is written on the box! "

But i have never seen 318 bore in real life.
And anybody I know, and I asked, has never seen 318.
So it is extremely rare.
Most likely unless bought as c&r in some antique shop, modern hunter will never meet 318 in his life.
Main ammunition factories do not produce 318 diameter ammo in 8x57, etc.

 

[yamoon]

I have 2 .318 bore Mauser sporters one proofed in 1932, the other has an Orberndorf action with 1912 serial number, no proof date other than the marks indicate it was proofed after 1893. I do hand load for both. 175 gr .318 are available from Buffalo Arms. I will try to add a photo of the 1932.
Mike

 

[txtrout75218]

Lovely rifle.

 

[yamoon]

After cataract surgery with astigmatism correction, I am able to return to my first love, using open sights. For me, taking a running deer with open sights, adds to the feeling of accomplishment. Rifle weighs 7lb 4 oz, 24 inch part octagon barrel, and double set trigger of course.

Mike

 

[steve white]

I wouldn't be surprised if you bought the rifle for less than the price that engraving would cost today...

 

[yamoon]

I have always wanted an 88 but have never found one in nice shootable condition. That’s a beauty you have found.
Mike