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Loading 7 X 57 is no more difficult than .308, you just have a much larger selection of bullets in .308.
Once you have a supply of cartridge cases you are set for quite a while as with neck sizing and backing away from max loads you can easily get 10 reloading from each case.
Is that the FN (49?) 7x57? I visited Century Arms in 1966 to pick up my mint '95 Mauser ($19), and they had just acquired a warehouseful of FN 7MM assault rifles, which were going out the door for $79.00 a pop. No checkbook or credit card, my pocket change could barely swing the Mauser. On the road with an aquatic biology crew, I had to mooch off my teammates for the rest of the week.As for neck sizing and backing away from max loads, I really can't do that. Gun is a semiauto.
The holster looks like one of the early production styles of Uncle Mike's holsters.Hello All.
This is a pistol that is the same age as the book in the photograph and I have had it since it was new.
It was introduced in 1986 and when I bought it in 1987, it was not available in stainless steel yet. This particular gun is very well used with about 10,000 rounds through it of which roughly 8,500 were full power magnum loads. You all have already seen the effects of that many rounds on the forcing cone.
Accuracy is still quite good enough to pop a staple without a great deal of effort at 15 yards if the operator is capable. The holster is the same age as the gun.
- Ivan.
The 7mm ammo (.284) is suitable for 7mm Mauser, 284, 280, 280 Ackley imp, 7 Rem Mag, 7 Wthby Mag, etc.I don't know that I ever bought reloadable 7 x 57 ammunition. If I did, it wasn't much of it.
I probably just got some to make sure the gun actually functioned.
As for neck sizing and backing away from max loads, I really can't do that. Gun is a semiauto.
I did pick up a few 7 mm bullets, but those were intended for a 7 mm Magnum. Maybe they are also suitable for 7 mm Mauser.
- Ivan.
Curious re process to fireform 30-06 in 7.92x57. The SAAMI specs asy the 30-06 case is longer (2.494) vs 7.92x51 (2.240). Addiionally the shoulder is longer (1.948 vs 1.827). Offhand, even the shoulder diameter is greater for 30-06. Can't chamber 30-06 into 8mm.Yes, this is a FN-49 / SAFN. It is more a Battle Rifle than an assault rifle. No full auto, no detachable magazine even. I believe it is Venezuelan contract. I can't recall if the receiver has a dovetail on the side or not.
I have actually converted a lot of military .30-06 into 7.92 x 57 in the past. It was no big deal to do.
Did you know 8 mm Mauser came with a Lake City headstamp????
As for the FN, you do NOT want to have oversize or marginally sized cases. I don't undersize cases in any caliber if I can help it, but on certain guns, there isn't a lot of camming force to close the action. The FN-49 is like the FN FAL in that respect. Rotating bolts are a lot easier to deal with.
The gas system can be adjusted but screwing with that generally means destroying or damaging a few cases while doing the tuning. That isn't a big deal if you are using military surplus, but not so good with reloadable stuff that is hard to get.
Chances are that if I had bought any reloadable stuff it would have been by PPU or Sellier Bellot.
I once had a FN-49 that was converted to .308 Winchester. The fellow who did the conversion didn't really arrange things all that well so even with the sleeve screwed completely shut to put max pressure into the gas cylinder, it would not always cycle. I got my money back because the gun didn't work.
It would have been a really cool toy if it had worked.
- Ivan.
SR - take a look at SAAMI spec. Iwould doubt that any die combination will take a 30-06 to a 7x51. First the nect thim of 06 needs to be about .25 leaving about 0.14 neck. Next the diameter to the shoulder of 06 is 0.441 at 1.948 inch from base. The 8x57 'shoulder' of 0.431 is at 1.827 from the base' - that is a LOT of diameter reduction of the 06 case behind the shoulder/neck to get down to 8x57. Then the real begins with required next step - 'push' the 30-06 shoulder back from 1.948 to 1.827 so that the intemediate case will at least chamber - with no headspace for fireforming. What next?It requires trimming the brass to the correct length, then sizing the shoulder to its correct location/shape.
If the shoulder is a bit smaller (I haven't looked it up) you can leave just enough bump at the base of the neck to headspace on.
A light bullet with a reduced load should pop the shoulder out full dimension.
A lot of work but the case should be good for a number of firings in a Bolt action rifle.
It may help if you have forming dies instead of just full length sizing dies and a large press and sturdy bench.
It may be too much trouble and expense for just a couple of boxes of brass.
SR - I agree with you that it can be done. My issues were 'why in hell would I go throught that process'. BTW nice assembly of images showing the tortuous process.It can be a done and there are a lot of ways/paths it can be done.
Questions are how much money and or time do you want to spend.
View attachment 678378
A number of videos on You tube.
Anything from jigs with power trimers to using a hacksaw across the top of a die for shorting the case.
View attachment 678379
You can bump the case neck up bit (like to take a .338-358 expander plug? ) and then neck it back to take the .323 bullet leaving a small false shoulder at the base of the neck and use a light load to expand the body/shoulder to the needed size.
Again, it is not cost (or time) effective for 20-40 cases, but if you have a lot of 30-06 cases and you need/want a lot reloadable 8mm cases it is quite possible.
Many companies that sell reloading equipment will have stuff in their catalog. You may have to go to the manufactures and not you your local gun shop.
Some companies will offer kits or die sets to do this or to convert may other calibers.
It is possible to make .even .22-250 cases from .30-06 but that takes a lot more work and more steps and a higher scrap rate.
View attachment 678380
Curious re process to fireform 30-06 in 7.92x57. The SAAMI specs asy the 30-06 case is longer (2.494) vs 7.92x51 (2.240). Addiionally the shoulder is longer (1.948 vs 1.827). Offhand, even the shoulder diameter is greater for 30-06. Can't chamber 30-06 into 8mm.
Did you mean .308/7.62x51? That's doable with caution.
The holster looks like one of the early production styles of Uncle Mike's holsters.
The 7mm ammo (.284) is suitable for 7mm Mauser, 284, 280, 280 Ackley imp, 7 Rem Mag, 7 Wthby Mag, etc.
Easiest to find (relative) is 140, 150, 160 and 175gr bullets.
I loaded all the hot 7mm's with 140 or 175, depending- but for the big animal like elk, moose and bear i moved to 338/340 and never looked back. Had I gone to Africa I would have taken 30-06 or 300WM and the 375. At 77 I'm not mad at anything any more - unless we have a power grid shutdown.Hello Drgondog,
I hadn't commented earlier, but I actually have a fair supply of 7 mm bullets. I happen to reload for the 7 mm Magnum for a Remington 700. I can't recall what the weights are because I haven't reloaded for that caliber in quite some time though.
There is some work that needs to be done to that gun first though: New scope and mounts.
- Ivan.
I loaded all the hot 7mm's with 140 or 175, depending- but for the big animal like elk, moose and bear i moved to 338/340 and never looked back. Had I gone to Africa I would have taken 30-06 or 300WM and the 375. At 77 I'm not mad at anything any more - unless we have a power grid shutdown.
My only venture into a custom was a Jarrett 280 Ackley Improved Beanfield Model - with Leupold 2x9 it was a steady 1/2in five shot group up to 400 yards when the 3x9 ran out of range for my eyes. That said, nearly every Remington M700 I ever had was a 1 MOA out of the box. Any rifle I ever acqired that wasn't capable of 1" before tuning found another home to a less picky person. I have re-barrelled four or five, with Wiseman or Krieger barrels and happy with all.I don't hunt at all. The 7 mm Magnum is intended only for target shooting. When I bought the rifle, I threw on a cheap set of Weaver bases and a BSA scope. Since then I have acquired a one piece base and a couple Bushnell ScopeChiefs. The optics are not really modern, but they are period appropriate (Mid 1960s) for the rifle and it is an all around better scope than the BSA. I just need to do some work, but at the moment, I am a bit more occupied with tuning pistols. I would also rather find a one piece Redfield turn-in base and rings instead of using the one piece steel Weaver base I already have even though the Weaver base with 20 MOA inclination would probably be more suited for target use.
As for a high power rifle, this particular 7 mm Mag isn't anywhere near as accurate as my .300 Win Mag, so it really isn't a first choice for anything other than something to play with. That is why it hasn't been a high priority to load for it or to finish working on it.
- Ivan.