will 8mm dry up?

GreenLantern

I'm not sure if this belongs in General Discussion but here goes anyway:

I had been considering rebarreling an 8mm mauser to .308 but a few comments I've gotten on various forums say why not just leave it as is because of the volume of 8mm available surplus. Well, is it possible that this surplus will eventually run out as opposed to 7.62x51 surplus? I'm guessing not too many countries use the 8mm as a standard round so wouldn't this supply eventually dry up where as the 7.62x51 is a current NATO round and therefore there might be a continual supply of it for many many more years that the 8mm?

GL

Darrell

8mm surplus has been around since the end of ww-2 and I haven't seen a single day it was hard to find. Even today boat loads are coming in and many nations still use it and make it. I just bought 1500 rounds for $76.00 that looks new and made in 1970's. Russia has billions of rounds they scavanged from Nazi battlefields and have it packed in vacuum cans in storage. I think it will be decades before supply is a problem. Laws will make it hard to get before supply.

v35

Since you're rebarreling from 8mm to 308 the question is probably 10 years premature since there are scads of cheap milsurp 8mm stuff around. This was not the case in past years. Many Mausers were converted to U.S. calibers like '06 and handloaders converted the cheaper '06 brass to 8mm. I don't recall inexpensive surplus 8mm ammo in the past. The Eastern Bloc was hoarding it as were the Chinese.
For many years after WW2, 30-06 and 30 Carbine surplus flooded the market at about $7.50/c and was the cheapest big bore you could shoot.
There was seemingly an endless supply. Now look at comparative prices of the carbine ammo.
Yes there will be an end to all this old, obsolete military stockpiled ammo someday but why plan for it now?
This ammo dumping by Russia and the former Eastern Bloc presents a bonanza of an opportunity for shooters to do a load of cheap shooting. Defer your rebarreling plans another 10-20 years when the bargains start to dry up.

























another 10 or 20 years when the bargain disappears

GreenLantern

I do have one 8mm mauser already. Got another one coming. And thought about getting a 3rd and rebarreling. Just for something different.

jonk

Both will dry up eventually. Doubt it? It is getting hard to find 30-06 surplus at good prices, .303, etc. While both can be found they aren't dirt cheap anymore. They will go the way of Carcano ammo, 11mm Mauser, 6.5 Dutch, etc. etc. When I first got my first 8mm in the late 1990s, ammo was HARD to get, I don't care what anyone says. Often at gunshows I would only see mixed bags of old commercial, occasional surplus at $5/15, etc. Now it is really available and cheap but won't be forever. Stock up while you can. That said I don't think it will dry up anytime soon, but eventually, yes.

"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf

FrancF

Try Mitchell's Mausers They carry New loads for the 8mm Mauser in four bullet Types 175Gr Hp 175Gr PSP S.W.A.T. 198gr Target & 198Gr FMJ. Hope that helps.

Here is there web site www.MitchellSales.com



NRA Life Endowment Member

v35

If you want to do something different why not an 8mm-06 or
8x68 then you could use the same barrel and have a serious magnum.

hunter223

Leave the 8mm barrel on it and reload for it. You load that round very cheaper than buying the other caliber.

GreenLantern

Somebody else mentioned the 8mm-06, but I'm not into reloading at this point in time. Too many other things I need to get first.