Took My Kar 88 and my buddy to P2K Range

[CASEC]

Some of you have read along about the smithing I had done on my Kar 88. I finally got to shoot it today with my buddy at P2K range. What we figured out was 1880s sights are hard to hit anything with. Still my buddy managed to put 3 rounds in 3 inches offhand at 25 yards and that was good enough to get us on the big boy 100yd range. This is where the sights proved how bad they really are. Trying to hit at 100yds using a tiny blue steel A sitting in a tiny blue steel V aimed at a black O 100yds downrange is an exercise in futility. Still the experience was good and inspired me to continue on with the projects I have in the works.
1. Have an insert milled to place a rail on my 7mm Kar 88 rear sight base, and see what this carbine can do with some glass.
2. Build up a custom Kar 88 in 8mm with permanent IER optic mounted.
3. Build up a custom Kar 88 in 7.62x39 with permanent IER optic mounted.

To this end I have obtained a new 8mm Mauser Barrel, and a new Yugo SKS barrel.

They should be interesting builds.

[6mmintl]

You have to build up the width of the front sight with epoxy or solder on a thin piece on bent ("U " shape) brass on blade.

Find a donor slider and deepen groove to a square notch to fit front, or 2-56 screw (2) on a brass plate with .090" hole aperature.

[CASEC]

You have to build up the width of the front sight with epoxy or solder on a thin piece on bent ("U " shape) brass on blade.

Find a donor slider and deepen groove to a square notch to fit front, or 2-56 screw (2) on a brass plate with .090" hole aperature.

Now that sounds like the business!

I just happen to have an extra carbine sight, and I like peep sights. Then I can really dial it in. It shoots really well. I can't wait to bring it to a c&r shoot...

[smle-man]

Keeping in mind that the 88 action does not handle case failures well at all I'd suggest keeping everything on the very mild side and stay away from any older surplus ammunition.

[CASEC]

Keeping in mind that the 88 action does not handle case failures well at all I'd suggest keeping everything on the very mild side and stay away from any older surplus ammunition.

Yea I think that gas handling is the one legitimate complaint about the Gew.88 action. I have a barrel and jacket that are examples of a barrel KABOOM due to the older inferior rifling. Thats why I fit my shooters with turned down Mauser barrels. People like to say that the action itself is weak but I can't find 1 single KABOOM due to poor metallurgy affecting the action itself.

I'm on a mission to fix the gas handling issue as much as possible. It has been addressed in several ways in the past by different countries and companies retrofitting the original, or altering the original into a new design. I have noted the following.

1. Germany fairly quickly added a flange to the end of the bolt to cover the left raceway.
2. The commercial Kar 88 I've been writing about has an even larger flange on the left to cover the left raceway.
3. The Turks put a deep relief cut in the left raceway to aid in loading via stripper clip and relieve pressure coming back along the left raceway. The downside is it bobbles the bolt during cycling when it hits this relieved spot.
4. The Dutch Mannlichers and others that were glorified copies of the 88 put holes in the bolt to relieve pressure escaping.
5. Early Mausers had Hatcher type holes put in them to relieve pressure at the receiver ring, as did Arisakas. Later Mausers have cut out in bolt bottoms, large flanges at the rear, and firing pins that obscured the bolt channel like a back flow valve against rearward gas pressure.

I observe all of this and I would like to improve the 88 with:
1. a well designed rear flange
2. holes in the bolt bottom
3. a Hatcher type hole
4. relief holes along the left raceway

These are my best ideas so far. I am trying to figure out where to place the holes. Any ideas are appreciated.

[mj1]

P2K?

[smle-man]

Yea I think that gas handling is the one legitimate complaint about the Gew.88 action. I have a barrel and jacket that are examples of a barrel KABOOM due to the older inferior rifling. Thats why I fit my shooters with turned down Mauser barrels. People like to say that the action itself is weak but I can't find 1 single KABOOM due to poor metallurgy affecting the action itself.

I'm on a mission to fix the gas handling issue as much as possible. It has been addressed in several ways in the past by different countries and companies retrofitting the original, or altering the original into a new design. I have noted the following.

1. Germany fairly quickly added a flange to the end of the bolt to cover the left raceway.
2. The commercial Kar 88 I've been writing about has an even larger flange on the left to cover the left raceway.
3. The Turks put a deep relief cut in the left raceway to aid in loading via stripper clip and relieve pressure coming back along the left raceway. The downside is it bobbles the bolt during cycling when it hits this relieved spot.
4. The Dutch Mannlichers and others that were glorified copies of the 88 put holes in the bolt to relieve pressure escaping.
5. Early Mausers had Hatcher type holes put in them to relieve pressure at the receiver ring, as did Arisakas. Later Mausers have cut out in bolt bottoms, large flanges at the rear, and firing pins that obscured the bolt channel like a back flow valve against rearward gas pressure.

I observe all of this and I would like to improve the 88 with:
1. a well designed rear flange
2. holes in the bolt bottom
3. a Hatcher type hole
4. relief holes along the left raceway

These are my best ideas so far. I am trying to figure out where to place the holes. Any ideas are appreciated.

The only case failure that is a real problem is a base failure like this:


That is an action wrecker. The rest such as a case separation, neck split, vertical crack, as long as it doesn't go through the base are annoying and surprising but not catastrophic. The older action designs were so concerned about gas control because of the poor state of case manufacturing when base failures weren't all that rare. Base failures was what was taking low number 03s apart to the greater extent. These days if modern cases are used, base failures are non existent. I'm sure you are aware of all of this, this is intended for the shooters tempted to use suspect Yugoslav and Turk ball in their 88/05/35 Turk rifles.

[CASEC]

P2K?

Yep. It's great but does anyone know of anywhere around SD where you can shoot outside?

[CASEC]

The only case failure that is a real problem is a base failure like this:





That is an action wrecker. The rest such as a case separation, neck split, vertical crack, as long as it doesn't go through the base are annoying and surprising but not catastrophic. The older action designs were so concerned about gas control because of the poor state of case manufacturing when base failures weren't all that rare. Base failures was what was taking low number 03s apart to the greater extent. These days if modern cases are used, base failures are non existent. I'm sure you are aware of all of this, this is intended for the shooters tempted to use suspect Yugoslav and Turk ball in their 88/05/35 Turk rifles.

Now this is interesting. How well do modern designs handle escaping gas in case of case failure?

[emcon5]

Yep. It's great but does anyone know of anywhere around SD where you can shoot outside?

I think the question "P2K?" was not "You really went to P2K?", but more "What the hell is P2K?"

[CASEC]

lol it's a nice range and gunshop out in sd county

[smle-man]

Now this is interesting. How well do modern designs handle escaping gas in case of case failure?

Very well. It usually goes through the magazine well.