Which 8mm Surplus??

[Calplinker]

Wanting advice on which 8mm surplus to buy? Choices I'm seeing online are:

1950's Yugo
1950's Iranian
1940's-50's Turkish
1950's Romanian

I have some Yugo from the 50's and my Hakim eats it up like candy. However, my Yugo Mauser must need a new spring as it doesn't like the hard primers.

Just bought an FN-49 and was looking to buy 1000 rounds of plinking ammo for it and the other 8mm shooters in the stable. Current owner of the FN says it likes 50's Yugo, but I'd like the opinion of folks with more knowledge of surplus 8mm.

EDIT: Yes, I know they are corrosive. I clean my guns well after every outing, corrosive ammo or not.

Thanks!!!!

[paul0660]

You know as much as anyone I think.

I have an 03 Turk that won't fire 50's Yugo even with a new spring. It barely passes a field headspace check however.

One good thing about the 50's yugo is that it is non magnetic. That, and many pound of 40's Turk, are what I use.

[Calplinker]

Ammo

You know as much as anyone I think.

I have an 03 Turk that won't fire 50's Yugo even with a new spring. It barely passes a field headspace check however.

One good thing about the 50's yugo is that it is non magnetic. That, and many pound of 40's Turk, are what I use.

Actually, I don't know that much. I had no idea that the 50's Yugo stuff is non-magnetic. I still have about 200 rounds of some 1953 production and just checked. Sure enough, you're right!! That's good to know as I primarily shoot outside in dry conditions here in SoCal.

How about overall quality of the ammo choices listed above? I've heard that the 50's Yugo stuff is pretty good, but others have said they don't agree.

[froman118]

Ammoman sent out an email this morning for Yugo 8mm Mauser. Pretty good price. http://ammoman.com/webstore_8mm.htm

[Mssr. Eleganté]

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1940's-50's Turkish
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Just bought an FN-49 and was looking to buy 1000 rounds of plinking ammo for it and the other 8mm shooters in the stable.

Don't use the Turkish 8mm in the FN-49. That ammo is too hot for semi-autos. Probably a combination of the powder charge and the lighter 154 grain bullet.

[Calplinker]

Turkish ammo

Don't use the Turkish 8mm in the FN-49. That ammo is too hot for semi-autos. Probably a combination of the powder charge and the lighter 154 grain bullet.

I've heard some people say that, and have heard others say that it's a wives tail and that their guns eat it all day long. The surplus stuff I'm seeing also has 196 grain bullets, not 154.

I'd be more inclined to believe this if I heard it from an "official" resource, ideally after testing was done to measure the CPU's of Turkish ammo relative to others.

EDIT: Which of the other ammo listed above WOULD you recommend for a HAKIM and FN-49?

[Milsurps]

However, my Yugo Mauser must need a new spring as it doesn't like the hard primers.

I've had to re-spring my VZ-24's, 24/47 and my K98k to use Yugo 8MM consistently.
Once done, the Yugo 8MM always goes bang.

[Calplinker]

springs

I've had to re-spring my VZ-24's, 24/47 and my K98k to use Yugo 8MM consistently.
Once done, the Yugo 8MM always goes bang.

Any idea on a source for a new spring for a Yugo Mauser? Do I just get another, identical spring, or a "stiffer" one?

[Milsurps]

Any idea on a source for a new spring for a Yugo Mauser? Do I just get another, identical spring, or a "stiffer" one?

http://www.gunsprings.com/index.cfm?page=items&cID=2&mID=40

The M48 spring will work.

22 or 26 lb. your choice.

I've always had good luck with and use wolff springs.


Also available...
http://www.buymilsurp.com/m48-yugo-mauser-firing-pin-spring

[Mssr. Eleganté]

I've heard some people say that, and have heard others say that it's a wives tail and that their guns eat it all day long. The surplus stuff I'm seeing also has 196 grain bullets, not 154.

Almost all of the Turk surplus 8mm is 154 grain. It comes in 70 round bandoleers. There was a small amount of Turk heavy ball imported at the same time, but it came in 60 round bandoleers. If you are seeing Turk 8mm sold now it is most likely the 154 grain stuff. It was designed to be shot out of long barreled (29 inch) Turk Mausers, so it uses a slow burning powder to develop bullet velocities close to 3000 fps.

Some guys report that it works fine in their semi-autos, aside from tossing the empty brass into the next county on the lowest gas valve setting. Other guys report that it broke their semi-auto rifles, sometimes just cracking a gas piston, other times blowing off magazines and/or action covers. There's only one way to find out what it will do in your rifle.

[Calplinker]

Almost all of the Turk surplus 8mm is 154 grain. It comes in 70 round bandoleers. There was a small amount of Turk heavy ball imported at the same time, but it came in 60 round bandoleers. If you are seeing Turk 8mm sold now it is most likely the 154 grain stuff. It was designed to be shot out of long barreled (29 inch) Turk Mausers, so it uses a slow burning powder to develop bullet velocities close to 3000 fps.

Some guys report that it works fine in their semi-autos, aside from tossing the empty brass into the next county on the lowest gas valve setting. Other guys report that it broke their semi-auto rifles, sometimes just cracking a gas piston, other times blowing off magazines and/or action covers. There's only one way to find out what it will do in your rifle.

Okay, now you really have me confused. All of my 8mm Yugo ammo is in the original boxes from 1953, is 196 grains and is on striper clips. Most of it I bought at J&G, and the rest from the Costa Mesa gun show. Other than the month of manufacture 5/53 -vs- 7/53), they are identical.

If you look here:

http://gun-deals.com/ammo.php?caliber=8mm+Mauser

You'll see that all of the ammo sources they list show either 196 or 198 grains. There is one Romanian source listed offering 150 grain bullets.

[paul0660]

There are thousands of bandoliers of 155 grain Turk ammo sitting in closets and garages.

I have bought mine from individuals, but I bet it comes up from retailers as well. I don't know about the semi auto question, but I do know that Turk 8mm gets up and goes in a hurry.

http://www.turkmauser.com/ammo/mhbTurk.aspx

[Mssr. Eleganté]

Okay, now you really have me confused. All of my 8mm Yugo ammo is in the original boxes from 1953, is 196 grains and is on striper clips. Most of it I bought at J&G, and the rest from the Costa Mesa gun show. Other than the month of manufacture 5/53 -vs- 7/53), they are identical.

If you look here:

http://gun-deals.com/ammo.php?caliber=8mm+Mauser

You'll see that all of the ammo sources they list show either 196 or 198 grains. There is one Romanian source listed offering 150 grain bullets.

Huh?

I am only talking about Turkish 8mm. That's the only type of 8mm I have been talking about in this whole thread. You listed it as one of the four choices you were looking to buy.

When I said not to use 154 grain Turkish 8mm in your FN-49 did you think I meant not to use 8mm in any grain or from any country? If so, sorry for the confusion. I was only talking about Turkish 8mm.

[Calplinker]

Huh?

I am only talking about Turkish 8mm. That's the only type of 8mm I have been talking about in this whole thread. You listed it as one of the four choices you were looking to buy.

When I said not to use 154 grain Turkish 8mm in your FN-49 did you think I meant not to use 8mm in any grain or from any country? If so, sorry for the confusion. I was only talking about Turkish 8mm.

See, that's what I get for replying from my iPhone while sitting in a restaurant. You clearly wrote "Turkish" and I clearly read "Yugo".

My bad. I'm going to blame it on old eyes. Yeah, that's it!!!!

[17+1]

1) Yugo M75: shoots really good. The only drawback is the price and that it's berdan primed. May be a better idea to just buy new mfg. commercial 8mm and just reload it to higher pressure.

2) Yugo heavy ball: filthy, loaded hot, decent accuracy...you may need a new mainspring to light off some of them. This is the only 8mm I mess around with as it shoots pretty good, is very cheap and saves me from reloading for my 8mm Mauser.

3) Romanian: good ammo for 200 yards and less. Not that accurate. OK if you can't get your hands on anything else and just want to shoot.