Newbie Mauser M48A question

I

I'vebeenduped

New member
I inherited one of the Mitchell's Mausers (yes, I know, overpriced), from my late father. Is there any comparable ammo that can be fired from this weapon safely besides the insanely priced 8MM Mauser ammo from my local Megalo-Mart-Outdoor center? I have seen what I have taken as conflicting information when I google it.
Responses are greatly appreciated and, please, keep the mocking of my general lack of knowledge to a maximum of 1 paragraph.

Thank you,
David
 
The 8mm Mauser (actually it's the 7.9mm Mauser) is the only ammo that will work.
This is no different than any firearm chambered for a specific cartridge. Only the ammo it's chambered for can be used.

For ammo, there's the commercial made hunting ammo made by most American cartridge companies, ammo made by Norma, and if you can find it, military surplus corrosive primed ammo from any number of companies.

I don't keep up on this, but it's possible Russia or some of the former Commie countries are selling commercial steel cased ammo.

To use surplus corrosive ammo, after shooting just flush the bore and bolt face with hot water, then clean as normal.
 
Any proper 8mm Mauser (technically, it's called 7.92 x 57JS) can be fired through your M48a. I'm not sure exactly what you are asking, I have to say. Are you asking for a recommendation on particular brands ? I'll pass on some general info, hoping that it will help you.......

Your M48a has a barrel which is rifled for the "standard" military load (for most 8mm Mauser rifles).....which is a 198 grain pointed ("spitzer", in German) bullet @ about 2360 fps. Many, maybe all, of the US manufactured 8mm Mauser loads use a 170 grain bullet. These are somewhat lightly loaded and generally won't be as accurate as more "standard" loads. So, your best bet for good ammo for your rifle are European brands, such as Sellier & Bellot (Czech), Prvi Partisan (Serbian), Norma (Swedish....and VERY expensive). S&B and PP are not expensive. There are other such brands, but the important thing to look for is bullet weights of around 198 grains. There are also some brands to avoid, one being Olympic (Greek).

But, any commercially-loaded 8mm Mauser ammo will work in your rifle.

Does that help at all ? I hope so.
 
ALL factory ammo is insanely priced - search discount online dealers like CheaperThanDirt or others.

OR start a new hobby: handloading. :)


If you can run down a Lee Loader, that & the components (powder, primers, projectiles) should run you about $60 for your 1st 100 rounds - less, if you glom onto some cast lead boolits at a funshop or funshow.



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You might want to do a search on ammoseek.com. I have pretty good look finding stuff on there and you can search/list based on cost/rd. I seem to recall seeing some surplus Persian ammo (8mm Mauser) on Samco recently as well. ~Craig
 
Thanks, guys.

I appreciate all of the info. I was trying to see if I could use any other sort of ammo in the sense that, you can shoot .38 out of a .357 or .223 out of a 5.56 etc. Again, I have very little knowledge about this rifle and GREATLY appreciate what those with more knowledge are willing to share. I downloaded some assembling/ disassembling instructions. I am looking into purchasing a Brass tacker scout mount and I already have a pretty decent, albeit non-expensive scout scope.
I plan on making this my white-tail rifle since it seems a shame to let a rifle sit in a safe without ever seeing the light of day. From what I've read it is a decent enough rifle with enough firepower to take down anything in North America. I am trying to find if there is a nice, affordable way to fire this beauty. So, gents, I thank you all for the previous posts and look forward to any future ones.

David
 
Nope. That scout mount will give you about 12"-16" of eye relief with that scope. The scope is set up for about 4" of eye relief. If you are going to use that scope, use regualr scope mounts: if you are going to use the scout mount, use an extended eye reilef scope (also sold as handgun scopes).
 
M48 8mm ammo

David, the cheapest and seems like the only place to find currently 8mm surplus is at SAMCO global. I just ordered 400 rounds for my M48, something like $112 for 400. Their shiping price is a bit high, depends on where you live. I have dealt with them for eons and have always got what ordered. Not exactly fast delivery, but you get it eventually.

You have to fax a copy of your drivers license or a photo ID and a letter that you are not a criminal. Both forms are on line
 
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