one size fits...

T

tahunua001

New member
... SOME:D
today I got bored and started thinking about the reports of US soldiers in the south pacific resorting to using 7.7 japanese ammo in their springfields, strippers and all. so seeing as the 7.7 strippers could fit in a springfield I began wondering if it could work in reverse as I have a lot of 30-06 stripper clips but nothing for my arisakas. so i grabbed a couple clips and a few rifles and went out back to 'the range' and did some testing.

test calibers/guns were:
6.5x50mm japanese in a type 44 carbine
7.7x58mm japanese in a type 99 rifle
7.5x54mm french in an MAS36 rifle

also attempted was 7.62x54R in a mosin nagant 91/30 using 303 brit clips... because this is the stupid stuff I do when I am bored.

both Japanese cartridges fit quite snugly into the 06 strippers but not too tight as to make it difficult to load or unload. both rifles allowed the strippers and loaded like they were designed with those little accessories in mind.

7.5 french however did not work the ammo had to be crammed into the stripper and the rifle didn't allow the stripper to be inserted so for future reference... don't do that.

also 7.62x54R will fit in a 303 brit stripper so that's nice to just grab a few clips, stuff them in your pocket and go but the brit clips won't fit inside a mosin nagant rifle so you would have to unload the clip before loading the rifle so it loses a bit of it's appeal.

I've also heard that 6.5x55 and 8x57mm stripper clips will work but I don't have any of those at my disposal so I can't verify but if you have an arisaka and can't find the stripper clips for them just grab some US surplus, they are easy enough to find.
 
The Japanese used three 7.7 cartridges. The one used in the rifle is the 7.7x58 rimless. Its base is close enough to the .30-'06 that the cartridges will fit in each other's clips, but of course the .30-'06 will not chamber in the 7.7 rifle. The reverse will work, though; I have fired 7.7 in a Model 1903 (under controlled conditions) and the Japanese clips work fine, even popping out when the bolt is closed. There was no sign of high pressure.

The 6.5x55 and 7.5x54 bases are enough larger than the .30 that they will not fit an M1903 clip nor an 8mm Mauser clip. .30 will fit (loosely) in a 6.5x55 clip and many of those clips have been sold for use in the M1903 rifle; some users even insist that the Swedish clip is the "correct" one for the M1903. That is not true, but they will work to an extent.

FWIW, when a rifle is loaded from a clip ("stripper" clip), it is not necessary to remove the clip by hand - pushing the bolt forward or releasing the bolt of an autoloader will cause the clip to "pop" out, saving reloading time. The only exception is the M-N and the Russian semi-autos loaded with the M-N clip; those clips have to be removed manually. AFAIK, the only Russian clip-loaded rifle whose clip "pops" out is the SKS.

Jim
 
i always remove the clips by hand just so I don't have to fish around for it in tall grass or whatever. I already have to fish around for brass enough as it is without having to find a clip too. one thing I'll probably end up despising my M1 for.
 
Perhaps you might be interested in one of these?

http://www.bubca.com/

Just a thought. I don't work for the company, but I do have one and it works very well for all types of firearms. Since I don't have my Garand yet, the jury is out on that one.
 
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now those are neat... I might have to convince a relative with money to burn that they need one and that I even have a place they can store it so their wife won't find out;)
 
Brass catchers of that general type have been around for at least 80 years, ever since civilian target shooters began using, and reloading, the .45 Auto. I have made a couple and used commercial ones.

Jim
 
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