I Gots Me Some Bullats...

[MassMark]

Sorry about the title, just reminds me of old Captain Walt aka: NE Charters...

Well, it pays to know an FFL - my coworker's dad owns a gun shop out here and she helped him at the Albany Gun Show over the weekend. She scored me 75-rounds of 8mm Surplus. Looks to be Yugo? It's packed in cardboard boxes - 15 to a box on stripper clips. The end of the box says:

7,9 MM METAK , (obviously in another language)

Then a bunch of cyrillic starting with "ca" and ending with "M 49"

Other identifying marks are what appears to be Hil-05, then a star, then more cyrillic and 5544...

My office is too dark to make out headstamp, but it's brass cased stuff on 5-round stripper clips.

Can't wait to shoot it!

 

[jpattersonnh]

Good ammo!!
Come over and visit, I'll send you home w/ more!!

 

[Bob P]

Cool! That's part of the fun of this hobby - comming across the unusual.

 

[SKS Ray]

Yugo is the norm for whats available these days. Normally good ammo but some of the 1950s batches have hard primers and need a second strike in some Mauser types.
If you do experience what seems like light strikes, its not your gun but the ammo.
The 1970s era Yugo is some of the best ammo out there for carbine length Mauser types.

 

[MassMark]

Good ammo!!
Come over and visit, I'll send you home w/ more!!

I may just take you up on that one day...

The ammo looks pristine - much like the Nazi stuff. Heather bought all they had. Can't wait to get out and shoot this pup!

 

[vellnueve]

8mm is still fairly common out there. Not too hard to find.

 

[MassMark]

So I notice that the rim on the Nazi 8mm is noticeably larger than the rim on the Yugo..Is that what the designation "R" is on the Nazi 8mm?

 

[SKS Ray]

So I notice that the rim on the Nazi 8mm is noticeably larger than the rim on the Yugo..Is that what the designation "R" is on the Nazi 8mm?

Sounds like you may have Nazi marked 8x56 Steyr ammo instead of 8mm Mauser ammo.
8x56 has a rimmed casing much like a Mosin Nagant 7.62x54 shell. In fact its supposed to be labeled 7.62x54r because of the rim. Not sure if the Steyr ammo is supposed to be labeled the same but it is considered 8mm, just 8x56.

Heres an old Gunbroker link showing pictures of 8x56 ammo:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=118425425

And here is a picture of what my 8x56 Steyr carbine looks like:

Totally different beast (and I mean beast) than any Mauser type carbine.

 

[jpattersonnh]

Sure sounds like 8x56r Nazi made. If you look at the rimmed cartridge you will notice the bottleneck has a slow tapered shoulder, and the 8x57 a sharp shoulder.

 

[MassMark]

Sounds like you may have Nazi marked 8x56 Steyr ammo instead of 8mm Mauser ammo.
8x56 has a rimmed casing much like a Mosin Nagant 7.62x54 shell. In fact its supposed to be labeled 7.62x54r because of the rim. Not sure if the Steyr ammo is supposed to be labeled the same but it is considered 8mm, just 8x56.

Heres an old Gunbroker link showing pictures of 8x56 ammo:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=118425425

And here is a picture of what my 8x56 Steyr carbine looks like:

Totally different beast (and I mean beast) than any Mauser type carbine.

Sure sounds like 8x56r Nazi made. If you look at the rimmed cartridge you will notice the bottleneck has a slow tapered shoulder, and the 8x57 a sharp shoulder.

Thanks guys! That's exactly what this stuff is...Man - learn something new every day! Looks like I don't have to worry about shooting it eh? I wonder how much 8mm or 7.62x54R, or good beer I can trade this for?

 

[kingson]

Thanks guys! That's exactly what this stuff is...Man - learn something new every day! Looks like I don't have to worry about shooting it eh? I wonder how much 8mm or 7.62x54R, or good beer I can trade this for?

You don't need to trade it you just need to buy the rifle that the ammo fits ( they are around $100). Isn't that how it works. If you have some odd ball ammo, you have to go out and find the gun it fits it. At lest that is how it works for me. I had gotten some 8mm Styer pistol ammo insted of rifle ammo, so I had to go out and buy the pistol that fit the ammo. I have a bunch of old odd ammo and it will take awile to find all the guns that they fit, but I'm up for the challage.

 

[MassMark]

You don't need to trade it you just need to buy the rifle that the ammo fits ( they are around $100). Isn't that how it works. If you have some odd ball ammo, you have to go out and find the gun it fits it. At lest that is how it works for me. I had gotten some 8mm Styer pistol ammo insted of rifle ammo, so I had to go out and buy the pistol that fit the ammo. I have a bunch of old odd ammo and it will take awile to find all the guns that they fit, but I'm up for the challage.

You know my friend, I like the way you think....

 

[curlymaple42]

Makes me want to use my C&R license, buy a Steyr rifle, and go visit Mark to share the ammo!! HAHAHAHA!!!

 

[SKS Ray]

M95 Steyr carbines are very cheap, probably just above the price of an average Mosin, or maybe even lower.
Its due to an abundance of them and no one buying them because they're afraid they can't get ammo. It is available though from some distributors if you know where to look.

I myself like them because its a straight pull design bolt kind of like the K31 only the Steyr is a PITA bolt to take down and reassemble. They're short stubby rifles but built well and kick hard!

 

[MassMark]

Makes me want to use my C&R license, buy a Steyr rifle, and go visit Mark to share the ammo!! HAHAHAHA!!!

You're welcome in my home, (rifle or not) any time...

M95 Steyr carbines are very cheap, probably just above the price of an average Mosin, or maybe even lower.
Its due to an abundance of them and no one buying them because they're afraid they can't get ammo. It is available though from some distributors if you know where to look.

I myself like them because its a straight pull design bolt kind of like the K31 only the Steyr is a PITA bolt to take down and reassemble. They're short stubby rifles but built well and kick hard!

Now that sounds like my cup of tea! Oh where oh where is my C&R license?

 

[SKS Ray]

Now that sounds like my cup of tea! Oh where oh where is my C&R license?

When you find it let me know and I'll guide you to a nice M95 Steyr carbine.

 

[MassMark]

When you find it let me know and I'll guide you to a nice M95 Steyr carbine.

I'm sure you will... I'll need to be guided to finding more than 10 rounds of ammo too... I called the ATF and they never received it - confirmed with the extra dough in my bank account... The woman I spoke to was unusually nice and sent me a new set.....