Gewehr 88 Model 1888 Commission Rifle

[RCS]

8.15x46Rmm

During the post WW1 period some Mauser 98's were converted to use the 8,15x46Rmm cartridge, I have seen some and there is not any reason that a Model 88 could not be converted (that would explain the rear sight).

The bolt action conversions to 8.15x46Rmm used a jacketed bullet rather than the old lead bullets for the single shots. Photos show post WW2 late cartridges for the 8.15x46Rmm

[ldpfeifer]

Here is the latest casting of the chamber. I had a hard time as if I went to deep, it would not come out. I put a mark buy what appears to be the top of the casting as the rifling starts just about the ring on the casting, you can see the start of it if you look close. I took a file to the breach area of the barrel. There is a definite ring around it as can be seen in the pictures, but the material in there is steel. I am trying to contact a gun smith. Any ideas now???
Lyle

[ldpfeifer]

it would appear that both the extractor and diameter of the bolt face would have to be
altered to fit the 8.15x46R case head, you might check your bolt ?

So I tool the bolt and the Remington 8mm fit like a glove. But I was told by a local guy at a gun shop the guns were sort of stacked up in a pile and the bolts were in another pile. When the US GI's came by, they would grab a gun and a bolt. It may explain a lot here. My uncle got the one gun that would not chamber 8mm but got a bolt for that. I just barely drug a file across the chamber face. In the pictures you can clearly see what looks like a ring, but I can not feel anything like a stuck cartridge with a piece of wire with a hook on it. Does anyone know, the 32-40 and the 8.15x46R the same case or die? I am trying to decide what to do next. I am trying to get in touch with an old gun smith a local gentleman recommended. Again thanks to all.
Lyle

[kcw]

Obviously your chamber cast does not include the rim of the round as that would be sandwiched between the end of the barrel and the bolt face. If it's the 8.15x46r round (aka 7.7x46) , which I suspect it is, the diameter just in front of the rim (or in this case the end of your casting) will measure around .4232". The distance from where the front of the rim would be (aka: the end of your casting) to the shoulder is around 1.1811"; the diameter at that point around .3898". The diameter of the neck around .3476".
Understand that the European specs for this round where not very "tight", chamber reamers commonly differed by a couple of thousandth's. For example one drawing I saw gave the diameter figure just ahead of the rim @ .4208".

[kcw]

I should have mentioned that the OAL for a 8.15x46r round, inclusive of the .059" rim, is 1.831" +or-. People will make suitable brass by trimming the rim of a 30-30 down to .486" and then trimming the OAL to 1.831. Then run the brass into a 8.15x46 sizer die. European bolt guns typically had their bolts serial numbered to the serial number of the rifle. If the those numbers match on your rifle, you have the correct bolt for it. Although a standard 8x57 round snaps into the bolt head, that doesn't mean that the rim of a 8.15x46r won't snap in.

[ldpfeifer]

Re-slugged the bore and also did a cast 3/4 of an inch down the barrel, .316.
My chamber casting measurements are: Base .424. Neck is .3495. Length is the only thing I could not nail, but I came up with 1.820 and that may be a little on the long side. It is looking like the 8.15x46R round. I am still going to a gunsmith. If he give the OK, I will start acquiring dies, and bullets as I have some spent 30-30 cases. If not, it will be a wall hanger with a story.
Thanks to all.
Lyle

[ldpfeifer]

With everyone's help, I bought some 8.15x46R dies, cut down some 30-30 cases and bought some over-sized lead 30-30 bullets. I strapped this gun to a stool and rigged up a trigger pull from phone line. Fired it 4 times, cut it loose and put one in the target on the first shot. For a gun that has been silent for 60 years plus, what a day!
Now I am trying to fix the sights. These look the same as the Gewehr 98, but as can be seen in the pictures, they have been cut down to fit. The back "V" part is wind-age adjustable with a screw that was frozen and now snapped off. I am in the process of trying to remove it, but at a loss as the G-98 never had wind-age adjustments.
Any more help would be appreciated.
Lyle

[leecork]

Just Don't Know ???

I do not have any reference books available down here in Florida, but I want to contribute another possibility. Is it possible that this gun would use the 7.65 X 53 cartridges commonly used in Argentine Mausers of the same time frame ? Of course, the Argentine rifles used .311 bullets,