www.MG42.us

Any reloaders a out there? I reload lots of ammo, I have a large collection of 8mm mausers, and with the addition of belt fed toys, I have been looking for ammo, wish I wasn't a few years late getting into this hobby. So any of you reload, I have been looking for boxer primed brass, and due to pretty much all surplus being berdan primed my options pretty much fall to either buying ppu, buying new brass, or taking 3006 and resizing to 8mm, anyone out there do this? With out doing a lot of research is there berdan primed 3006? I don't want to buy a lot of the stuff to find its worthless. Any thoughts? Thanks

John

Hi John,
Yes......way behind the "power-curve" at this point.......

I am guessing that the best way to address your challanges is to ask a couple questions to see what you really want to do.......and to possibly remove any doubt of the costs that you might incure when making these choices.

To start....unless you locate a "real-deal".....ammo and components (brass-powder-primers-porjectiles) have gone way up in prices from years ago. There have been several "threads" started asking where "deals" can be found, etc. ......with very mixed results. Basically, even though this is a "community-board", guys don't like to give out sources after seeing some of those sources "dry-up" shortly after letting the "cat-out-of-the-bag" so to speak.

To better answer your question(s)......and with the understanding that you are not going to be shooting at (or below) prices of surplus a few years ago.........What caliber do you have to shoot (?).....8x57mm.....or can you convert to 7.62x51mm/.308 Win. (?).

Next......do you already have the equipment and skills to do home-reloading (?)........and are you on a single-stage-press......."progressive-press.........or comercial/automated-loading-machines (?).
Last......do you have the funds to purchase in large amounts/bulk (?).......and have the FFL and/or C&R License to get some discounts (?).

Last....making 8x57mm brass from 30/06 brass is a little more involved than just taking 30/06 and running it through an 8x57mm sizing-die. Cases have to be trimmed, etc. .........also, there are methods to reload Berdan-primed brass cases....and some articles to convert Berdan-primed-cases to use Boxer-primers. These are all options.........
Steel-cases have other considerations........such as "rust" after the outside coating is worn........and more wear on your loading-dies......and most being Berdan-primed type cases.

Give us some more information, and we'll see what we can help you with.
Regards, RichardS.
US Army, Retired
Blanksguy2001@outlook.com

I have 2 progressive presses and a dump truck load of material to
Play with, that I inherited when my grandfather passed. I have been actively
Loading for around 10 years, and do have several thousand 7.62x51 and 30-06 brass collecting dust. I just got home from work and behold my first mg53 on the step from apex. I can get brass fairly cheap, A lot if people don't reload around here. I just wished they all fired 8mm boxer primed brass. I have read of conversions or finding berdan primers, I really don't want to modify primer pockets or mess with corrosive primers if I don't have to. Just was curious if anyone else does it I can always use more for the mausers.
Money is not a major issue I try to
Buy things a fair pricing and buy and sell toys for what I invested to make room for more. My wife doesn't care what I spend with in reason , and I have agreed no used tanks until I pay off my farm. I have 7 brothers who will pretty much take anything extra I do not need. I have entertained in getting a ffl I am getting tired of paying someone else $15 every time I buy something, can deals be gotten with that or a C&R?

My plans are to convert the 53 to 7.62x51, and get a german 42 in 8mm ifI could ever find a complete kit that was not over priced or listed sketchy, and a pair of 34s and do the same. My grandfather tried to bring home a mg34 and. A 30cal home after the war he used to ride inland when they were in port, he was in the Baltic, Mediterranean, and ended up in Japan, and collecting all the way. The two guns ended up in NY harbor, I guess they got searched coming off ship. I have interested
In them ever since just never realized you could build Legal SA versions out of kits until a few months ago, guess I should have paid more attention....Thank you for your insight. -john