Reloading tracers in 8mm for the '34...

[mggunner34]

does anyone do this? I was toying with the idea but I have no idea where to find 7.92 tracer projectiles...

[jackxxx]

I had some for sale on this site a while back for a 1.25 a round. Reloaded them my self. I found the tracer bullets on gun broker at a good price.. I think i paid 75.00 per a 1000 bullets. If you need some i can sale you a sample to try out or i can sale you the lose tracers i got and you can load them you self.. Pm me if interested...

[TactAdv]

It's not just tracers, reloading for ANY 7,92x57mm loading is pretty difficult to do economically anymore here. The main problem is that while new-mfgr cases are widely available, economical projectiles simply are not. There are several available prjectiles made here, but all are "hunting" type projectiles, frequently in the heavier weights, too.

Cheap availability of surplus military FMJ or tracers, etc., projectiles dried up @ 15 years ago; the last large batch that I am aware of being brought in was the pile of FN-Herstal belted ammo from a middle eastern source.

There are, quite simply, no remaining sources of 7,92x57mm military surplus ammo left anywhere to pick over, or at least from anywhere where getting an approved sale is concerned. It's just an item who's time has passed in terms of surplus sources, and hence inexpensive prices and ready availability. What remaining, known, inventories exist are highly unlikely to be able to be acquired, at any cost. just like the 101 million rds of Romanian 7,92mm that went into the furnace, these remaining known inventories are "politically unavailable", i.e., things like EU/UN relationships prevent their being surplussed as holding countries are paid "in equivalent value" to destroy them.

Been down this road before; a business contact in Eastern Europe has made available new-manufacture 7,92x57mm 150gr FMJ projectiles for a couple years; these are made on arsenal machinery to full military specs. Only problem is that the minimum run is 1million projectiles. Even @ 8-9 cents each, you gotta make that commitment up front. Plus trans-oceanic freight, import licensure, etc.

A MUCH better option is to simply use the (semi)available USGI M45 tracer projos loaded into NATO cases and shoot those. We use those all the time, seated below the cannelure to proper OAL in the NATO cases and they work great. You can also use those, as-is, in 7,62x54mmR cases fired in DP-28/SG43/PKM, etc. they also load and work well seated to proper OAL in 7,62mmx39 M43 cases fired in RPD's etc.

-TomH

[mggunner34]

so correct me if I'm wrong but the proper diameter should be .323 for 7.92 right? so basically you're saying shoot tracers through the mg34 only with .308 ammo? I've actually been reloading m45 projos for the 1919 in 7.62x54r, I cant recall what the bullet diameter is on the m43 projos, anyone know that?

[TactAdv]

Yeah, pretty much any more, if you want to RELOAD with tracers projos, you are stuck with M45's in 7,62MM NATO set up.....unless you're sitting on a pile of 8mm ones.

Set up your MG34 to shoot 7,62mm NATO, then reload with the M45's.

Nominal projectile diameter of all USGI .30cal/7.62mm projos is .308". Nominal diameter of MOST late-20th-century 7,62x54mmR chambered firearms made in Soviet-bloc countries was .308-.310. Earlier vintage and some stragglers were closer to .311" in some cases (you wanna try to measure/convert from Arshins??). Anything made since the 1960's is likely to be almost exactly .308", land-to-land. M45's, set to proper OAL for the cartridge case in question work quite well in both 54R and M43 cases.

-TomH

[Matt]

8mm tracer is on gunbroker. - matt

[haak48]

does anyone do this? I was toying with the idea but I have no idea where to find 7.92 tracer projectiles...

Here: jim@northernarizonamunitions.com New made 7.92 tracer bullets. 1000 yard trace. .323" 10s point (std sS German)

[haak48]

New manufacture Green/Red 1000 yard 7,9 fired from MG34 @ Big Sandy MG shoot.