Going thru my stash of old ammo, I found some old 1935 and 1946 Turkish ammo. I plan on pulling the bullets and discarding the powder. I know the primers are corrosive, but I have some newer Berdan I can use if needed. Does anybody see a problem with what I am doing? Thanks for any advice...

Why?

 

What are you trying to accomplish? The only thing "wrong" with Turkish 8mm ammo in my experience is that it is very stoutly loaded! Feels like shooting a magnum.

 

Does anybody see a problem with what I am doing? Thanks for any advice...

The powder is the only component worth saving.

F. Guffey

 

agree with the other comments. if it goes bang, why not use it??

 

To those who responded...thanks... I dumped the powder because I heard it was too hot a load for my old military rifles...When pulling the bullets I also found stress cracks in some of the crimped cartridge mouths. I don't know if the primers will still ignite, but I guess I'll find out.

 

If that's the concern, why not just reduce the charge by 5-10 percent and reload? There is no good reason to throw the powder away.

 

Its Go to go as is just never use in a semi auto 8mm.....

 

I'll echo some of the responses above - why? I wouldn't shoot it in a Gew88/05 rifle, but it's just fine for any WWII German K98k's, Yugo M48 variants and so on. I try to purchase Turk ammo whenever I find it if the price is right.

 

Someone please enlighten me. If Turk ammo is too hot for the Gew88/05s and the Model 93s that were still in service during the 1940s, what other ammo was used for them?

 

There is nothing "stout"...."overloaded"...."too hot" with the Turk loaded ammo. It is loaded to original German specifications,that's all.
All the other hype is just that, internet hype.
The Hotchkiss Glass Plate Flake ( type) powder is well made and very consistent.
I have fired tens of thousands rounds of this ammo in my rifles/carbines and machine guns.
I have only experienced some dead primers and cracked case necks due to ammo age.

 

My findings exactly. I pulled 100 rds to re-cycle the powder and bullets for my Siamese. The headstamp was 1938 and the powder smelled like sweet ether. 100% ignition on that lot. I have found the ammo to not be very corrosive at all. Shot it only in bolt guns and did a quick wipe at the range with soapy water. Not a speck of rust and I live in coastal SC! Ended up re-using the brass for hunting rounds that I didn't have to worry about picking up.

 

If the ammunition is safe to use in Turkish-issued bolt rifles, in all of the various versions and states-of-repair you are likely to find those in (not really including use in the old M88 actions, though), HOW is it going to be dangerous in any other bolt action.

The powder in that Turkish ammunition is slow-burning. In theory, it gives you no higher a peak pressure than the limits for the cartridge. The trick is it maintains that pressure longer, producing a higher muzzle velocity. This is how they could get muzzle velocities of 3000+ feet per second pushing a 150 grain bullet out of a 30-inch barrel.

You can do exactly the same thing with slow burning powders that you readily find in your reloading manual (IMR 4831, for example), but somehow if it is 'in the manual', it is somehow OK. If the Turks loaded it, though, the story is the world is going to come apart at the seams.

Nature has supplied this planet with a virtually unlimited supply of a chemical that is totally capable of 'neutralizing' (or removing) corrosive primer residue. That chemical is called 'water'. There is no reason to fear using it to clear corrosive primer residues out of your bore.

Shoot the stuff as it is.


The question asked in post #10 is probably best answered by stating that they also used this ammunition in the 88/05's, etc., only with a reduced factor of safety and perhaps a somewhat higher likelihood of 'blowing the rifle up'.

It may be a bit bloodless to put it this way, but it was not likely that they would run out of Turkish soldiers anytime soon from this.

 

LoL! A mate and I just shot up two bandoliers of mixed year Turk ammunition this morning. In a big gravel pit, we killed dozens of rocks large and small, created a few nice avalanches and holes in the sand banks. Never missed a lick. When we were done and the barrels were hot, I shot a bunch of windex down the tubes and pulled a couple of patches and will finish up cleaning tonite with no worries. Great, full power 8mm stuff!
BTW, I got ten bandos of that same Turk stuff from a guy dirt cheap because it was 'junk' and 'unsafe' for his rifles. I said nothing and gave him the thirty bucks he was asking. Just saying..........

 

I guess I shouldn't have paid any attention to Ian on Forgotten weapons.. My BAD!!!!!!

 

Guess you should not have .

 

Out of hundreds of pounds only 42 was problematic and even then about 10% were dud or click bang -- Think it was a storage issue as evidence of staining was present.

 

How hard is it to deprime and reload Berdan primers?

 

Worth more as scrap brass.

 

I gave up using it in my Hakims before I broke anything but use it in all my 98 Mauser actioned rifles.
Gary

 

Never use turk other than a bolt action mauser 98 in good shape. I question its use in other 8mm rifles and even 88s and 93s. Lots of split cases and some primers moved back.

 

Since it is a direct copy of German S ammo [ which was designed to be fired in Gew-88 rifles ] made with German machinery , why would it not be for use in Gew-88's ? The Turks used a lot of it in their Gew-88/05's , and it is not true that they did not care if 20% of their troops blew up .

 

Who said 20%?

Failures in the field in 'inadequate rifles' would still be quite rare (if any) and poor Mustafa whose rifle blew up would be kinda easy to replace under wartime conditions.

In wartime, such failures would be considered part of the cost of doing business (especially because the 88/05 and 93 rifles would usually be issued to reserve and REMF troops, and rarely used).

It was the 1930's and 1940's, after all. Unlike today, occasional heavy casualties were expected to happen in wartime.

EDIT: For a bit of additional perspective on this issue, remember that the US entered WWI with 100% LOW NUMBER SPRINGFIELDS in their inventory (If you don't count the Krags ). Yes, they knew there was a problem with them,and US forces could possibly get injured or killed, but the anticipated failure rate would be low enough to not become a real problem.

 

Split cases from stem to stern on a 88/05 headpace and chamber ok. Gas came back hard too. Some splits on a 93, Neither was excessively worn or abused. MAy have been some of the 42 that seemed to have some brittle/tarnished cases as well. That said the regular t38s are extra stout if not well finished. Always wondered if the thicker receiver/small thread barrel had any effect. Swear some t38s have considerable metal left on them due to minimal finishing. I like the 03/38s the best and feel smoother. Owned a pallet + of each back when and still have the "barrel o bayonets" as a reminder. Guy gave be a hakim mag to fix that turk blew bottom out of. Think we both agree glasses are a must in any case.

 

When a friend & I downloaded a bunch of Turk 8X57 for a Carcano, we discovered the powder was slightly compressed from the bullet having been seated.

 

GENE I, I use the hydraulic method for de-priming Berdan primers. It may be a little messy, but cartridge anvils come out perfect with no damage. Replacing Berdan with Berdan is very easy.

 

This was great stuff..... I bought oooodddles of it at $4.19 a bando from Sportsmans guide about 18 years ago...Some guys are asking like $35 and up per bando now which is insane to me.......

 

Funny you mentioned it. Just sold 2 bandoleers to a guy met at LGS looking for some. i joked at 75 each and he said "sold!" Anyone else get an email from Gunbroker advertising they had ammo to BID on!!!! Also tourist from CA said stores are sold out cause many buy (even with background checks to resell on street for profit. Bet newsome didn't see that coming.

 

isn't the URBAN MYTH that all of the surplus TURKISH ammo was surplus MACHINE GUN AMMO? that is why it is like shooting 8 M/M MAGNUM AMMO.

 

Whether or not it's loaded to the original German spec, or what it's intended purpose was for, everyone I know who has shot any amount of the Turkish ammo agrees that it is not a lightweight load, and our shoulders agree too! It is definitely harder recoiling than any of the Yugo surplus I've shot.

 

The main problem with this ammo is that in some years the case mouths were very brittle causing loose bullets. I use to check every bullet when linking a toss aside any with loose bullets and use those in bolt guns. I shot many thousands through 1919A4s. I lied.....my son shot, I linked belts!!!
SteveK

 

I don't think the case necks were annealed. A number split when I reloaded them. I'd probably anneal the necks. In fact I did anneal two cases that I loaded with 7.7 bullets to test fire a 7.7 x 58 Japanese rifle. They worked great. I made a Berdan hydraulic decapper out of the chamber end of a scrap 8x57 barrel. Hack saw the chamber off at the step down. Hammer a case into the chamber using a shell holder on the rim to serve as a stop. Knock out the case with a rod. Fashion a ram out of a 3 in 3/8 in bolt. Chuck the threaded part in an electric drill motor. Secure the drill motor and using a file spin the bolt and file it down to a snug fit in the case mouth. Saw off the threads. Measure the diameter of the ram and drill out the throat section of your barrel stub so the ram will move freely. Polish everything well. Yes I know this sounds like a Lee Loader, and it almost is. To deprime simply hammer the case into the stub, fill with soapy water, insert the bolt and tap with a plastic hammer. The primer will fly out. Rinse and dry. Then reload as normal with Berdan primers.

 

turk berdan cases

I also load 7'9 berdan cases, including the Turkish brass. I posted the pictures of my old berdan de capping machine some time back, one turn of the crank and..presto! Regards, JH