Should You Buy Cheap 8mm Mauser Surplus Ammo?

If you have been shooting for years, you are likely aware of the ban on Russian manufactured ammunition, as well as the demise of traditional surplus ammunition. These two groups were long a staple of American shooters, providing blue collar workers with a vast amount of economical options for practice, personal protection, hunting and recreation. With the US Government banning Russian ammo from the US commercial market, and a dwindling supply of military surplus, the American gun enthusiast has been hit hard in the wallet, especially when it comes to rifle ammunition. While 9mm Parabellum and .22 Long Rifle ammunition prices have dropped back to saner levels, rifle ammunition remains at ludicrous over-inflated prices compared to just four years ago. So, what’s someone who loves shooting to do?

Frankly, there has been little good news concerning rifle ammo prices lately. So, I was surprised to learn Century Arms had imported a large quantity of 8mm Mauser military surplus ammunition which has hit the market at reasonable prices. The 8mm Mauser (also known as the 7.92x57mm Mauser, 8x57mm, 8x57mm IS and 8x57mm JS) is a classic military cartridge fielded by Germany and many other countries around the world. The German 8mm Mauser IS (Infanterie Spitzgeschoss) cartridge wasn’t designed by Paul Mauser but rather is based on the 1888 vintage Patrone M/88 cartridge. This was updated to use a larger diameter 0.323-inch projectile. The rimless bottleneck cartridge case was very advanced for its day and features a 0.470-inch base diameter, 2.244-inch case length, 0.431-inch shoulder diameter and an overall cartridge length of 3.228-inches. C.I.P. has a maximum pressure of 56,560 PSI while SAAMI’s maximum pressure is only 35,000 PSI.

Performance wise the 8mm Mauser is no slouch and capable of driving a 0.323-inch diameter 154-grain FMJ at close to 2,900 fps from a 23.6 inch barreled Kar 98k. 196-grain FMJs average close to 2,400 fps. Due to near .30-’06 exterior ballistics and terminal performance the 8mm Mauser has been fielded by hunters around the world with good success. Here in the US it is successfully used on white-tail deer, black bear, elk and even moose. Performance in the hunting field is similar to the .30-’06.

Modern hunting loads are readily available. Just to give an idea on this cartridge’s performance Norma offers a 196-grain SP at 2,525 fps, Buffalo Bore has a 200-grain TSX at 2,500 fps and a 150-grain Spitzer at 2,900 fps, Lapua offers a 120-grain Open Tip at 3,084 fps and Federal offers their traditional 170-grain JSP at a sedate 2,360 fps. Plus, there are many other factory hunting loads to choose from. The only downside to modern commercially available 8mm Mauser ammunition is simply cost.  

The good news is surplus ammunition is once again available at economical prices from a number of popular distributors. As to be expected this is older full metal jacket military ammunition manufactured decades ago by a few different countries. Turkish, Yugoslav, Greek and German produced ammunition is available. Bullet weights range from 154 to 198 grains. Cartridge cases are brass, although in the past there has been some Romanian surplus available with steel cases. Expect all of it to be Berdan primed and corrosive. If you do not know what “corrosive” ammunition is, you NEED to educate yourself and know how to properly clean your firearm after shooting corrosive ammunition BEFORE heading to the range.

So, what can you expect this surplus ammunition to be like? To find out I examined and tested a couple readily available loads. The first is Yugoslav manufactured heavy ball. This came packed in 15-round cardboard boxes and features brass cases topped with a lead core 196-grain FMJ-BT projectile. G1 BC of this projectile is 0.451. My ammunition was manufactured by Factory 12 in 1953 and featured sealant on the Berdan primer annulus. Individual cartridges appeared in very good condition with only minor tarnishing. This ammunition is corrosive.

I also examined some Turkish produced light ball. Unlike the Yugoslav ammo, this came loaded on reusable five-round brass stripper clips packed in 70-round cloth bandoleers. The brass stripper clips and bandoleers are a nice bonus. This ammunition is brass cased and topped with a cupro-nickel jacketed 154-grain FMJ projectile with a flat base. G1 BC of this projectile is approximately 0.330. The Berdan primer annulus is sealed and the cases are marked "TG" (due to faulty stamping they may appear "TC") for Turkiye Gumhuretu-Turkish Republic. Dated 1940 it appears to be in good shape. This ammunition is corrosive.

What about performance on the range? To find out I put an old Kar 98k topped with a World War I vintage C.P. Goerz scope to work. The test rifle is a Karabiner 98 Kurz built by Mauser Werke AG, Oberndorf in 1944. It is mismatched and came in a VZ-24 stock. I added a David Tubbs SpeedLock and a 24-pound Wolff Blitzschnell striker springcentr from Brownells. The ultra-lightweight Titanium and aluminum/steel firing pin and heavier striker spring were added to ensure reliable ignition of the surplus ammo. The trigger was reworked to provide a crisp 3.5 pound release and the scope was fitted.

Accuracy from the bench at 100 yards ranged from good to plinker level with the surplus ammunition.  In this regard the Turkish 154-grain light ball performed the best. Four five-shot groups fired with this load averaged 1.8 inches at 2,877 fps. The heavy 196-grain Yugoslav ball averaged 2.6 inches at 2,333 fps. I also tried some 1972 Romanian 154-grain ball which averaged 3.5 inches at 2,467 fps. I’d also like to point out different rifles may perform quite differently. For example, a friend's Yugoslav M48 shot the best with the Romanian load and the worst with the Turkish ball. So, keep in mind that each rifle has individual tastes. In the past I have also shot some Turkish ball manufactured by Makina ve Kimya Endustrisi, Kurumu (marked "MKE") in 1953. This load performed the best, cutting average group size to 1.6 inches at 2,852 fps.

Can cheap surplus ammunition perform past 100 yards? To find out cardboard IPSC targets were placed at 515 yards and engaged prone, Hawkins style, using the 1940-vintage Turkish 154-grain ball. The Mauser kept all of its shots in the chest of a silhouette at this distance with five-shot groups averaging 11 inches. Impressed, I stretched the Mauser's legs a bit further. By carefully watching the wind I was able to repeatedly hit a man-sized steel silhouette at 702 yards. No, I couldn’t do it every time on command, but I could do it frequently enough to be grinning and having a great time.

Are these surplus loads useful for plinking, recreational shooting, hunting or personal protection? I would not recommend decade’s old surplus FMJ loads for hunting or personal protection. However, they are great for plinking and recreation IF fired from bolt-action rifles in good condition. The 154-grain loads are definitely easier on the shoulder than the 196s and 198s. I do not recommend the Turkish ammunition for use in semi-autos or machine guns. Be aware, hang fires are a real possibility with decade’s old surplus ammunition. Understand this and know how to safely handle a failure to fire if you encounter one.

Also, to prevent destroying or damaging the bore of your rifle, know how to properly clean your rifle after firing corrosive ammunition. While this is not difficult at all, it must be done promptly and properly. The old adage, “The sun must not set on a dirty rifle” must be adhered to. Hot soapy water, a good scrubbing and careful oiling will prevent a badly rusted or pitted barrel.

Depending on the online retailer, surplus 8mm Mauser is priced between $285 and $400 per case of 900 to 945 rounds at the time of writing. $285 for 945 rounds is a pretty good deal today for rifle ammunition. My suggestion is to buy some and try it, and if it meets your expectations stack it deep! Surplus ammo is here today and gone tomorrow. You must buy it when available or you will miss out. Don’t miss the train on this one!

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