8x33 & 8x57 Semi Auto/Full Auto Reloading

160 gr. Kurz?

a j s said:
Yes it is a cast 160 grain [straight Lino Type] I use in the 8mm Kur.A friend of mine designed it and had a mould made by Lee.Because it was a one off design he had to buy 12 moulds [their minimum order]They cast at.325 and have a gas check.Pity he is in New Zealand because he has about 9 for sale.They group about 4/5 inches at 100.
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Curious about the velocity you are shooting those 160 gr. at. Powder charge?
Shooting in a MP44?
I load some for my 8Kurz FAL but make hotter loads for it than I use in My MP44 to get it to cycle.
Pete in St. Louis
 
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Well I had a dig in my 8mm kur reloading box and found 4 different projectiles.The lead ones are 125 and 160 grain.The soft points are Norma 123 and hornady 125 .The jacketed reloads I use 22 grain of 4198 for good acc. and function.The 160 grain is showing promise,i need to do more testing [still use 4198 about 19.5/20 gr].Some problems encounted are the projectile touching the rifling in some guns,we have tried 5 MP 44s,[some need the projectile set further back]. I guess these extra moulds could be sold and shipped to the US buy post,i will ask if they can be bought.8.33 010.jpg
 
8x33

I was lucky enough to find a box of Hornady 125 grain bullets at the Harrisiburg PA snow today.

Does anyone have a source for the Norma 123 gain 8mm bullets or for Prvi 125 bullets for reloading components? I like the shape of the Norma bullet pictured.

Yes, please let us know of the 160 grain molds. If the price shipped is good, he may be to sell a few of them to forum members.

Does anyone know a formala for figuring out a safe load (within pressure) for the 160 grain bullets?

Pat
 
8 Kurz FAL

40ford said:
How did you do the FAL conversion? Pics?
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Made a barrel using a NOS Sweedish 8MM MG barrel from SARCO for a blank. Chambered with a reamer from PT&G. Used short gas system with a .145 gas hole and carbine length handguards from DSA. Shortened a regular piston.
Made a custom ejector block to suit the FAL mags I sectioned to the Kurz ctg. size. Made a spring loaded ejector so as to not have to cut on the bolt bottom to clear when the bolt drops to lock. Machined the new block for a standard BHO and mag catch.
Gotta try to remember how to post pics!
Pete
 
loads

a j s said:
Well I had a dig in my 8mm kur reloading box and found 4 different projectiles.The lead ones are 125 and 160 grain.The soft points are Norma 123 and hornady 125 .The jacketed reloads I use 22 grain of 4198 for good acc. and function.The 160 grain is showing promise,i need to do more testing [still use 4198 about 19.5/20 gr].Some problems encounted are the projectile touching the rifling in some guns,we have tried 5 MP 44s,[some need the projectile set further back]. I guess these extra moulds could be sold and shipped to the US buy post,i will ask if they can be bought.View attachment 95790
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That's interesting. I've been working with bullets cast with a mold from NEI Handtools. They only cast .1245 though which leaves almost NO sizing to be done by the sizer die. I cast some today with some alloy I got from Gateway Bullets. They weigh 130 gr. Ones I did using wheelweights were 132. 136 with gas checks. They need less powder than the 125 Hornady 3231's. I'm using IMR 4227 that I think is quicker than your 4198. It's probably more pickey about bullet weight.
I've been working with the polymer coating I got from Gateway. According to them 2000 fps or more without gas checks is no problem with that coating. I've not really proved that yet.
I had poor accuracy with the wheelweight ones, coated, but think they might have been too soft for the velocity.
Pete
 
pics??

shortfal said:
That's interesting. I've been working with bullets cast with a mold from NEI Handtools. They only cast .1245 though which leaves almost NO sizing to be done by the sizer die. I cast some today with some alloy I got from Gateway Bullets. They weigh 130 gr. Ones I did using wheelweights were 132. 136 with gas checks. They need less powder than the 125 Hornady 3231's. I'm using IMR 4227 that I think is quicker than your 4198. It's probably more pickey about bullet weight.
I've been working with the polymer coating I got from Gateway. According to them 2000 fps or more without gas checks is no problem with that coating. I've not really proved that yet.
I had poor accuracy with the wheelweight ones, coated, but think they might have been too soft for the velocity.
Pete
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Got pics in "manage attachments" dunno what's going to happen!
 

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Hornady #3231 125 gr. HP

Talked to both Hornady and Graff today. Was told those bullets should be available from Graff in June.
According to them they are a Graff exclusive bullet made by Hornady for Graff and Sons in Mexico MO.
I always wondered why the boxes have GRAFF printed on them.
Graff is accepting backorders on them.
Pete
 
MP's in NZ?

a j s said:
Well I had a dig in my 8mm kur reloading box and found 4 different projectiles.The lead ones are 125 and 160 grain.The soft points are Norma 123 and hornady 125 .The jacketed reloads I use 22 grain of 4198 for good acc. and function.The 160 grain is showing promise,i need to do more testing [still use 4198 about 19.5/20 gr].Some problems encounted are the projectile touching the rifling in some guns,we have tried 5 MP 44s,[some need the projectile set further back]. I guess these extra moulds could be sold and shipped to the US buy post,i will ask if they can be bought.View attachment 95790
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You guys got MP44's in your country? Great to hear!! I thought you all had your semis chopped up years ago.
A guy sent me a couple hunting magazines from NZ some time back. Hardly anything but bolt guns and hunting hogs shown in those publications. Hunting those big porkers looks like a blast!
Pete
 
Prvi Partizan .323" FMJ BT 123grs Item # B-424

I contacted Claus Espeholt in Denmark about component availability in Europe. He informed me that Prvi has just the bullets available for reloading under item number B-424. This item number shows up on www.eguns.de, the fleabay of guns in Germany. However, there are all kinds of paperwork involved in importing them to this country. Good news on that front though! Prvi Partizan has a direct USA distributor--
TR&Z USA Trading
2499 Main Street
Stratford CT 06615
Phone: + 203 375 8544
Fax: + 203 375 8547
E-mail:info@ppu-usa.com
www.ppu-usa.com

I have already emailed them inquiring about the possibility of ordering this item for sale in the USA. I informed them that I currently have 754 empties that are cleaned and resized just waiting for primers, powder, and bullets and that I would purchase 5000 if they could get them in for us. And that with the number of Mkb-42/MP43/MP44/STG44/PTR-44/K98 shooters currently in this country that shoot this round, plus the new BD-44's coming later this year, via El-Be-Tac and Robinson Armaments, I thought that they could easily sell at least 500K or even 1 million if they made them available to us.

The thing to remember about the difference between the Hornaday 125grs and the Prvi 123grs is that the Hornady does NOT have the cannelure for crimping like a military round while the Prvi does have the cannelure.

So, my suggestion/request is that everyone starting sending emails to everyone that you know who shoots this cartridge and have them start contacting TR&Z at the email address above and request that they make this bullet available to us for reloading.

Mike
 
I like 4198 powder,as I also use it in my minimum power 8x57.I use 22 grains behind a 125 gn hornady [refer speer No. 9].I use this in my genuine Hi Turret sniper,so as not to hurt the scope,it also shoots point of aim to where the German had it set.
There are plenty of Mp 44s in New Zealand,every German collection has 1 or2,they bring $3 to 4 thousand USD here,imported from East Germany in the 70/80s.most are select fire,and they are nicely refinished.
My friend with the 9, 2 cavity 160 grain .325 moulds will sell them for $50 pluss postage from NZ
 
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Molds

a j s said:
I like 4198 powder,as I also use it in my minimum power 8x57.I use 22 grains behind a 125 gn hornady [refer speer No. 9].I use this in my genuine Hi Turret sniper,so as not to hurt the scope,it also shoots point of aim to where the German had it set.
There are plenty of Mp 44s in New Zealand,every German collection has 1 or2,they bring $3 to 4 thousand USD here,imported from East Germany in the 70/80s.most are select fire,and they are nicely refinished.
My friend with the 9, 2 cavity 160 grain .325 moulds will sell them for $50 pluss postage from NZ
Click to expand...

PM sent for a few molds,

Thanks Pat
 
bullets

JagdFlieger said:
I contacted Claus Espeholt in Denmark about component availability in Europe. He informed me that Prvi has just the bullets available for reloading under item number B-424. This item number shows up on www.eguns.de, the fleabay of guns in Germany. However, there are all kinds of paperwork involved in importing them to this country. Good news on that front though! Prvi Partizan has a direct USA distributor--
TR&Z USA Trading
2499 Main Street
Stratford CT 06615
Phone: + 203 375 8544
Fax: + 203 375 8547
E-mail:info@ppu-usa.com
www.ppu-usa.com

I have already emailed them inquiring about the possibility of ordering this item for sale in the USA. I informed them that I currently have 754 empties that are cleaned and resized just waiting for primers, powder, and bullets and that I would purchase 5000 if they could get them in for us. And that with the number of Mkb-42/MP43/MP44/STG44/PTR-44/K98 shooters currently in this country that shoot this round, plus the new BD-44's coming later this year, via El-Be-Tac and Robinson Armaments, I thought that they could easily sell at least 500K or even 1 million if they made them available to us.

The thing to remember about the difference between the Hornaday 125grs and the Prvi 123grs is that the Hornady does NOT have the cannelure for crimping like a military round while the Prvi does have the cannelure.

So, my suggestion/request is that everyone starting sending emails to everyone that you know who shoots this cartridge and have them start contacting TR&Z at the email address above and request that they make this bullet available to us for reloading.

Mike
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Good info Mike, thanks.
I'll email them pronto.
You say no cannelure on the Hornadys? All my Hornady #3231's have the cannelure. I'd much rather have the Privi though as the Hornadys shape is not same as Privi or original German. Graffs is saying they will be available this June. I guess we will see about that.
Pete
 
MP44's

a j s said:
I like 4198 powder,as I also use it in my minimum power 8x57.I use 22 grains behind a 125 gn hornady [refer speer No. 9].I use this in my genuine Hi Turret sniper,so as not to hurt the scope,it also shoots point of aim to where the German had it set.
There are plenty of Mp 44s in New Zealand,every German collection has 1 or2,they bring $3 to 4 thousand USD here,imported from East Germany in the 70/80s.most are select fire,and they are nicely refinished.
My friend with the 9, 2 cavity 160 grain .325 moulds will sell them for $50 pluss postage from NZ
Click to expand...
That is great to hear you guys over there can have those guns! I was totally unaware of that.
That price brings tears to us over here. Ours run 15 to 20 K.
Pete
 
lead tip

GunKraut said:
The older 125gr Hornady bullets had no cannelure and had an exposed lead tip, no tiny hollow point like the new ones made by Hornady.
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yep! Had a box of those I found at a gunshow 3 years ago. #3230 Hornady if I remember right.
First ones I loaded. Didn't think about the cannelure back then. Figured I was fortunate to find them.
I'm saving a few in case I get the chance to shoot a deer with one of my 44's sometime.
Pete
 
8x33 reloads

I have some of both, the Hornady pointed soft and the hollow point both work fine. I would really like to get Prvi components. If we buy in bulk, I bet that they will be half of what we pay for the Hornady special run?

I emailed the Prvi US distributor and did not get a reply. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to get Prvi 8x33 brass and bullets brought into the U.S.?

For other options, I made some test loads using Speer 150 grain bullets, I will try them out this weekend.

The cast bullets sized to 323 in my Lyman sizer seem ok for the PTR44. I think that I need to use a .324 sizer for the MP44. The problem is that only Saeco makes the .324 and I would have to buy a complete sizer lube press to use their .324 sizing lube dies. Does anyone have another option or know where I can get a good deal on a Saeco lube sizing press?

Thanks Pat
 
If you have access to a lathe, you could always polish out your .323 sizer to .324 using 600 grit emery. Another way to go is with a Lee sizer custom made or polish their .323 die to .324/.325.
 
Range Report

I shot about 300 cast bullet reloads out out the PTR44 and MP44 today.

Accuracy with the NEI cast bullets was good, about 3 inches at 50 yards. Accuracy in the MP44 was poor. I may need to try the .325 sizing die.

Both rifles functioned well. It is great that the PTR likes cast bullets, since I am only paying for primers, powder and gas checks, so labour $100 for a 1000. I am sure that I will find a solution for my MP44. In the mean time, it is accurate enough for FA fun.

I also shot 150 grain Speer Pointed Soft reloads with 18.8 grains of IMR4227. Functioning and accuracy was fine, no signs of pressure.

Pat

PS, I got a,spring and buffer from Pete for the MP, his spring works better than the original.
 
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