Wondering Why Mauser Was So Energetic Creating Different Cartridge Calibers ?

[PaulN]

This is a 'philosophical type' question ......

Was it that their (potential) customers required it or what was the reason that the Mauser Company was so prolific in creating new cartridge calibers in the late 1800s ? (With the ones I'm familiar with you can put a bunch on a table and they look pretty much alike.)

If I remember rightly the Russians have, when designing new cartridges, been good about sizing them so that a potential enemy wouldn't be able to capture Russian ammo and use it against them (and conversly the Russians might be able to get their enemy's ammo successfully chambered and use it).

Could that have been why some of the Mauser Company's customers got differing ammunition ?

Also .... does anybody know why 6.5mm Swedish ammo has an ever-so-slightly larger head on the brass cartridge case ? (Wasn't .473 inch good enough for them ?)

I'm 'fuzzy' on this but from what I can tell the 6.5mm Swedish cartridge isn't, properly speaking, a Mauser design although it seems to be routinely lumped in with the 7mm, 7.65mm and 8mm Mauser cartridges.

(Hint - the stainless steel Swedish stripper clips from Samco work just dandy with .30-06 for 1903 Springfields.)

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.