T S T V Mauser?

[jmoore]

The drama with such a wide range of possible "correct" bullet diameters is that any loading die that is purchased "off the shelf" is going to almost certainly do a poor job at getting a proper neck I.D.

Glad it's you and not me, DaveN! Too many projects here already. Still, it's really, really interesting.

[DaveN]

I seem to be attracted to really interesting. A far cry from my major collection of M1 Garands. I haven't picked up one of those for quite a while now. They are still my 1st love.
Though I just picked up my K-31 today.

[DaveN]

The rifle is back and now in one piece. The repair is still temporary as an 3/8 all thread is threaded through a inset threaded insert(don't know what else to call it) on one side of the sawed stock and into the same thing on the main part of the stock. I have ordered a gew98 cleaning rod and will have it threaded so it replaces the temporary all thread so as to have it looking like it should. I also ordered a sling and the parade sling swivel as to mount a sling with out disturbing the stickers is my goal here. I just want to be able to carry and shoot it in the near future.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Digging around today for means of identifying a P08 pistol with non-standard markings, I found a picture of the identical markings as on this rifle.

The marking is the Nazi emblem of the Tiroler Standschützen Verband, used after this old organization had been turned into a Nazi paramilitary unit, and the rifle is one of a series of Wehrmanngewehre specifically made by Mauser for the T.St.V. - not a remarked earlier version. Apparently no less than 34000 shooters took part in that last championship in 1944!

That rifle is, with those stickers on it, in effect a historical document. Do not alter it! OK, I know I said that before, but it really is extremely rarely that one knows so precisely "where it's been".

Patrick

[DaveN]

Yes the only thing I'm doing is to run a gew98 cleaning rod through its hole and anchoring it into the larger part of the cut stock so it can be handled without any further damage. An all thread is serving this purpose until I acquire the rod, as I feel the cut though regrettable that it happened, is in itself now part of the history of the weapon in that someone did it to legally smuggle it into this country after the war? I was contacted by Joe who new the ser# and wanted verification as he tracks these rifles? I did not reveal the #in my original pictures but the bolt has the last 3 numbers and the range must start in the 20 thousand block of which I read only 1000 were made. so 20758 would be the 758th of this special rifle? But all my rifles are special.

A special thanks to you Patrick Your insight is second to none and keeps me asking even more questions that you seem to supply the answers to. And thanks to the many others that also contribute. It's what has me log in so often. Great site cheers.

[Patrick Chadwick]

The drama with such a wide range of possible "correct" bullet diameters is that any loading die that is purchased "off the shelf" is going to almost certainly do a poor job at getting a proper neck I.D.

Well, there is a simple trick that one can use to make a good estimate of the maximum neck size that will fit. Simply use a neck expander to a make an increasingly "blunderbuss" mouth to the neck, until you find that the cartridge case mouth is scraping in the chamber. Back off the expander a bit and repeat with another case, until you reach a condition where, if you mark the case mouth with a felt-tip pen, you do not get a bright line right round the mouth after chambering the cartridge. You need the felt pen trick, because it is too difficult to detect by feel alone. Measure that neck diameter and you know the absolute maximum neck diameter that will fit. Reduce that by another couple of thou, for safety and you have just about the maximum neck diameter that you can use when a bullet is seated. When you have acquired bullets of what seem to be the right diameter, repeat the test with a seated bullet in an empty case!

WARNING! As always, this kind of measurement places the responsibility entirely on YOU. This is not bench-rest equipment with bench-rest tolerances, so you must allow a looser fit than a bench-rest shooter would go for. If you use cases from a different manufacturer, you will have to make the test again!

[jmoore]

Or just use a small hole gauge. Not too expensive. Generally long enough unless it's a really long reach to the neck. It does still require an educated "feel". No 'ham-fisted louts'! (For some reason the half-round variety tend to be longer overall, but at the expense of being harder to get the proper feel.)

[DaveN]

I could just buy the 8.15X46 rounds and then use these as the blue print for reloading more? I don't have any equipment to reload, but when I retire I think I would enjoy it as my limited foray in reloading 9mm and 357 was enough to wet my appetite for future activity in this art.

[Patrick Chadwick]

I could just buy the 8.15X46 rounds and then use these as the blue print for reloading more?

- Which is just what I suggested on Page 4 of this thread

[DaveN]

Patrick, I must have had that in the back of my mind when I wrote my last post, and though I don't have alot of free time I guess I should reread this and other threads before repeating the same info. The good thing is I was planning to take your advice on the mater. Just waiting the new funds .