Another German Drilling - Krupp-

[mike ford]

Tau,
The answer is to keep both drillings.The reasons the 7x57R round won't chamber, and what to do about it are explained above.I'm quite surprised you can not find any 8x57R( either JR or JRS)any where in South Africa.
Mike

[Tau]

If anybody told me how much trouble I would have finding brass for the rifle barrel I would have thought them crazy. I ended up buying a book called Designing and Forming Custom Cartridges For Rifles and Handguns and tried to make the 7x57R cases fit. I formed them with a 8x57IR dies, cut them to size and ended up having to sand the rim down to get the case to fit. One case took forever. I then tried forming a .303 Brit case to fit after trim and forming, but it took so much time. I suspect the chamber is very tight even for normal 8x57 rounds.

Anyway I have other rifles that needed to be loaded for as we started hunting in May and I needed to keep my ammo boxes full. On Tuesday I went to help a friend sort his collection (the friend I purchased the drilling from) and low and behold I find 2 x 10 RWS ammo boxes of 8x57JT rounds It has been in the same safe as where the rifle was for the last 20 odd years!!!!!!!!

Anyway I have tested the 16BR barrels with modern ammo and had the barrel slugged and the gun inspected by a Gunsmith. The rifle is in brilliant condition and the gunsmith was really impressed.

As for 8x57 R cases or ammo....none in SA that is for sale. I have phoned all gunshops and delaers of old arms.

[rtenenbown]

I will be in SA in June of next year. If it is legal I can bring you some S&B 8X57JR. I have plenty.
send me a PM to see if we can put it together.
Best regards

[Leatherman]

I have been to SA a couple of times hunting and the laws have always been that all ammo brought with you must match the rifle / rifles you bring with you. They are very strict about that. I am planning another trip and will be taking one of my drillings. I consider a drilling to be the perfect African plains game rifle as you never know what is going to pop up while walking through the bush.

[bro.steve]

Tau: Could you update us on your progress with the drilling? What a beauty! Is the scope by chance a Nickel Supra? Steve

[Diz]

Tau,

I believe you can make 8 x 57R from 9.3 x 74R which should be available in SA. Also .444 Marlin is very close in the head and rim but may be a tiny bit short.

Good luck, Diz

[Tau]

Morning gentlemen.

I have fired my rifle barrel on the Drilling!!! I found 1 x 10 RWS pack and one Norma pack

[image]http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i399/Anvilracing/patrone_zpsnyuarulo.jpg[/image]

[image]http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i399/Anvilracing/patrone%202_zpslveaoo7w.jpg[/image]

The RWS pack has some S&B rounds in. I fired 4 rounds and at 100m the rifle was still 100% on the mark. After all the taking apart of the rifle and not being fired for 25 plus years she fired the rounds perfectly. I have given up trying to make teh 7x57R rounds fit the chamber, I simply need to force the dies too much to get the shoulder angle correct and need to cut too much of rim for case too fit in such a old rifle. It is possible, I am just too busy for now with other rifles. I have found 40 new RWS 8x57JRS rounds. SO I will pull the bullets and reload with .318 bullets.

[sharps4590]

At least you're making progress. Good for you!

[mike ford]

Tau,
Now, you have enough cases to last the rest of your life, if you take care of them. If you go back to the earlier posting on this thread, where I discussed using larger bullets than .318", you might find you can use the 8x57JRS, as it is. You might not be able to use it, but if you can it will be very good for you. If you can't, you won't be any worse off than you are now.
Mike

[jcf1]

If you are after cases or .318 heads these people stock them at very reasonable prices too: http://cs.strobl.cz/

They also sell 8x57 IR dies.

You should definitely slug it before you go anywhere near anything bigger than .318.

[jcf1]

Brass:
http://en.strobl.cz/brass-8x57-jr/

Bullets:
http://en.strobl.cz/bullets-s-b-cali...6gr-sp-2941-1/

[Tau]

Sorry if I did not mention it the rifle was slugged and is a tight .318 so no S in this chamber.

[mike ford]

The listing includes the correct brass, bullets(318). and loaded ammo. If you can deal with this firm, you should be in good shape, now.
Mike

[Tau]

Contacted them thanks, but they do not send to South Africa.

[jcf1]

Not sure how much postage is to SA from here, but if you get stuck, let me know. Also shoot 8x57IR in my drilling.