[number2]

I am trying again to get my a4 to run with 8mm. I have an ohio ord bbl. The rear stripper has been modified for 8mm. The front spacer is in place and seems to fit well. I removed the firing pin and ran 20 or so through manually and they seem to function as desired. I am using my standard links.

What diameter orifice should the front muzzle have?

Is there any ammo that will probably not work, or works best. What are the good and bad ones out there and what are the markings?

Anything else I am missing before I take this to the range on saturday?

Thanks

 

[brassmagnet]

It is very easy to search these topics - be sure to look there first if you can.

Rear spacer should be out when using 8MM - not modified. Not sure what you did there...

Front Spacer should be modified for 8MM or replaced with one already for 8MM

Romanian 8MM is regarded as the most reliable, but Yugo and Turk are around too. Check bullet lengths as 8MM varies by Mfg. Also be sure and check HEADSPACE before shooting the 8MM loads - imperative to be safe!


Posted elsewhere....

"24" 1919A4 barrel in 308 needs a .532" booster hole.
24" 1919A4 barrel in 30.06 needs a .718" booster hole.
24" 1919A6 barrel in 30.06 needs a .818" booster hole.
12-14" 1919A4 barrel in 308 needs a .718" or larger booster hole.
12" 1919A4 barrel in 30.06 needs a 1.190" booster hole, This is a real flame thrower "

Looks pretty accurate from my experiences.

 

[Dave B - Great Lakes Arms]

Rear spacer should be out when using 8MM - not modified. Not sure what you did there...

I run my guns in 8mm pretty much to exclusion and I always use the rear spacer. I use only cloth belts and it actually improved feeding for me. Links also ran better although I rarely use them. If you look at what that rear spacer does it was probably added for improved feeding and cartridge placement. I think it can even be used with 30-06...have to run in the garage and check that though.

 

[Dave B - Great Lakes Arms]

Yep, as I suspected....the rear spacer 100% can be used with 30-06, 7.62 and 8mm. It fills a little gap and brings the feeding cartridge bases flush with the front of the bolt. The bolt has a step on the left side. Check it out.

If you can't see what I am talking about I can do the pic thing.

 

[number2]

Combination

Links seem to work manually without the rear spacer. I installed it and ran some cloth belted 8mm's, and they work fine. Looks like they link just fine in the cloth belts.

Since the bbl is the full size, heavy bbl design, standard front booster should be ok.

I will try those combinations tomorow and see what cooks best.

Thanks for all the info.

Have not tried this combination for a few years, it will be great to warm things up again.

 

[brassmagnet]

True Dave, but it was not there originally nor was it needed.

My point was it (the rear stop/spacer) didn't need modifying for 8MM, and most people remove it. I ran my guns both ways too - no difference in function for me on my two 8MM guns. If JMB opted to not use it, then so did I, unless absolutely necessary

To each his own - whatever makes the gun work best!


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Number2 - By standard booster I hope you mean .718 or larger

 

[number2]

.718 Booster---Yes!

Had several around, some internally hard chromed, etc. .718 or close enough to work.

Should be fun. Have not warmed the toys up for a while. Checking out my loads for a fall visit to Knob.

Thanks for all the info.

 

[Shattered]

True Dave, but it was not there originally nor was it needed.

Remember that originally the gun was in 30-06 and you are now converting it to run 8mm, which is a shorter round. Put the rear spacer back in. True, it will run without the rear spacer...and my car will go down the street with only 3 wheels...just not as efficiently.

In regards to booster size, Romanian will run OK with the 8mm booster or the 30-06 booster. IF (read that IF)you try Yugo and it seems a bit sluggish, go ahead and try the 308 booster. The 1950's Yugo 8mm ran right up as fast as the Romanian with the smaller booster. Watch your cycle rate, (Assuming you're running full auto) too fast a cycle rate will open up your rear plate slots and destroy your receiver. I stretched mine a bit and got a chewing by Dougie. Did it with blanks! Egyptian wood tipped 8mm blanks. Used the US cone blank adapter. The cycle rate was estimated to be almost 1400 per min. Recoil was so severe, the trigger actually stung the finger. I stopped after 150 rounds, but the damage was done. The handgrip moved a lot more than it did that morning. Also crushed 3 wafers inside the grip.


ps....NO OIL on the wafers, oil will break down the wafers. Wipe them clean if you oiled them

 

[number2]

Progress

Conversion worked. Ammo was a disaster. Got both cloth and linked to run. Had some turkish 8mm. So hot the primers would 'flow' back around the firing pin and cause a failure to eject. Had to hammer them out. Got some romanian and yugo stuff to run without any failures. It cooks, just not with the turkish.

So now I am going to study the markings on what I have and see if any of it is usable. Have some steel cased rounds that work but I am a little reluctant to use them for wear and tear reasons.

Anyone have information on how to read markings on cases and boxes. I have several wood crates full of ammo.

Thanks,
Fred

 

[Dave B - Great Lakes Arms]

The steel cased ammo will not really cause any excessive wear. Most of the Romanian is steel cased and many regard it as the best of what is on the market. It is pretty hot stuff and really stinky but runs good.

Probably easier if you tell us what kind of crate they are in or the text on the crate or what the head stamps you have and we can decode them....as opposed to use telling you everything that is out there. I will say that Romanian is steel or brass...usually steel but do I have a little brass cased around still from back in 2000 that I bought from AIM Surplus. Its head stamps were mostly all numbers as I recall. One two digit set for the factory code and a two digit date. Same for Yugo except it is brass cased. All the 1950's Yugo I have has a factory code of "11". Some of the 60's, 70's and 80's has an "NNY" head stamp and a date. Turk has funny....Turkish letters in the head stamp and is brass case with a cupro nickle bullet (silver). Romanian comes in two sealed metal tins of 380 rounds each in a wooden crate with wooden handles. Yogo comes in a big thin tin can inside a wood crate with cloth handles. Turk is in bandoleers inside a big wood crate with a rope handle on one end I think.

Could also snap a few pictures if you are able.