Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

[Ammo Guy]

Hi,
I've got a Steyer straight-pull rifle that was converted to 8x57 back in the day.
More recently it had been "sporterized", w/scope.
Would it be possible to re-barrel the rifle to 7.62x51?
If nothing else I'd feel more confident since 7.62x51 operates at lower pressure than 8x57.

Thank you,

[kARL]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

While I have some knowledge of the 8mm and the Mauser, I know almost nothing about the Steyer, with that in mind. I have read that the Germans did the conversion to 8mm during the war and so far as I know, none blew up.
Now I do know that the bolt face for the 8mm is the same as that for the 3006 and have converted many 3006 cases to 8mm back when 8mm brass was hard to get. If I recall and you should check, the case head of the .308 is the same as that of the 3006, now if that is so, the round will fit that Steyer bolt face.
So a gunsmith should be able to find and fit a barrel..the only problem I see may be the length of the round in the Steyer mag.
Make sure that he does a pressure test.

karl

[ISC]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

.308 has a max chamber pressure of 62,000 PSI as compared to 8x57 at 38,000. I wouldn't do it even if it was easy, which it would definitely not be.

[Steve Marshall]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

First The Steyr was originally chambered in 8x56 which has/had Mpia of 51,488 psi.
Second It was rechambered, but probably not rebarreled to 8x57 which has Mpia of 56,565 psi, not
38,000 as previously posted. The rebarrel/not rebarrel question due to 8x56 being .330 diameter
vs .323 of 8x57. Some say .359 diameter, point is there would be considerably less pressure if
not re-barreled.
Third 7.62x51 has Mpia of 50,000 psi.
Fourth The above pressures were CUP.

[ISC]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

I threw those numbers out there from memory. I originally read them here:
http://www.lasc.us/SAAMIMaxPressure.htm

8 mauser is listed there at 35,000 PSI. I realize that those are SAAMI numbers and are therefore lower to account for a built in safety factor.

I couldn't find a source with 8x56r pressure info. Steve, I'd like to know where you came up with that number, not because I doubt you, but because I'd like to have that source for future reference.

M95s were originally chambered for 8x50r, not 8x56r, so the chamer pressures of the original caliber would be informative. Yugoslavia re-chambered the M95 from rifles in the original 8x50r caliber by re-barreling them. Here are the other things they did in the conversion:

The conversion from an M95 to an M95M involved the following modifications:

- The magazine assembly was removed and the clip ejection slot filled by welding on a sheet metal cover.
- A new non-removable bent sheet metal magazine clip was permanently installed.
- The clip retention claw was ground off leaving only she shaft to support the new fixed magazine clip.
- The follower was extended, reshaped to direct the spitzer rounds onto the feed ramp and the dished out portion at the rear of the follower was welded over and ground flat.
- The cartridge ejector was reshaped higher to eject the smaller diameter rounds.
- A thumb cut was added to the receiver.
- An "M" was stamped after "M95" on the receiver ring.
- A new M1924 barrel supplied by the military Technical Institute at Kragujevac was threaded and fitted to the receiver. M1924 Mauser sights were used.
- The stock was shortened and the original handguard modified to fit between the nosecap and the stock band. An M1924 handguard was adapted to bridge the space between the receiver and the stock band. The nosecap and stock band were standard M95 parts. The converted stocks were stamped with either "AT3" or "BT3" for either the "Artillery Technical Institute" or the "Military Technical Institute", both names for the Kragujevac facility (see thumbnail at bottom of list).
- The bolt body lubrication holes were reamed to a larger diameter and corresponding holes were drilled into the bolt head shaft to bleed off gas in the event a case ruptured.
- The forward nub on the underside of the bolt body was milled away.
- The bolt head was shortened 1.8mm and a new bolt face recess milled to match the 8x57 cartridge base.
- A mauser extractor claw groove was milled into the bolt head and a newly designed extractor claw made to fit the modified bolt head.
- The bolt head and bolt handle were serialized to the rifle, as were the magazine, magazine spring housing, the barrel and the stock just below the receiver serial number.
- The rifle was proof fired and marked on the receiver, barrel and bolt knob with the Yugoslavian "crown over T" proof mark.
- Charger clip guides were machined into the rear receiver ring.

http://www.milsurps.com/content.php?...28Puska-M95%29

I'd advise against doing a conversion due to the realative rarity of a M95M (only 120,000 made, and many/most presumably lost during WWII).

I'd also not trust the strength of the action without doing ALOT of research. Plus, unless you have a good lathe and barrel blank laying around, it is way more work than I'd even think about.

I'd trade you a VZ24 with a bad bore and a VG Chilean .308 mauser barrel for your M95M so fast your head would spin if your interested...

[kARL]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

A store called Big 5 in cali had them for about 95 bucks.
You might give them a call and if they still have them, perhaps your FFL can set something up?

karl

[ISC]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

Karl, we're talking about the M95M, in 8 mauser, not the much more common M95, M95/30, or M95/31. If you know where to get a cheap M95M, please send me a link, I'd love to add one to my collection!

[Steve Marshall]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

Ammo Encyclopedia 4th Edition. I'm sorry I can't find a SAMMI source anywhere. I think that would be a great resource re. pressure and headspace questions. But here's a question for you. Why, with a cartridge that shot a 154 grain bullet at or about 2800 fps and a 198 grain bullet at or about 2550 fps, would yopu think 35,000 psi? The 30 Carbine operates at about 40,000. The 30-30 at about 42,000. I can't fathom being so far off the mark on pressures.

[ISC]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

I assume that SAAMI keeps the pressure low for 8 mauser for the same reason they keep it low for .45/70, as a safety factor for someone with an old rifle (like a trapdoor or 1888 commission rifle). I'd bet my life that a K98 in good condition could handle .30-06 or .308 pressures all day long without a problem, but if you load a hotter 8x57 IS (usually mistakenly called 7.92x57JS by English speakers unfamiliar with funky Imperial German script) round in a M88 you'd be courting catastrophic failure. Not only is the M88 a weaker action, they were originally chambered for a version of the 8mauser loaded with a .318 bullet instead of the .323 bullet that was used in both world wars

I freely admit to being too lazy to crack open the books in my library and do the research for someone else, the internet makes it too easy to google instead of going to original, better, sources. If I was contemplating doing an expensive and difficult conversion I'd spend the time though.

[gandog56]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

First The Steyr was originally chambered in 8x56 which has/had Mpia of 51,488 psi.
Second It was rechambered, but probably not rebarreled to 8x57 which has Mpia of 56,565 psi, not
38,000 as previously posted. The rebarrel/not rebarrel question due to 8x56 being .330 diameter
vs .323 of 8x57. Some say .359 diameter, point is there would be considerably less pressure if
not re-barreled.
Third 7.62x51 has Mpia of 50,000 psi.
Fourth The above pressures were CUP.

No the The M1895 was originally chambered in the 8 mm M.1893 scharfe Patrone (8×50mmR Mannlicher. Later they were converted to 8X56R. There are still a very few in 8X50R running around.

[Steve Marshall]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

You are correct, gandog. The 95 was converted to 8x56 at a much later date. However, the point is that the 8x50 was still a cartridge in excess of 50,000 MPIA.

[ISC]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

I just bid on a Budapest M95M rifle. There's only an hour left on the auction so I'm hoping I get it. Its missing the extractor, and those are all but impossible to find. If I win the auction I'll have to make one from scrap steel with a bench grinder and file.

I'm pretty excited, I hope I get it!

I never would have known about this variation of the M95 if it wasn't for this thread. Thanks everyone!

[Ammo Guy]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

Buy Milsurp has parts for the M95 rifle. See address below.
https://www.buymilsurp.com/
Good luck!
Aim small, miss small.

[ISC]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

The M95 uses a different extractor than the M95M, and that is a part that commonly breaks. I'm pretty sure I'll have to make one from scrap.

[Ammo Guy]

Re: Steyer M95M, 8x57, convert to 7.62x51?

The M95 uses a different extractor than the M95M, and that is a part that commonly breaks. I'm pretty sure I'll have to make one from scrap.

Think there would be a market for M95M 8x57 extractors?