8.56x56R Surplus

[Brad in Idaho]

A friend gave me this ammo a few years back. I was wondering if anyone here could give me some info on who made it, where, etc. It is in excellent shape for 1938 vintage and appears to have been stored well. Two 5 round clips in a cardboard box. It shoots fine but I'm sure it has corrosive primers. It has the Nazi eagle over a ball (waffenampt?) with a swastika on the headstamp along with the date and the roman numeral VIII. Including some pictures if they'll help.

[Tuna]

Made in Austria for the 8mm I think it's the M95 rifle and carbines? Corrosive primed and the bullet is about a .329 diameter and not interchangeable with the German standard 8X57 Mauser. Berdan primed and not easily reloadable for the majority of people who do reload.

[gtodan]

Used in Steyr m95 rifles converted in 1930 to M95/34 carbines ONLY.......

Please let me know if you want to sell it.

[Brad in Idaho]

Used in Steyr m95 rifles converted in 1930 to M95/34 carbines ONLY.......

Please let me know if you want to sell it.

Thanks for the info. It is the only ammo I have for my M95 carbine and works fine in it so I'll be using it.

[Hecklerusp45]

When I worked in Big Stone Gap Va there was a pawn shop in Coeburn that I went into on a regular basis. There was a large quantity of that ammo for sale in that shop, still in the same boxes you show in your picture. I always wondered how so much of that stuff ended up there.

[RCS]

There is also a training or short range gallery load for the 8x56R, easy to I.D. by the two step bulletP1010018.jpgP1010019.jpg

[Tuna]

I think Germany rearmed Austria with the 98K by 1940 so the ammo just sat for many years and when the surplus rifles were finally sold, so was the ammo. Not as many rifles sold as there were many who felt the recoil was too much in the carbines so there has been quite a bit of the ammo still around.

[androck14]

I just came across a receipt from AIM dated May of 2003 when I bought 60 boxes of that stuff for $1.95 per!

[NuJudge]

Save the clips the cartridges came on. They are reusable.

The brass cases are very nice. I reload Berdan primed cases, and they reload very well.

There is Boxer primed ammo and brass available.

[androck14]

I tried to decap some of those bastiges with a berdan decapper tool I bought. Very frustrating. Tried filling a case with water and whacking a dowel in the case mouth, no joy. What's the secret to getting them out?