convert .30 Mauser ammo to .30 Luger ammo?

anand · July 2, 2002, 04:25 PM

Hi,
I have a situation where I have access to loaded .30 Mauser and 7.62 Tokarev ammunition. I need to convert this to loaded .30 Luger ammo which is unobtainable to me.

I am new to reloading but I know that I would have to:

1. pull the bullet and empty the powder
2. put it through a set of .30 luger dies
3. trim it to length
4. lighten powder charge
5. and re-seat the bullet
Can all this be done without removing the primer?

Anything else?

Anand

sricciardelli · July 2, 2002, 05:07 PM

Why go through all that? Factory ammo is availabe for Lapua/Sako?

After you shoot a few boxes, you'll have all the brass you need.

Jim Watson · July 2, 2002, 08:02 PM

First thing I would do is check out mailorder.
http://www.samcoglobal.com/ammo.html
advertises

.30 Luger Ball (7.65 Parabellum)
Mfg. Lapua/Sako, Finland 1979-81, FMJ, NC/Berdan, 93 gr. Brass cases. Packed 25 rds per box, 2000 rds per case. Wt. 58# per case.
29.9 cents per Round
250 rds $ 74.95
$ 598.00 per case

But if you feel you just must convert Mauser to Luger, I think - repeat THINK, I haven't done it - that:

1. Pull and dump, ok
2. Size back to .30 Luger. You are setting the shoulder back about 3 mm, I would not expect you would have to neck ream, but don't know for sure.
3. Trim to length. My Lyman trimmer centers on the primer pocket and would not trim primed brass. Another make might.
3A Expand case neck as for regular reloading.
4. How to know how much to lighten the powder charge? You don't know what it is or how much would be right for .30 Luger. Load from scratch with a starting load of a known powder
5. Seat bullet.

That ought to get you by.

Another approach would be to buy Starline 9x21 brass and neck it down. I don't know if that would work in a regular sizing die or if it would require a form die first.

Intel6 · July 3, 2002, 02:26 PM

.30 Luger brass is also avaiable from winchester, I picked up 1,000 pieces off E-Bay a while back.

Converting the Mauser ammo doesn't seem that good of an idea when there are other easier options out there. Plus you will be converting brass of questionable quality. Just get some new Win brass and load it up.

As Jim mentioned below, 9x21 can be converted to .30 Luger brass but ends up being a tad short in the necks. The better option is to use 9x23 brass which comes out a bit long a needs to be trimmed slightly for perfect .30 Luger brass.

While I have done the 9x21 and 9x23 brass thing just to see how well it worked, I don't bother anymore and just use the Win stuff.

Contender · July 3, 2002, 09:24 PM

Here's WW 30 Luger brass at Midway. $15/100

http://www.midwayusa.com/online/prod...eItemID=569872

Paul Fitz Jones · July 4, 2002, 12:52 AM

I have a supply of 30 Luger brass I made fron GI 223 plus a never used mold and a shooter luger and an American Eagle Luger that I have never gotten around to shoooting plus live ammo too.

dfm · July 5, 2002, 04:15 AM

Right now there's quite a bit of new WW .30 Luger brass around. If you want to make your own look for some cheap new or once-fired 9x21 brass and run it into your resizing die. Comes out a bit short but one pass is all it takes and you're good to go.

dfm

July 2, 2002, 04:25 PM	#1
anand Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 1999 Posts: 276	convert .30 Mauser ammo to .30 Luger ammo? Hi, I have a situation where I have access to loaded .30 Mauser and 7.62 Tokarev ammunition. I need to convert this to loaded .30 Luger ammo which is unobtainable to me. I am new to reloading but I know that I would have to: 1. pull the bullet and empty the powder 2. put it through a set of .30 luger dies 3. trim it to length 4. lighten powder charge 5. and re-seat the bullet Can all this be done without removing the primer? Anything else? Anand

July 2, 2002, 05:07 PM	#2
sricciardelli Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2001 Location: Montana Posts: 489	Why go through all that? Factory ammo is availabe for Lapua/Sako? After you shoot a few boxes, you'll have all the brass you need. __________________ http://stevespages.com/page8.htm

July 2, 2002, 08:02 PM	#3
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	First thing I would do is check out mailorder. http://www.samcoglobal.com/ammo.html advertises .30 Luger Ball (7.65 Parabellum) Mfg. Lapua/Sako, Finland 1979-81, FMJ, NC/Berdan, 93 gr. Brass cases. Packed 25 rds per box, 2000 rds per case. Wt. 58# per case. 29.9 cents per Round 250 rds $ 74.95 $ 598.00 per case But if you feel you just must convert Mauser to Luger, I think - repeat THINK, I haven't done it - that: 1. Pull and dump, ok 2. Size back to .30 Luger. You are setting the shoulder back about 3 mm, I would not expect you would have to neck ream, but don't know for sure. 3. Trim to length. My Lyman trimmer centers on the primer pocket and would not trim primed brass. Another make might. 3A Expand case neck as for regular reloading. 4. How to know how much to lighten the powder charge? You don't know what it is or how much would be right for .30 Luger. Load from scratch with a starting load of a known powder 5. Seat bullet. That ought to get you by. Another approach would be to buy Starline 9x21 brass and neck it down. I don't know if that would work in a regular sizing die or if it would require a form die first.

July 3, 2002, 02:26 PM	#4
Intel6 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2000 Posts: 425	.30 Luger brass is also avaiable from winchester, I picked up 1,000 pieces off E-Bay a while back. Converting the Mauser ammo doesn't seem that good of an idea when there are other easier options out there. Plus you will be converting brass of questionable quality. Just get some new Win brass and load it up. As Jim mentioned below, 9x21 can be converted to .30 Luger brass but ends up being a tad short in the necks. The better option is to use 9x23 brass which comes out a bit long a needs to be trimmed slightly for perfect .30 Luger brass. While I have done the 9x21 and 9x23 brass thing just to see how well it worked, I don't bother anymore and just use the Win stuff.

July 3, 2002, 09:24 PM	#5
Contender Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 1998 Location: NY Posts: 680	Here's WW 30 Luger brass at Midway. $15/100 http://www.midwayusa.com/online/prod...eItemID=569872

July 5, 2002, 04:15 AM	#7
dfm Member Join Date: May 19, 2002 Posts: 99	Right now there's quite a bit of new WW .30 Luger brass around. If you want to make your own look for some cheap new or once-fired 9x21 brass and run it into your resizing die. Comes out a bit short but one pass is all it takes and you're good to go. dfm