1912 Chilean 7.62/51

[hooligan1]

I'm wondering if any of you fellas load for this rifle.
I'm reading some internet forums about this rifle but it seems like they start talking about the rechambering of 95's and it runs off the rails there. What I understand is that my rifle has a shortened, rechambered 03a3 4 groove barrel on it chambered in 7.62 NATO.
I want to load some 168 grn Sierra Match Kings for it, and I do have the Sierra manual, but their loads that proved their best may be too much pressure.....
If you load for this particular rifle and have decent accuracy in it let me know what bullet powder combinations I might try.

[HankC1]

1912 Chilean is large ring mauser, 7mm converted to 7.62NATO in the 60s, perfectly fine. I have/had 4 1912 mausers in 7.62NATO. There are also 1895 small ring Chilean mausers converted to 7.62NATO that you need to be careful. 1895 small ring mauser conversions use chamber inserts and small ring is marginal to handle the 7.62NATO load.

[F. Guffey]

http://dutchman.rebooty.com/1895Chile.html


And then? There is the 308 W: A friend died but before that happen he asked me to clean out his shop, he gave me a few rifles, one was an Argentinian 7.65MM53, he identified it as being a 308 W. I corrected him but little did I know he replaced the barrel and chambered it to 308 W. When I got home and had time I checked the rifle, it was chambered to 308 W. I called him and apologized. I also asked him what was the purpose, he said he used the rifle as a loaner, he said he loaded the rifle to hunters that came to hunt but did not bring a rifle. He said he had no complaints.

And then I went looking for parts, I got a lot of help, back to the 'and then' moment; I stripped the rifle of its parts down to the receiver and barrel and then put the rifle back together. I did not ask him if the hunters furnished store bought ammo or if he loaded the ammo for them.

F. Guffey

[hooligan1]

Post #3 F.Guffey, cool read, but mines not a 95.
I have found a difference in the chamber, like the cases will not chamber completely unless trimmed to 2.00.
Most manuals I've read so far call for a 2.05 trim.

[Slamfire]

The operating pressures of a standard 308 Win exceed the proof pressures of those pre WW1 rifles. Given the materials of the age, I would stay far away from 60,000 psia loads in your rifle.

This load, a 168 grain bullet with 39.0 grains IMR 4895, is within the pressure range of the cartridges that your rifle was built around, and it is an accurate load. If you ever shoot a 20 shot group like this, prone with a sling, with your rifle, you will have one very accurate rifle indeed.

I did not shoot this, a bud of mine did. He is real good.

[F. Guffey]

There are also 1895 small ring Chilean mausers converted to 7.62NATO that you need to be careful. 1895 small ring mauser conversions use chamber inserts and small ring is marginal to handle the 7.62NATO load.

And then there was the 'and then' moment. An old friend put an old Argentine together: Like I have never seen before, I scrounged enough parts together to build three rifles before I took it apart, I find nothing suspect about the 7MM57or the 7.65MM53 but I find nothing entertaining about chambering a small ring Mauser to 308W, and now I own one.

F. Guffey

[hooligan1]

Tha ks Slamfire for the load info, I will give that one a try for sure.
F.Guffey, is there anything remarkable about your small ring chambered in 7.62?

[F. Guffey]

is there anything remarkable about your small ring chambered in 7.62?

Nothing remarkable about the chamber, it is a 308W chamber, I was surprised to find the Argentine 91 chambered to 308W. My intent was to replace the barrel, by the time I collected the barrels I had 6; three were shotgun barrels.

Nothing remarkable about the chamber or the rifle, the remarkable thing about the rifle was the builder. I have a 'leaver policy', after I removed the stock and attached parts I decided to apply the 'leaver policy'; I lefter the way I founder.

F. Guffey