What brands of 7.92x57mm are safe to fire in the Gew 88/05 with "S" update?
I've been told that due to the age of the antique I should avoid any loads that are higher in pressure (including questionably-stored milsurp ammo). I've stripped the entire thing and the entire gun is in pretty good condition with no rust or cracks anywhere, and I've also mechanically cycled and using snap caps, dry-fired the thing with 5 rounds from a stripper clip multiple times, with no issue whatsoever. I'll go headspace it as well with some gauges, just to be sure.
With that said, what brands of ammo should I go for to make sure that the chamber pressures don't exceed tolerances? I've heard various different suggestions, from sticking to only US-made ammo, to PPU who apparently loaded them not as hot, etc. On hand, I currently have some Sellier and Bellot, but I'm not sure if that's safe to fire, as well as some Turkish surplus (which for sure isn't safe to fire according to many folks), but I was wondering if there were any other brands I should look out for for ammo. Ofc safety is priority, for both me, the people next to me, as well as the antique itself, and where I live, I definitely don't have the luxury of tying a string to the thing and hiding behind a truck to test it for myself, so any advice is most appreciated!
Thanks!
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most U.S. loaded ammo is lower pressure with .321" dia bullets, stick with these.
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See the above^^
I've used some S&B in various calibers that was HOT even by domestic commercial standards
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I would try to find some 7.9x57 J (.318") ammo. Just because the chamber was throated for larger diameter bullets doesn't mean the action was beefed up for higher pressure.
Otherwise, I would settle for the mild American stuff, pressure is low and the soft bullets will swage to fit in the conversion throat.
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