One original German 8mm round?

Ballbearing · 02-19-2008, 01:51 AM

When i bought my mauser, the gun dealer sold me some good surplus ammo in bandoliers and stripper clips, but he also threw in one round he swore was an original World War 2 German cartridge. The round has a very pronounced pointed bullet, perhaps the most pointed i've ever seen and the bullet and case are a very deep bronze color. The headstamp is P131 at the top, 38 at 9 o'clock, 35 at six o'clock and *S at 3 o'clock. The percussion cap is not only seated in the case but there are three small equidistant "crimps" if you will, that hold it in place but good! Can anyone tell me if this is an original German round, or was my dealer just blowing smoke?

wunhunglo · 02-19-2008, 02:48 AM

Well it was made by
P131 = Deutsche Waffen u. Munitionsfabriken A.-G., Berlin-Borsigwalde, Germany
S denotes it's a Spitzer bullet So the round is probably an 8x57 JS

The other numbers should be the year & calibre code but I don't know which is which as I can't find DWM's calibre codes but it is a genuine German bullet. I take it your rifle is a Mod 98 or Kar 98 with a bore of .323""not the old .318"

Also little tip if you can't get reloadable brass.....You can form 8x57 from .30-06 brass by annealing the shoulder area and forming through a 8.57 die and trimming off the excess (6mm). I did this for years with my kar98k.

Ballbearing · 02-19-2008, 03:04 AM

He really was telling the truth. I can't hardly believe it. Now I wonder if i should shoot it, or keep it. What a shock. Someone actually told me the truth.

wunhunglo · 02-19-2008, 03:12 AM

Keep it, they're not making pre ww11 bullets any more!!

35 at 6 o 'clock is probably year of manufacture.

sean46953 · 02-19-2008, 06:12 PM

It's just one round! It's gonna go boom like all the rest! The only way you could miss anything here is if you shot it. Then you'd be telling your buddies "I HAD an original pre World War Two German round, but, like a freakin retard, I shot it!â€³ So kids, what's the moral of this story? Don't shoot it! lol

Ballbearing · 02-20-2008, 12:45 AM

I've already decided not to shoot it. But the rub is that i'll always wonder. It's catch 22.

wunhunglo · 02-20-2008, 01:12 AM

When I left home many many years ago, my next door neighbour, a retired marine engineer, gave me a US dollar bill saying, "Take this, you will never be broke anywhere in the world." So true & I still have it and been round the world a few times!
Moral.............Keep the damn bullet!

Mooseman684 · 02-20-2008, 01:23 AM

For 20 to 30 bucks you can probably buy another one just like it from a cartridge collector and shoot yours...

Ballbearing · 02-20-2008, 09:20 PM

One bullet is worth 20 to 30 bucks!!!? No way man, i'm holding on to it! That's the price of 20 brand spankin' new commercial rounds!

GoldCupShasta · 03-04-2008, 11:41 PM

how much are these bullets worth>>????

M14man · 03-05-2008, 02:04 AM

realistically 40 cents.....

Sarge · 03-05-2008, 02:13 AM

38 is the lot nr and 35 is the year of mfg.
These rds will sell for anything fron 20 - 50¢ ea. at gun shows out of some ones misc cartridge box.
IF you just have to shoot an old original go to a gun show and buy a couple. I'd keep that one just because of where/how I got it.
Sarge

02-19-2008, 01:51 AM	#1
Ballbearing Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: The Boondocks Posts: 27	One original German 8mm round? When i bought my mauser, the gun dealer sold me some good surplus ammo in bandoliers and stripper clips, but he also threw in one round he swore was an original World War 2 German cartridge. The round has a very pronounced pointed bullet, perhaps the most pointed i've ever seen and the bullet and case are a very deep bronze color. The headstamp is P131 at the top, 38 at 9 o'clock, 35 at six o'clock and *S at 3 o'clock. The percussion cap is not only seated in the case but there are three small equidistant "crimps" if you will, that hold it in place but good! Can anyone tell me if this is an original German round, or was my dealer just blowing smoke?

02-19-2008, 03:12 AM	#4
wunhunglo Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: currently "Darkest Afrika" Posts: 486	Keep it, they're not making pre ww11 bullets any more!! 35 at 6 o 'clock is probably year of manufacture. Last edited by wunhunglo; 02-19-2008 at 03:47 AM.

02-19-2008, 06:12 PM	#5
sean46953 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Marion, Indiana Posts: 147	It's just one round! It's gonna go boom like all the rest! The only way you could miss anything here is if you shot it. Then you'd be telling your buddies "I HAD an original pre World War Two German round, but, like a freakin retard, I shot it!â€³ So kids, what's the moral of this story? Don't shoot it! lol __________________ Sean M. Hartman

02-20-2008, 01:23 AM	#8
Mooseman684 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Alaska Wilderness Posts: 8,192 Images: 2	For 20 to 30 bucks you can probably buy another one just like it from a cartridge collector and shoot yours... __________________ You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM!

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02-19-2008, 02:48 AM	#2
wunhunglo Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: currently "Darkest Afrika" Posts: 486	Well it was made by P131 = Deutsche Waffen u. Munitionsfabriken A.-G., Berlin-Borsigwalde, Germany S denotes it's a Spitzer bullet So the round is probably an 8x57 JS The other numbers should be the year & calibre code but I don't know which is which as I can't find DWM's calibre codes but it is a genuine German bullet. I take it your rifle is a Mod 98 or Kar 98 with a bore of .323""not the old .318" Also little tip if you can't get reloadable brass.....You can form 8x57 from .30-06 brass by annealing the shoulder area and forming through a 8.57 die and trimming off the excess (6mm). I did this for years with my kar98k.

02-19-2008, 03:04 AM	#3
Ballbearing Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: The Boondocks Posts: 27	He really was telling the truth. I can't hardly believe it. Now I wonder if i should shoot it, or keep it. What a shock. Someone actually told me the truth.

02-20-2008, 12:45 AM	#6
Ballbearing Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: The Boondocks Posts: 27	I've already decided not to shoot it. But the rub is that i'll always wonder. It's catch 22.

02-20-2008, 01:12 AM	#7
wunhunglo Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: currently "Darkest Afrika" Posts: 486	When I left home many many years ago, my next door neighbour, a retired marine engineer, gave me a US dollar bill saying, "Take this, you will never be broke anywhere in the world." So true & I still have it and been round the world a few times! Moral.............Keep the damn bullet!

02-20-2008, 09:20 PM	#9
Ballbearing Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: The Boondocks Posts: 27	One bullet is worth 20 to 30 bucks!!!? No way man, i'm holding on to it! That's the price of 20 brand spankin' new commercial rounds!

03-04-2008, 11:41 PM	#10
GoldCupShasta Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 7	how much are these bullets worth>>????

03-05-2008, 02:04 AM	#11
M14man Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: FLA Posts: 177	realistically 40 cents.....

03-05-2008, 02:13 AM	#12
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Colorado Posts: 145	38 is the lot nr and 35 is the year of mfg. These rds will sell for anything fron 20 - 50¢ ea. at gun shows out of some ones misc cartridge box. IF you just have to shoot an old original go to a gun show and buy a couple. I'd keep that one just because of where/how I got it. Sarge