Yesterday's Weapons Forums

I recently aquired an steyr model 1888/90 or 1890 ? I bought some privy partizan 7.62x54 cases and I trimed back a few cases and loaded them with IMR 4350 at 40.grns with 205 grn. 330. diameter bullets from Graf and sons. I never have shot this gun and I am told it was a ww1 bringback? it has a very clean bore with a little corrosion in the breach. Now I took it to the range last week for the first time and tried this load above and it shot great! I cronigraph this load at 1895fps. and was wondering if anybody thinks I should stop here. I wauld like to acheave at least 2000fps. if possible or increase a little at a time, to say 42,43 grns maybe? the case ejected nicely and no soot on the case. any help wauld be appreciated..

I'm sure you saw the military load was right around 2000 fps with a 244 grain bullet. I always try for the original velocity/bullet weight as that's where accuracy is often found.

The old OEWG straight pull action just isn't the strongest patent ever found from Europe, though, and you might find the point of diminishing returns sooner than you had hoped. It's quite a bit less strong than the M.95

Strictly my own opinion, if you have accuracy, velocity means little. We may each play with our toys as we please, though. Working up very slowly as you mention is the correct way to proceed.

I use 20 grains of AA 5744 with the Lee cast bullet in the older Steyrs and get acceptable accuracy.

And! Welcome to the mad house... errr... I mean forum! Hope to hear from you again!!! SW

Thanks NebrHogger,
Your right, velocity is not the most important part of shooting, I have not been able to find a 244 grn bullet round nose lead.. so I used what I used with my M95 Steyr. but not the same powder, I use IMR 3031 and still working up a load for this one to.
again thanks,,,~ it all take time~

WELCOME shootster......

Shootster,

Well,- come!!

As Nebhog has cautioned you the 1888/1990 does not have front lugs and was originally designed for black powder. It was replaced in a retrodecision with the M95 which has front lugs as you already know. This rifle (1990) has been known to let go when used with smokeless. If you don't already have one try to find a copy of Mannlicher Military rifles by Paul Scarlata. He does a nice job (the only job) on Ferdinands designs.
IIRC using smokeless in this swinging block action would give me the willies.

So far I have been reading everything I cauld find on this old relic, corect me if I am wrong, but it was the 1886/90 that was converted from black powder and not the 1888/90? and that it was made to use the new smokeless powder 8x50 and not 8x52 ? I do want to find the stuff to slug the bore though, I do not know what its called..? I will look the this book and thank you! I do not want to be a stastitic, and I like to do all this safely. after shooting this it showed no sign's of being too high of pressure and did eject nicely. and that was why I choosed a slow burning powder I wanted to use a lower pressure and it being a long barrel I figured it wauld give desent velosities. I do understand that this is atleast a 116 years old.. Thanks It all takes time.

For slugging the bore, you can just use a fishing weight with the swivel cut off. Grease it up - pound it in a ways & drop a rod against it a few times to pop it out.

Some people like to drive a slug clear through the barrel but you need a good steel rod for that.

For casting the chamber, you use Cerrosafe. Put some in a small can & set that in boiling water to melt it. Pour that into the oily chamber that you already plugged with an oily patch right near the chamber.

Gently tap with a rod & it will pop right out. Watch closely when filling the chamber so you don't overfill. SW

Shootster,

I could not remember which model number it was only that it had a swinging block and not a rotating set of front lugs. This is why I suggested Scarlata's book. It is a great infomation source anyway and I need to find my copy and put it where I can lay my hands on it at times like this. I just like to be sure that is why the IIRC.

Thanks everyone, I only have a minute right now, so I am going to look for this info and cerrosafe, this gun should have the 8x50 but who knows it could end up being the 8x52 though I do not think so, and yes it is the newer version of the swinging down lock up so yes I do want to be extra careful thats why I have had this antique for over a year now and after studing reloading manuals and comparing so many cartrige's and finaly I went with what the 7.62x54 starting load with IMR 4350 so the case capacity wauld be safe and keep the presure down and it seem to work fine....? It all takes time.
and I know i am not done yet.

I may be wrong here but I though the 88 was mad in 8 X 50r and used a "cocoa powder" then when thy went to full smokeless they put on the extra sight plates to adjust for the improved trajectory. Cartridges of the world suggests keeping pressures low. (40K-42K psi)

244 gr pill 45 grains of IMR 3031 at a velocity of 2010 fps approximates a military load.

159 gr pill 48 gr of 3031 = 2460 fps
227 gr pill 45 gr of 3031 = 2040 fps

I got one of these 88/90s a short while ago, and researching the ammo, I found that although the groove diameter is .329, the ammo used a .323 bullet. I tried a jacketed .323 with 40 gr. of 4350, and found that the recoil was mild and accuracy wasn't as bad as I expected. On measuring the fired case, I noted that the inside of the case neck measured .324 . I'm thinking that a .329 bullet might not chamber, or pressures might jump too high. I was thinking about getting a bullet mould and trying cast loads.

I did try using a bullet with the .323 diameter and 40 grns of IMR 4350 first, but the case's did not seal well, My next load is going to be 40.5 grns.. with 329 Diameter bullet. I was thinking maybe I should go blackpowder or substitute like tripple seven? but at what starting point? I blieve originaly it was a compressed load.. it all takes time. to get it right.. I also have a couple of M95 and I have shot these using IMR 3031, and some 1938Austian ammo, that kicked like hell.. with no problems until this weekend and I got a little blast on my forhead,, then only soot on each cartrige after that,, but that concerned me enought to order headspace gauge, but how on earth do you check it when the bolt is spring loaded, not like a turnbolt... but I cleaned the receiver hoping its only not closing enough... has anybody had this happen.. why suddenly?

Shootster,

Which rifle were you firing when you got the blast on your forehead and the soot on your fired cases?

I was shooting my M95 Steyr, I started with 34grns 3031 IMR and now I am up to 41 grns. two weeks ago I cronigraphed the 1938 Austrian steel jacketed Load at 2443 fps. and before that I was up to 40 grns of IMR, with a 205grn bullet with a diameter of .330.. and many shots fired, before now with NO Problems.. last week I tried a Load with 38grns of 3031 IMR with a 205 grn bullet with a Diameter of .330 with no problems then I tried my newest load with 41 grns of IMR and a 208grn bullet with a diameter of .330 with only a 1903 fps, and that was when I felt the blast on my forehead with a little tingle's, the case ejected nicely but was covered with burnt Hoppies and soot. and smelled rather foul.. so I inspected the case and I did not see any thing wrong no sign of over pressure.. so I tried another and from then on all case's seemed to only show signs of fresh soot although dry .. could too much bore cleaner in the breech cause the case not to seal??? So since then I cleaned out all grease from the reciever grooves and lightly regrease the reciever . still waiting for a headspace gauge.
I do not want to get my face burned off, and any damage, so back to How do you know with a disk type headspace gage thats ok NO GO. being that these are spring loaded? and any other Help..

Shootster,
I have seen the maxium rim thickness listed at 0.060 in. and 0.064 in. but I have measured actual case rim thickness that ranged from0.056-0.063 in. . I made a 0.070 in. disk gage out of brass, but most rifles read more than this. I have not made a thicker gage yet. If the headspace is too tight then the bolt will not completely close. You will see that the bolt handle will not go fully forward even if it is spring loaded. I think you need to take a brass chamber brush and really scrub the chamber out. Inspect it by placing a small ball of white paper towel in the bore just in front of the chamber at the neck end. A bright light should illuminate the chamber so you can see if it is clean or corroded. Be sure to remove the paper when done. Make sure that the cartridges and chamber are dry before firing. A wet chamber can cause excessive back thrust on the bolt and also cause the chamber not to seal well.

Thanks Oldernavy... when I cleaned the gun sunday night, the breach looked good, but I will try using the paper towel, and make shure also that it is not wet with solvent, hopefuly that was the problem, I know the bore dosen't want to have more than a very light film in it but I did not consider the breach. thanks..

One more thing,, I just got my NO GO gauge's tonight and both my M95 Pass........... The bolt would not close!!!!!!!!

Yup, its me again,, another question, has anybody used blackpowder, for the 8x50R? I was thinking or using a substatute, like Triple Seven, I found last night in a book about Steyr's that it origanily used 62 grains compressed, toped with the 244 grn bullet.. is that true...? Thanks for any info.. and if I can answer anything,,, just ask....

I just tried (not) trimming back 7.62x54R case's and loaded them with 40.5 grns of 4350 IMR with 208grn bullet .330 dia. and fired them all {4} and had no problems although I did get a lower fps. by about 150fps. primers show no sign of Pressure at all! This is for my 1888/90 Steyr.. 8x50R

just tried Triple Seven in a 8x50r In my M95 carbine with a load of FF 60grns Compressed (By Volume) with a 208grn bullet with a Dia. of .330 and I got 1550 FPS with no signs of High pressure. and a good gas seal. and a whole lot of smoke... Yahoo.