Hello ,
Back in 1988 I bought a 98 Mauser model 1908 Barreled and refurbished to like new in 308.
I have always been curious if it was a actual 308 or 7.62x51.
In the past I had always shot 7.62x51 berdan primed cartridges.Now after all these years (due to outdoor range closing)I would like to start shooting it again.

so I stripped it all apart for a good detail cleaning etc. and I noticed that the barrel is indeed stamped 308 and 762(LGS does not have a Go No gauge Go.

So I'm wondering if it would be ok to shoot actual Winchester 308
(FYI I did not post on any Mauser pages as I'm only on this Forum)

Thank You
Phil

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If it's been rebarelled to 7.62 NATO then you can shoot .308 through it no problem. Don't believe a word about .308 being a fire breathing monster compared to 7.62 NATO, it's a total crock created by poor attention to detail and cross pollination of two measurement systems. I had a large rant on the subject some time ago. If you would like a link I'll post it.

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Release the Kraken

Thanks, I love a good rant

OK, have fun!!

Rant: Another gun rag gets .308 vs 7.62 NATO wrong

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Was it a Brazilian M-1908, originally in 7X57mm?

I believe it might be, it's stamped

"Deutsche Waffen- und"
" Munitionsfabriken Oberndorf"

And there is a "B" in the serial number


From another site......

"The brazilians contracted with the german firm of Ludwig Loewe Cie. for the manufacture of type 1908 long rifles, with the Oberndorf address on the siderail that were supposedly subcontracted to Mauser (also a Loewe subsidiary at the time) and therefore were marked with the DWM name because they were the primary contractor and with Oberndorf for the actual place of manufacture. "

This is the Brazilian crest on my 1908/34 made in Czechoslovakia. The crest on my 1908 long rifle is similar.

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I have had a Brazilian crest .308 Mauser for about 30 years,
I LOVE that rifle.
Mine is currently worked itself to the very back of the safe...
This reminds me it needs to be excavated and fired soon.
...BTW... mine is also a 1908 and has the B prefix serial ,
Mine is stamped left side

DEUTSCHE WAFFEN-UND
MUNITIONSFABRIKEN BERLIN

On a side note the "AN" stamp after Oberndorf on your rifle is an abbreviation meaning "on the Neckar river"

Indeed the .308W and the 7.62 NATO are essentially identical, however there are differences in peak pressure measurement methods which creates confusion. Back when the 7.62x51 was type classified by the U. S. Army in the 1950s, the chamber pressure was established using the now obsolete copper crusher (CUP) method, as piezoelectric pressure gauges were not yet in wide use. It is given as:

Average<= 50KPSI+3SD, 55KPSI maximum for any single round

SAAMI specifications for both CUP and Piezo gauge methods still exist for the .308W, namely:
CUP - 52000 Maximum Average Pressure
Piezo - 62000 Maximum Average Pressure

It is important to observe that CUP IS NOT a peak pressure measurement, but more like an average pressure. The piezo measurement provides a true instantaneous peak chamber pressure measurement, which will always be somewhat greater than the CUP measurement for the same cartridge load.

CUP and Piezo pressure measurements are therefore two separate and incompatible methods, and in fact no ammunition manufacturer in the developed world today uses the CUP method as the piezo method is more precise and meaningful, and is far simpler to perform.

It is obvious from the foregoing that there is no significant peak chamber pressure specification difference between the 7.62x51 and the .308W.

In the 1950s, the Spaniards rebarreled a large number of their M1916 Mauser short rifles (originally in 7x57) to 7.62 NATO, and many of them were later sold off as surplus in the USA. No problems were ever reported from firing them with either .308W or 7.62 NATO ammunition. Note that the M1916 action is virtually identical to that of the early M1893 small ring Mauser, and is somewhat weaker than the M1898 Mauser action.

I purchased every 308win headspace gauge and the set of 7.62x51 nato headspace gauges to check my m14 headspace often.

For the cost of one surplus military rifle I purchased every headspace gauge for every rifle. I started off with the field gauges first, then the no go gauges then the go gauges. I want to know where the headspace is before I shoot them.

Interesting. Why do you believe that so much headspace checking is necessary?

Great Information...
Thanks All!!!