A buddy of mine just inherited a Turkish Mauser and a bunch of reloading equipment, and he has turned to me to help him reload for it. I've never loaded for 8x57, and after doing some research on the round, I'm more confused now that ever.
In his pile of reloading stuff, he has 3 different lots of bullets, all of which measure a 0.323" diameter. If I understand it correctly, that is the "newer" 8x57 diameter that came out post-WWII. Interestingly enough, he also has some seemingly brand-new R-P 8mm Mauser cases, and the ID on the case necks is 0.317" which corresponds to the older diameter.
Several questions...
1) Would a "modern" sizing die (i.e. Lee, RCBS, Hornady, etc) resize the case neck to a 0.317" ID or a 0.323" ID?
2) Does any newly made brass come with the 0.323" ID necks?
2) Were Turkish Mausers made in 0.317" ID, 0.323" ID, or both? If they are both, should I worry about measuring the actual ID before selecting a bullet for him to reload?
Also, I would appreciate any advice and/or reloading resources for the 8x57 in a Mauser. I really want to learn!
Thanks all!
Nick