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Salut ,

I thought the original caliber of the Mauser K98 was the 8x57 IS and that there was a rimmed version of that ammunition, the 8x57 IRS.

I have seen some K98 described as chambered in original 8x57 JS.
Silly question but is there actually a difference between the 8x57 IS and the 8x57 JS, if so what is it ??

thanks for your help,

*Baffled*

I thought it was actually 7.92 x57

Argh.... I should know this as I spent an age looking into obscure European 8mm catridges. I am sure I wrote something on it and will have a look in a bit

Can't remember the details,(senility!), but don't these initials signify a change in groove / bullet diameter?
Fred

re-
As far as I know the 7.92x57 is the name that was used early 1900's / WW1 and then more commonly 8x57 IS or 8x57 mauser was the same appelation for the mili caliber of the K98.
But I dont know what the 8x57 JS is, if indeed it is different ?
Thanks,

The JS was a later catridge and used a larger bullet I think, .320" (ish)

I have this written down or in a book or Pdf.... I will have another look for it.

I will add what I have in a text document in a couple of mins...

Bugger, no I wont....

Froggy, can I email you what I have on this?

I know it's wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7.92_x_57mm_Mauser

The letter "J" often mentioned by English speaking sources is actually an "I" for Infanterie (German for "infantry"). A stamped "I" at the cartridge bottom in writing styles used in the past in Germany could be easily mistaken for a "J". Even in the 21st century the "I" is often substituted by a "J" in English speaking communities and German ammunition manufacturers often write "JS" instead of "IS" to avoid confusing customers. The letter "S" stands for Spitzgeschoß ("pointed bullet"), and the English designation "spitzer" for that style of bullet is derived from this German term.

............ 1905 Germans increased gas pressure in the cartridge and went from a 226-grain rundnosad 8mm ball (638 m / s), for a 154 grain spitzer bullet 8.2 mm (878 m / s - amazing speed at this time). The reason for this was that in all existing military barrels rifling would be made deeper to extend the life of the pipes. All new pipes would be done with this new rifling while drilling would remain the same. The letter "S" stands for "Spitzer" and means that the barrel was either made ??or modified for use with 8.2 mm beads.

If you find a gun that is made for originalkalibern 8x57J, (8 mm rifling) is a true rarity. However, it is not impossible, so make sure to measure up the race to determine the right caliber, in that labeling is not always to be trusted.

8x57JS is a flexible and powerful cartridge that can be compared to 30-06 performance. Nowadays produced relatively few weapons for 8x57 JS, which is a shame given that it is a nice and potent old caliber. In the hands of a skilled shooter fits into almost any kind of hunting worldwide.

Ovenpaa,
Should I read your comments on the potency of the 8x57JS ( 8x57JS is a flexible and powerful cartridge ) in the light of Sandgroper's info ?
ie : 8x57 IS and JS are indeed the same round and it is just a difference of denomination between the Germanic & Anglo-Saxon worlds ?
The reason I was asking is because I found a German gun dealer selling K98s with a mix of 8x57 IS and JS leading me to suspect it could be different rounds ? the guy does not speak English and my squaddy German so I did not go to far asking him ...