9.3 x57 Mauser...

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Just Aquired a Husky M96 in 9.3 ×57 .Used to do a fair bit of casting back in the stone age and want to get back to it .
Where should I look for a mold for this caliber in the 365 gr weight range ?
 
Those rifles are difficult to shoot cast bullets in, because of very tight chambers. A .368 diameter bulet will not chamber in mine, unless i turn the case neck to make it thinner.
 
I am just in the process of building one - I think it was a Huqvarna M46 barrel - find the guy here on CGN called JetHunter - great looking 285 grain nose rider, flat round nose cast bullets - lubed and gas checked - he has posted on other sights about the loadings he uses, etc. I have a 9.3x62 but only have been using jacketed bullets in it - looking forward to lobbing these "punkins"...

What I received are sized to .368". I am using new 8x57 PPU brass - some commotion to open up to straight wall, then size back down to chamber length, but the necks allow those bullets to chamber in this one. - any amount of "flare" to seat the cast bullets does create "drag" on closing, so not a lot of "excess" neck room in there. I have not done a chamber cast to measure - so far just going on whether it fits or not...
 
I have a NOE .368 gas check mold and also a plain base 368 mold built by Boomers molds in Regina. Both are around 280 grains with my lead mix. I use them both in a 9.3 x 62.
 
I didn't know people were having trouble with the .368 bullets, I'll order a .367" sizing die.

I'm using the .368" NOEbullets with Norma and resized 8mm Metalverken brass, didn't have any issues in either of my Husqvarnas.
 
chasseur said:
I just saw a nice early mauser sporting rifle the other day supposedly in 9x57 though it might be in 9.3 as the shop owner may have it wrong
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There are 9x57 also. I am told my grandfather had a 6.5x55 M96 that he had rebored and rechambered to 9x57 in Sweden about 100 years ago. Said he should have left it at 6.5.
 
I like my NOE 9.3 mold. I use it in a 9.3x62. Easy mold to use, makes consistent boolits. I'm still working on a good hunting load, haven't gotten the accuracy I'd like yet.
 
I ordered a mold from Accurate molds in the US a few years back, 280 grains, .368. Catalog number 37-280A, that one was actually built for me and then added to the catalog. Works great and I have sold some bullets to others who got good results. I cast them medium hard and drop into a bucket of ice water, and lube with either two light coats of Alox or powder coat; the Alox I accurately shoot at around 2100 FPS in 9.3x57 and 9.3x62. The powder coat even faster. Here’s a random handful I just grabbed for a pic.

98502543-AC50-442A-A6BC-DE6DB0CD220B.jpg
 

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Northman - great picture!! How are you seating those in a 9.3x57 - I am having heck of a time to get a case that reaches long enough to meet CIP or Norma case length - necks seem to be too short - So, was wondering if you have those bullets seated down past the neck shoulder junction into the body?? Or do you have some of the front "lube grooves" exposed? I am working with a Swede rifle, so my magazine looks like it will allow me to go 3.20"-ish total round length, which will be no where near the lands in this chamber.
 
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I am casting a bullet to use in my drilling and double rifle drilling which have 9.3x72 chambers. It is a .367" 193 grain flat nose gas check bullet. I use wheel weights with 2% pewter water cooled. I powder coat with Eastwood clear powder and again water cool. I attach a Hornady .375" gas check using a .367" sizing die made for RCBS & Lyman Lubesizers.

I obtained the double cavity bullet mould (item # JIM2367193FNGC) from Buffalo Arms Co as well as the gas checks and sizing die.

Because these bullets are powder coated I intend to also try them in my 9.3x62.

Peter
 
Potashminer said:
Northman - great picture!! How are you seating those in a 9.3x57 - I am having heck of a time to get a case that reaches long enough to meet CIP or Norma case length - necks seem to be too short - So, was wondering if you have those bullets seated down past the neck shoulder junction into the body?? Or do you have some of the front "lube grooves" exposed? I am working with a Swede rifle, so my magazine looks like it will allow me to go 3.20"-ish total round length, which will be no where near the lands in this chamber.
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I don’t have my COL notations in front of me, but I just seat them as long as I can, based on magazine length and throat of my rifles. Which in reality always seems to mean maximum mag length with any 9.3 I’ve come across. Good luck and have fun!
 
I had Accurate Moulds build me a custom-designed bullet for my 9.3x57 M98 rifles. Using water-quenched old wheel-weights with Western Metals-supplied antimony & tin, the bullets weigh 360 grains, tumble lubed with Gator gas checks. The feed & work fine in either of my Husqvarna M98-actioned rifles, but I had to file the rear sight notchs to get them to hit point of aim at 50 yards, as I designed the bullet as a short range stopper.

They will, however, not work in my M46 Husqvarna due to magazine length restrictions. They will also not work in a 9.3x62 because of that cartridge's short case neck.

My C.O.A.L. for this bullet is 3.170", so the base of the gas check is right at the neck / shoulder junction. QL shows 47,000 psi using 47.5 grs. of RL15, but I have also used 53.5 grs of W760, 50.0 grs. of x2924 (BLC2), chronographed at 2,025 fps), N322 (Nobel supplied H322) & 43.0 gr. of WC735.

It is a Bore Riding Tangent Ogive Round Nose Flat Point Gas Check Tumble Lube bullet having a 68% meplat (I had originally wanted a 72% meplat, but could not get the original design to feed without fail, which is something I deem imperative for its intended purpose. At 2,050 fps (relatively mild pressures, at least for a M98 action), this bullet, in this cartridge, having a Sectional Density of .386, duplicates or exceeds the .400/350 Rigby (310 gr. @ 2,000 fps), .333 Jeffery Rimless (300 gr. @ 2,200 fps), .400/360 N.E. Westley Richards (314 gr. @ 1,900 fps), Purdey's .400/360 Nitro Express 2 3/4" (300 gr. @ 1,950 fps), Holland & Holland's .400/375 Belted Rimless N.E. (320 gr. @ 2,000 fps), .360 No. 2 N.E. 3" (320 gr. @ 2,150 fps).
37-355H-D.jpg
It is also much more pleasant to shoot than my .375 H&H, 9.3x74R or 9.3x62 rifles & certainly much nicer than my .458.

btw, Westley Richards called its loading of the 9.3x57 cartridge the .360 Westley Richards Rimless Nitro Express 2 1/4" (286 gr. @ 2,100 fps), while Fraser called his the .360 Fraser Nitro Express 2 1/4" Rimless (300 gr. @ 1,975 fps).

I have yet to see how much penetration it is capable of, as I ran out of water-filled milk jugs.
 

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The early NOE 9.3 280 gr molds have too large shank diameter to work well with Gator checks. Don't know if this was resolved in later molds.
 
jamesharrison said:
I had Accurate Moulds build me a custom-designed bullet for my 9.3x57 M98 rifles. Using water-quenched old wheel-weights with Western Metals-supplied antimony & tin, the bullets weigh 360 grains, tumble lubed with Gator gas checks. The feed & work fine in either of my Husqvarna M98-actioned rifles, but I had to file the rear sight notchs to get them to hit point of aim at 50 yards, as I designed the bullet as a short range stopper.

They will, however, not work in my M46 Husqvarna due to magazine length restrictions. They will also not work in a 9.3x62 because of that cartridge's short case neck.

My C.O.A.L. for this bullet is 3.170", so the base of the gas check is right at the neck / shoulder junction. QL shows 47,000 psi using 47.5 grs. of RL15, but I have also used 53.5 grs of W760, 50.0 grs. of x2924 (BLC2), chronographed at 2,025 fps), N322 (Nobel supplied H322) & 43.0 gr. of WC735.

It is a Bore Riding Tangent Ogive Round Nose Flat Point Gas Check Tumble Lube bullet having a 68% meplat (I had originally wanted a 72% meplat, but could not get the original design to feed without fail, which is something I deem imperative for its intended purpose. At 2,050 fps (relatively mild pressures, at least for a M98 action), this bullet, in this cartridge, having a Sectional Density of .386, duplicates or exceeds the .400/350 Rigby (310 gr. @ 2,000 fps), .333 Jeffery Rimless (300 gr. @ 2,200 fps), .400/360 N.E. Westley Richards (314 gr. @ 1,900 fps), Purdey's .400/360 Nitro Express 2 3/4" (300 gr. @ 1,950 fps), Holland & Holland's .400/375 Belted Rimless N.E. (320 gr. @ 2,000 fps), .360 No. 2 N.E. 3" (320 gr. @ 2,150 fps).
View attachment 434372
It is also much more pleasant to shoot than my .375 H&H, 9.3x74R or 9.3x62 rifles & certainly much nicer than my .458.

btw, Westley Richards called its loading of the 9.3x57 cartridge the .360 Westley Richards Rimless Nitro Express 2 1/4" (286 gr. @ 2,100 fps), while Fraser called his the .360 Fraser Nitro Express 2 1/4" Rimless (300 gr. @ 1,975 fps).

I have yet to see how much penetration it is capable of, as I ran out of water-filled milk jugs.
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Okay, James, time to fill up some more milk jugs.

Ted
 
Jethunter the problem isn’t with the bullets it’s the variation in chamber dimensions. My K98 has a tight neck but works fine with Winchester or PPU 8x57 brass necked up but not Metalverken which is very thick brass and must be turned even with jacketed bullets. The M96 has a more generous chamber and isn’t as fussy. The trick is to measure, measure and measure again of case fired in your chamber. I have a NEI mold that casts at .366 which I intend to powder coat and hopefully they’ll work as is.
 
Peecos said:
Jethunter the problem isn’t with the bullets it’s the variation in chamber dimensions. My K98 has a tight neck but works fine with Winchester or PPU 8x57 brass necked up but not Metalverken which is very thick brass and must be turned even with jacketed bullets. The M96 has a more generous chamber and isn’t as fussy. The trick is to measure, measure and measure again of case fired in your chamber. I have a NEI mold that casts at .366 which I intend to powder coat and hopefully they’ll work as is.
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The neck dimensions are important but not the only consideration when you load cast bullets. The length of the freebore and leade also varies considerably in 9.3x57 rifles and also cause issues with cast bullets in some rifles. Both my M98 and M96 will cleanly chamber Metalverken brass loaded with .368" bullets.

Early on I did a chamber pound on the M96 and assumed it would be a representative of most 9.3x57 throat sections but have learned differently.

Powder coating is a good option but sometimes it increase diameter at the ogive so that a bullet that did fit before coating will not fit after coating. You can size the main bullet shank but not the ogive section.
 
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