Is it safe for old M96 to use modern 6.5x55 hunting ammo?

norlandgeese

norlandgeese

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If there is an existing thread please point me to it and please accept my apologies, I searched but cannot find the specific confirmed answer to this question.

I came across the following info on wiki regarding the 6.5x55 ammo, it claims that modern hunting loadings cannot be safely used in older military rifles.
My question, is that true? And if it is true, how do I go about buying the appropriate ammo for a 1910 M96 6.5x55 Mauser? And where can I get it from without going the route of reloading? I hope to do both service rifle and hunting.

Thanks in advance,
NorlandGeese

---------- Excerpted from wiki ------------
The 6.5x55mm cartridge is highly esteemed as a hunting round in Europe, Scandinavia, and North America ......
...... while ammunition manufacturers such as Norma, Lapua and Hornady offer loadings of the 6.5x55mm round that are designed for use only in modern hunting rifles that can tolerate higher chamber pressures. These modern loadings should never be used in older military rifles.
 
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Most factory loads for the 6.5x55 are loaded to SAMMI specs. They (to my knowledge) are still based on the pressure ratings of older actions. I hand load for the 6.5 and all my reloading data (from my LEE manual) is pretty mild compared to what a newer rifle can tolerate safely (CZ 550 for example). As for a factory brand of ammo that is safe...Privi Partisan, pretty fair ammo too IMO.
 
the M96 is built very strong compared to other rifles of its day it has a beefy action and barrel its made with super high quality Swedish steel. i have shot all sorts of commercial ammo and very hot reloads pushing 3000fps with a 140 gr bullet through mine for years and the head space and barrel are still perfect.
 
With regards to the OP, The Swedish M96 action is very strong, Just look at the caliber choices the sporter M96 actions can come in(8x57JS, 9.3x62, 9.3x57), Trad Ex sells them. I have also seen the CG63 in .308win
 
6.5x55 Ammo

Winchester Model 70s were also made in 6.5x55.

The m96 Swedish Mauser was made from a very high grade of steel. The formula did not change, so the 1899 dated rifle had the same steel as the 1944 Husqvarnas and all rifles dated in between.

MILITARY LOADS, however, are another story. There was some 6.5x55 Danish HA stamped ammo that had soft jackets, and these could peel off in the bore, causing an obstruction.

If in good condition, your rifle should be able to fire any commercial North American ammo, Swedish Ammo, and some others.
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SMELLIE - I THOUGHT I CAUGHT THIS LAST NIGHT AFTER RE-READING IT AND CORRECTED THE RA/HA WITH AN EDIT. APPARENTLY I DIDN'T HIT THE "SAVE" BUTTON.
THANKS
 
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Danish stuff with soft jackets was headstamped "HA" for Haerens Ammunisionsarsenalets: Army Ammunition Arsenal. Mostly it will be found with a 1946 date. Denmark got a bunch of Swedish Mausers and some Ljungmanns from Sweden at the end of War Two and used these to start rebuilding their army. They needed ammo, so this was the first round they put into production after the War. Later, they re-equipped with British and then American equipment, all in different chamberings. The Danish '89 Krags in 8x58R had been pretty much dispersed during the war, courtesy of Fritz, and there weren't enough left in Denmark to use to restart the army.

A fair bit of this HA 46 ammo hit the North American market, including many, many rounds as bulleted blanks (wooden bullets), most of which were pulled down and sold as primed empties. Primers are Berdan and rather violently corrosive. The Danish BALL ammo was loaded with soft-copper jackets which stripped badly in the bores.

Scandinavian ammunition marked "RA" is Raufoss Ammunisionsarsenalets in Raufoss, Norway, and is generally good stuff. Norwegian bullets jackets commonly were mild steel and the bullet shank was notably slim for the bore, but with a flat base of somewhat greater diameter. It shoots well, though.

There are TWO Norma plant for smallarms ammunition: Aamotfors in Sweden and a second plant in Oslo, Norway. Both make really good stuff.

You can find Norma - Oslo ammunition in Canada, notably on the East Coast, where it mysteriously washes ashore in sealers' packs after the sealing season. It is loaded with 156-grain flatbase RNSP bullets and noncorrosive/nonmercuric Berdan primers and it shoots superbly. I cry when I see it: what a waste of wonderful brass! Boxes are 50 rounds in tan-colored cardboard box with a tan-and-red label which tells you exactly what is in the box, along with the information: Spesielt fabrikert for Selfangst: Specially made for Seal-hunt. Friend of mine once picked up better than 1,000 rounds of the stuff that was drifting on an ice-floe, didn't have a rifle to use it!

FINNISH military 6.5x55 will be headstamped VKT and is, as all Finnish ammo, superb.

The 6.5x55 is one of the most highly-developed hunting, military AND target cartridges in the world. It was one of the demonstration calibres when Ski-shooting was an exhibition sport at the Olympics. Ski-shooting has now been accepted, given a name-change to sanitise it politically (Biathlon) and now is shot at 100 metres maximum with silly .22 rifles in order to 'demilitarise' it completely. Somebody should tell the Olympic Committee that the original Olympics regarded the 5 basic sports - the Pentathlon - as essential military skills. But then, that would be honest.... and we certainly can't have honesty if we are going to be PC!

There are Swedish Mausers, Norwegian Krags, Ljungmans, many converted '98 Mausers, a wide variety of MGs, all in 6.5x5. BTW, did not Remington turn out a 6.5x55 in their 700 Classic line a few years ago?

Hope this helps.
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