8 × 50 mm R Mannlicher

M88

The 8 × 50mmR Mannlicher cartridge was developed in 1888 for the Steyr-Mannlicher M1888 rifle , also known as the Repetier-Gewehr M.88, an improved modification of the Mannlicher M.86. The M.88 rifle (as well as the later M.88 / 90 and M.90) used a slightly modified shutter compared to the M.86. Many M.86 were remade under the new cartridge (after the alteration they were called M.86 / 88 and M.86 / 90). The original cartridge was called the 8 mm M.1888 scharfe Patrone . It was equipped with a 16-gram blunt-pointed (rounded) bullet and 3.85 grams of pressed black gunpowder, which allowed the bullet to reach a speed of 530 m / s when firing from a 30-inch barrel.

M90

Around 1890, the cartridge was redone for nitropowder. In this direction, Austro-Hungarian scientists followed the path of their French colleagues, in particular Paul Viel , whose “Gunpowder B” was used in the world's first cartridge with smokeless gunpowder 8 × 50 mm R Lebel .
The new version was called the 8 mm M.1890 scharfe Patrone or " Nitro-Patrone ". His bullet was the same as before, but the charge of the new “gunpowder” ( Gewehrpulver ) was reduced to 2.67 grams. With such a charge, the initial velocity of the bullet reached 590 m / s when firing from converted rifles of the Manliher M.88 / 90 and M.86 / 90 system.

M93

Since 1893, the cartridge was equipped with completely smokeless powder. Now it was called the 8 mm M.1893 scharfe Patrone , the bullet remained the same as the weight of the powder charge, the gunpowder itself changed - now it was the new Gewehrepulver M.1892 . The initial velocity of the bullet increased to 620 m / s when firing from M.88 / 90 and M.95 rifles , for carbines M.90 and M.95 this value was approximately 61 m / s less. Later, most of this weapon was re-chambered for an 8 × 56 mm R cartridge. ^[one]

At the bottom of the liner 4 lines were drawn dividing it into 4 sectors. At the places corresponding to the conditional 9 and 3 hours the year of manufacture (for example 18-99) was indicated, at 12 - the month (e.g. V ) and at 6 - the manufacturer's code:

• B - Berndorfer Metallwaren Fabrik Artur Krupp , Berndorf
• BMF - Berndorfer Metallwarenfabrik , Berndorf
• C - Berndorf / Niderosterreich Fabrik Cornides , St. Vert / NO
• GA ( monogram ) - Maschinen -und Waggonbaufabrik AG, Wiedeń Simmering
• GR ( monogram ) - Georg Roth , Vienna
• K&C - Keller & Company , Hirtenberg
• H - Hirtenberger Patronen - Züdhütchen und Metallwarenfabrik , Hirtenberg
• W - Manfred Weiss , Budapest
• SB - Sellier-Bellot , Prague (until 1918 )
• stylized double-headed eagle —AK Wöllersdorf, Kk Munitionsfabrik, Wollersdorf.

The British company BSA produced Anfield system rifles chambered for 8 × 50 mm R Mannlicher (designated "8mm (.315") ") long before World War I until the 1930s. The British-based arms factory in Ishapur also produced similar weapons, which allowed to circumvent the restrictions of the British colonial administration on the use by civilians of military ammunition of a state standard.
The factory in Tiruchirappalli still produces them under the brand name IOF.315 Sporting Rifle ^[2]

Reloading of cartridges of 8 × 50 mm can be done by amateur shooters by cutting to the required sleeve size of 8 × 56 mm R or 7.62 × 54 mm R and using .323 "bullets (although the best results can be achieved with a .329" bullet). Matrices for this are produced by various companies, in particular, RCBS .
However, it should be borne in mind that the pressure of powder gases of a normal charge may be excessive for rifles of older models (M.88, M.86 / 88, M.86 / 90 and M.88 / 90).

• 8 × 50 mm R Mannlicher cartridge on municion.org (Spanish)
• [1] (Italian)

• 8 × 56 mm R - Austrian and Hungarian cartridge succeeding 8 × 50 mm R Mannlicher after the First World War.
• Steyr Mannlicher M1895
• Schwarzlose machine gun