I guess the other issue is/was the powder. I bought some.....I guess....original. old .30 Luger ammo right after I bought my 30 Luger. Old boxes (still have some, I think) and found it was some nasty stuff! Wow, next day the residue looked like it had been there a couple of years. So wondering with all the powders out there now, any recommendations on what to use for rolling your own? Bill

Bill, I know you will be flooded with up to date answers to this interesting question..most advocating the newest thing on the market. I have and always will use Red Dot Shotgun powder.
There are probably better propellants out there but I am not sophisticated enough to care. I use it in most all of my pistol loads. Buy it by the 5 LB. barrel. It burns clean, is cheap and works. What more can I ask?

+ 1 :thumbup:

"jonnyc, my manual shows the Mannlicher cartridge case being straight, not bottlenecked"

Postino, there is a 7.63 Mannlicher and a 7.65 Mannlicker, one having a straight case and the other having one identical to the Mauser/Tokarev case. It is DWM 497 I believe. I may have switched the nominal caliber number.

My apologies to those if my posts are confusing. I will clarify. First I have read in print that the factory loaded 7.63/30 mauser may not have the sufficiency in power level to work the roller locked action of the CZ-52. I have never tried this to confirm this so I can't say either way. From both reading other peoples experiences and my own the CZ-52 in unmodified condition for the most part has close tolerances in the chamber and for this reason I have given up all attempts at surplus ammo in the CZ-52 do to inconsistency of manufacture of the ammo. I posted the comparison on paper because it at least showed a difference in the dimensions of the 2. (weather those exact dimensions are always adheared to or not by ammo makers is another thing) and I have always been curious to how they obtain(research) their info. BTW Postino, Interesting about Edition 4 of Cartridges of the World and the explenation of making cartridge cases from .38 special and .223. I have made cases from .223 into 7.62x25 for the CZ-52 and it can be a chore. I gave up on that after a bit. I find it easier now just to go with factory ammo. I see that was the 1980 version and the availability of cases at the time may have suggested the .38 special turn down the rim etc. Also in Datigs book the developement of the Tokarev TT-33 it tells of the 7.62x25/7.63 mauser interchangeability and gives dimensions of the first 7.62x25(1930 ball) cartridge.

jonnyc - If you have the data sheet for that, please post it - I'd like to add it to my files. :thumbup:

My "Pistols Of The World" shows the Mannlicher model 1903 as using the 7.63 bottleneck cartridge; 1250 ft/sec velocity as opposed to the Mauser 1450 ft/sec. (Ugly looking pistol)... :p

It's actually The Handloaders Manual Of Cartridge Conversions by Donnelly that lists/suggests what to make the cartridge cases from; COTW is where Donnelly got the measurements/dimensions from.

I've formed 30 Mauser from 223 Remington for years; I still have a stripper clip full from the 70's in my display case...Slightly under diameter, but fireforms quite well. I did a couple/10 made from 38 Special just for S&G. I didn't see any appreciable benefit to using the 38 Spec, so I kept on with the 223 Remington. :rolleyes:

30 Mauser was impossible to find back then; Tokarev wasn't available yet.