7.65 Parabellum

[rhuff]

As Rick has alluded to, if you were trying to load Hornady or Sierra 85gr jacketed bullets with .308 dia. and your expander ball was .307-.308in. you will get no neck tension and set back when the bullet strikes the feed ramp. Crimping heavily makes it worse!! You will need to decrease the diameter of the expander ball down to .303-.304in. to get good neck tension. I had ZERO luck trying to use Lee dies, and basically put them "somewhere else" rather than on my press. The 30 Luger round takes some "tuning" of the dies, but it can be done.

[dfm]

Before changing/modifying your dies mic the bore of your gun. The majority of pre-WWII guns I've checked run more to .311 dia. then to .308. You might just need a larger dia. bullet to mitigate your reloading problems. And increase your accuracy at the same time.

My favorite .30 Luger is a 1970s Mauser Parabellum and it's barrel is spot on at .311 dia.

[Sieger]

Originally Posted by dfm

Before changing/modifying your dies mic the bore of your gun. The majority of pre-WWII guns I've checked run more to .311 dia. then to .308. You might just need a larger dia. bullet to mitigate your reloading problems. And increase your accuracy at the same time.

My favorite .30 Luger is a 1970s Mauser Parabellum and it's barrel is spot on at .311 dia.

Hi,

The original groove diameter was, indeed, .311 per the DWM specs. Why DWM then went ahead and loaded bullets for the 7.65mm Luger of .307 diameter is still a mystery to me.

The same is true of the 9mm, it having a .358 groove and, typically, shooting .355 bullets.

I've used .311 bullets in my 7.65 Lugers for decades with no ill effects.

For handloading, obviously, match your expander button to the diameter bullet you will be loading. You may have to call your die manufacturer and order the appropriate one you need. They will have a full variety available for you to choose from.


Sieger