doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion German & Austrian Sporting Guns @ doublegunshop.com O/U combo kaliber question

I have a Kettner O/U left side of bbl marked Kal.16-88,8. The rifle barrel is also marked 7,7mm 57 made Jan 1925. What would the rifle be chambered for. It has a large rim recess so I am thinking maybe .303 Brit.

Probably 8x57 IR but is the 88,8 for Mauser Modell 88 - 8mm cartridge?

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

I guess it is time for chamber cast and barrel slug. I was trying to avoid that. Thanks Raimey

Slugging the bore and making a chamber cast are often the easy part when it comes to working up the load.

I have a Kettner Combination gun from 1935.
Marked 7.8 Over 57.
Slugged at .318"
It's 8X57IR

Larry21556,
Your rifle is chambered for 8x57IR, as Raimey opined. In earlier times, cartridges with the head diameter(about.468")of the military cartridge for the Mod 88 commission rifle were often identified as 88 and then nominal bullet diameter, ie 88.9 or 88.8,or sometimes 8x57 m88, 9x57m88, etc.The 7.7 is the bore diameter(not groove or bullet dia.)measured with plug gauges.It passed a 7.7mm(.303")gauge but not a 7.8mm(.307")gauge.This is a little tight, but common.Sometimes 8mm barrels gauage 7.6mm. The 57 is the case length.It was not thought necessary to stamp a "R", because the gun is a "tip up" and the rimrecess can be seen.It won't hurt anything if you want to make a chamber cast and slug the barrel.You can use whichever bullet dia.that will fit freely into a fired case.
Mike

This is what you will need

http://www.a1ammo.com/ammo/sb857jr/

Mike

Thanks to all of you who replied. I got the cerro-safe out last night and confirmed what you have all said. .318 groove depth. Nice combo gun that I have had for a long time and never got around to shooting.