Can one reasonably infer that working pressures established for rifles made for the 7x57 cartridge translate to higher pressures measured with the modern PE method?
In other words are old rifles sturdier than one would think?
JC
That's a loaded question, pun intended. I think a lot of them are/were, but... You could infer that, but I think a lot would depend on the rifle, the type of action, condition, and if you could get any kind of information on the steel(s) used. And who did the original testing, how, and how much do you trust that data. For some loads like 45-70, newer higher loadings have been developed for specific newer actions, but the 7x57 has been around a long time and most of those are bolt guns. I believe the recommended loading and pressures you see are suitable for all of them, but before I started building up loads until the primers were flat and I couldn't read the cartridge base I would want a lot more information.
