Need help!! with SVT-40

bryan.14

CGN Regular
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Vancouver Island
I just brought my SVT 40 to the range for the first time. Only shot 3 rounds because of Jams.......What do I do?


What Happened:

1.Loaded one round of Russian Surplus round and shot

2. Shot to point of aim, but Jammed, the case wouldn't eject, got stuck in the chamber

3. Had to smack it open with the palm of may hand to get it out.

4. Tried again and same thing happened.

5.Then tried with Privi SP 150 grain and same again, jammed.


Is this a problem with the gas system? Is this a common problem?
Any Help would be greatly appreciated!

Update:

Gas setting is 1.3, Seen on You tube a guy's SVT 40 would Jam in winter if on 1.3, but eject on 1.5 I'll try again tomorrow on 1.5
 
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The first thing to do is check the gas system. It has, like most Russian things, a notch on each of the faces to line up with a notch on the housing. Make sure the 2 notches are lined up. Next make sure it's not set too low, 1.3-1.5 seems to be the norm for most SVTs.

If you didn't strip and clean it, do so, cosmoline may be gumming up the gas system in some way, especially in the cold weather, and it could be freezing in place or sticking some parts in such a way that they don't move far enough or move too slowly, or the cosmoline may be blocking the gas tube, not letting enough vent back to push the rod with enough force to re-#### the gun.
 
Give us some background info first. Did you strip and clean the rifle. Did you take the bolt apart to clean. What setting is the gas on. Is the piston screwed on tight. You'll figure the problem out with a little help from your friends. Go.
 
Check out:
http://50ae.net/collection/svt40/
http://mosinnagant.net/ussr/svt_on.asp
Both have great pics and step by step field stripping.

My guess is that the gas adjustment is on the wrong setting, blocked with cosmo or is lose (not threaded properly).

By taking down the rifle, inspecting the parts, you will know it is not the rifle or cosmo.
You can then play with the gas adjustment untill it feeds right. If you keep having problems, it is probably ammo.

Some ammo is too hot or the bullet weight is too heavy, this can cause issues.

Tools to adjust the gas system can be a spanner wrench or West Rifle sells original and repro tools, so does PS militaria and Frontier Firearms.
Usually 1.3, 1.5, 1.7 are the best settings.
 
Yes you could but way more fun when the rifle work the way was designed for:D
Jocelyn

Yea you're right, I only have some lacquered ammo here and I heard they feed weird on the SVT40, maybe doing some single shot with those to see how it cycles manually. I need better ammo.
 
In case you did not do it before, make sure you field strip and clean your SVT including the chamber and bolt. It has been reported that some SVTs have a bit of a rough chamber, resulting in rough extraction of cases. This has been associated to "burrs" in the chamber. This issue can be fixed rather easily from what I have read but I would have to wait for another CGNer who has done it to comment.

Next, as previously suggested, check the gas setting at the front of the gas port. You will see numbers stamped on each knox of the regulator knob. If I remember correctly, the gas settings goes from 1.1 to 1.5. I have mine set at 1.3 and it chambers and ejects MFS ammo without issue. I will admit, it didn't completely cycle one round (the second one I put through my SVT during her first range trip) but after 100 or so rounds since then, she has not failed me.

If the gas setting seems okay, field strip the piston system and check to make sure everything there has been cleaned and is properly put together.

If you are not sure how to go about disassembling your SVT, here is one guide you can review: SVT-40 Disassembly.

One thing I will pass along that any SVT owner has run into is watch that action spring, it has alot of tension when you go to remove the bolt carrier from the action. My good friend had a nasty run in with this spring a while back and I remind him of it whenever an SVT becomes the topic of discussion :D.
 
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