Are the Nork M-14s hard on brass?** updated post#31**

saskgunowner101

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Cleaned my newest rifle up a bit and took it for a test run. I put only 15 rounds through it, some Winchester 180 grain grey box stuff. Wow!! Does the brass ever look mangled!:eek: There are 4 distinct sections running around the mouth of the casing, and it is about a mm wide....all the way around.

I would think a semi is generally harder on brass than most other actions, but this is a little more than I expected. Is this possibly "short" headspace?? As always, much thanks in advance.:redface:
 
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i would say yes. almost as bad as a 1911. imo most military semi's are. you should still be able to salvage alot for reloading.
 
None have been damaged enought that they need to be discarded. The base gets a bit of a mark in it, but not that bad. I wonder if the 180's you are shooting are generating more gas pressure and harder on the brass? Many say the 180's can bend the op rod from their more powerful hit to the gas system.
 
good point. it is only designed for 147 g of the 1960's. the violent reciol and forward action on higher loads? i think extractor marks is almost norn on mil semi's?
 
I'll agree with the avoid 180's statements. My rifle does not like 180's at all and usually puts quite the dent in the case mouth if I shoot anything that heavy.
 
Cleaned my newest rifle up a bit and took it for a test run. I put only 15 rounds through it, some Winchester 180 grain grey box stuff. Wow!! Does the brass ever look mangled!:eek: There are 4 distinct sections running around the mouth of the casing, and it is about a mm wide....all the way around.

I would think a semi is generally harder on brass than most other actions, but this is a little more than I expected. Is this possibly "short" headspace?? As always, much thanks in advance.:redface:

Sask my friend, the M14 is a brass mangler don't even bother shooting it...pure garbage.
 
Neither of my M14's, or my M1 mark up my brass at all. I just shoot your standard 150 grain bullets though... I dont wanna try anything heavier, to hard on the system.
 
mystery solved

I've got it figured out.....I think. I had the idea in my head that if the chamber was perhaps a touch short, simply chambering a cartridge would tell me all I needed to know.

I loaded a mag and let the bolt go....and cranked it back out expecting rifling marks, a pinch mark, stuck bullet or something. I ended up with a little brass or copper ring that fit over the bullet perfectly that was pushed right back to the cartridge neck.

At first glance I was wondering why there was a little rubber o-ring stuck on the bullet.:p Now, I'm not sure how or why it ended up there, but perfect function afterwards (with 150's). I might run a few more 180's to burn them up and see if the brass is mangled.

The cases from the 150's look pretty much no different than if they had been run through the Stevens I had previously.
 
So don't use 180 grain bullets in a norinco....darn what am I gonna use my 18 rounds of 180 grain on then....my brother is buying a norinco and my .308 gives me 2" groups at 40 yards with 180 gr where as at the same distance with 150gr I put 3 rounds in the same hole you need to look at the back to tell 3 rounds went through the same hole as the paper at the front will not.

So are all of them the same that way. Do they all hate 180 grains as much as my .308 which is a lever action.
 
Only my old AR-15 uppers without brass deflectors are easier on brass than my Norinco M14S. I have some cases that are documented to be on the 12th reload and they have no significant dents or dings to the body or mouth. Headstamps are getting hard to read, but otherwise they are still going strong.
 
NOTE, YES I'M YELLING 180 GRAIN BULLETS ARE BAD FOR M-14 AND M-1 ACTIONS!!!

Way to heavy and too slow, if you are driving it as fast as a 150 or 168 then you've got too much preasure at the port.

What powder are you using? The standard accuracy load for an M-14, (as it has been for about 60 years now,) is a 168 grain bthp match Sierra bullet on top of 41 grains of IMR 4064. For hunting, substutite the "Game king" bullet of the same weight. Match bullets will not expand properly and you are, for all intense and purposes, using a bullet that is not allowed for hunting ie non expanding. Match kings will give you the kill and be almost as accurate!

Scott
 
where the heck are all these 180 grain load users coming from?- does the dealer have a display of flashing lights and half naked women ?or are the counter monkeys just passing the stuff over when they sell the gun- granted , i know the 180 is VERY POPULAR DO EVERYTHING LOAD, ( i use it myself in my non-m14 platforms) but FFS, DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE BUYING- find out what makes the gun tick, THEN buy it- AFTER HUNTING SEASON WE'RE GOING TO SEE A SLOUGH OF BENT OP-RODS- which is great for m14 doctor,
 
I do find that it is harder on the brass than most. In the good old days when I could use my FN's the brass would not be as "chewed" as in the M14 now. The rim of the brass gets even more abuse in my M14's since I installed the spring kits from Brownell's, albeit they sing a nicer "ping" and throws those hot suckers out a mile:D

Regards,
 
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