There are really two things that need to be clairified in relation to this post.
First, people have some image that Globe Firearms butchered a bunch of perfectly good SVT-38 and SVT 40s. Instead, there are clear records that the SVTs that were in the possession of Finland were a hodge podge of captured guns in a serious state of disrepair. Specifically any really nice captured guns were typically taken as war trophies by Finish troops. What remained were guns pressed into use by the Finish Army.
"However, shortage of spare-parts was constant problem with these rifles. By the end of Continuation War over 14,000 of them had been handed over by the troops that had captured them for repairs and were subsequently warehoused. Most of these were warehoused because of worn out barrels and/or other broken parts and awaited repairs, which were never done. In 1958 the remaining Tokarev rifles were declared obsolete and sold abroad by Interarms around 1959 - 1961. Source: LINK
I would assume that Globe Firearms either did its own purchase of surplused SVTs from the Finns - or they made their own indirect purchase, via Interarms at about the same time.
Either way, what they came into was almost certainly a random collection of mismatched junkers - missing parts and presumably with hopelessly corroded bores from being stored for decades in damp warehouses - having never been cleaned after their last use firing corrosive ammo. We know that Globe Firearms sold any nice SVTs that they acquired in an unaltered state and even sold its own line of 7.62x54R ammo (click on this LINK) to coax reluctant US buyers to acquire one of these odd foreign military guns (see my post on this - LINK). Any guns with Okay original bores, but broken, or missing stocks (a known weakness of SVT38s) were presumably converted to 7.62x54R Mohawks. Those with hopeless rotted bores and missing, or broken stocks were converted to Mohawks in 303 British. This was done by fitting NOS Mk III barrels to the gun. If you understand machining, you would appreciate the complexity of this operation. Other changes were made to the magazines to complete the conversion.
In effect, Globe Firearms basically performed a "rescue mission" on a bunch of mis-matched, derelict guns that - otherwise - would have scrapped many years ago.
The 555 Mohawk and the original SVT guns suffer from the same problem. They are fantastic guns in the hands of a knowledgeable operator but they don't suffer fools very well. Specifically, the gas system has WAY too much adjustment range - where the most open setting flows six times the gas and the smallest setting! Further, to clean the gun properly, you must take out the gas adjustment plug - and the markings on that sucker are almost unreadable. Further, the takedown and cleaning procedure isn't terribly obvious - and you need a special tool to do it properly. There are almost unlimited opportunities for bubba-type owners to have never cleaned the gun (even after shooting the corrosive 303 ammo that was sold everywhere at the time) - or if an owner did service the gun, they could easily reassemble the gun with the gas adjustment plug in the wrong setting. This can/ will result in a gun was/ is hopeless over gassed - or under gassed - or you can even have the gas plus position between settings - so that no gas get s through at all.
This accounts for the many stories of from people who say, that "the Mohawk is a POS - I had a buddy that had one that ripped the heads of cases and through brass an acre away." or "I knew a guy whose Mohawk never cycle a single round". SVTs tend to have been bought by a more knowledgeable class of users; so even though the issues are the same for that gun, SVTs have tended to suffer less misuse by ignorant bubba-type users.
As for the cheese grater gas system cover the "problem" there is that - by design - this is held in-place by a friction working on a series of deliberate cuts - to conform with various contact points in the metalwork of the gas block and rear sight. If it is properly installed, it will never come off on shooting. However, you have to remove it to get at the gas system - and the only right way to do so is to take the gun out of is stock. This takes second because stock removal is done in a completely different way from the SVT. You just remove the recoil cross bolt and the action come right out of the wood - and this frees the gas system cover. However, if you remove that cover by just yanking it out (without removing the stock) you will certainly get it out but if/ when you then try to shove it back in (with the stock still on the gun), you will never secure it properly into the corresponding, intended contact points at the rear sight and the gas block - and I guarantee it will fly off during shooting, after that.
The cup at the end of the gas rod faces forward away from the shooter, so that the gases that operate the system are directed forward - away from the shooter (the opposite of the SKS and AK). Accordingly, it doesn't seem to be particularly dangerous to shoot the gun without the cover in-place and there are probably some guns out there in use without the gas system cover without issues (though I don't recommend that)
If you come into a gun with a gas system cover that flies off just take the action out of the stock, check the gas system cover for any damage suffered by its improper removal and correct as required. Then, reinstall the gas system cover or "cheese grater and then put the stock back on. As for correcting problems with the gas system - left over from previous owner(s) - start by looking at what you've got. I came into one gun set at the highest setting (which is nuts). It should be at 1.2 or 1.3 - not 2! I came into another gun where the gas plug was between settings - so that no gas could get through).
Don't even try to adjust service or adjust the gas system unless you obtain and learn how to use the correct five-sided hole wrench (the same one as the SVT uses). They are not hard to get and are a MUST have if you own an Mohawk or an SVT.
First, people have some image that Globe Firearms butchered a bunch of perfectly good SVT-38 and SVT 40s. Instead, there are clear records that the SVTs that were in the possession of Finland were a hodge podge of captured guns in a serious state of disrepair. Specifically any really nice captured guns were typically taken as war trophies by Finish troops. What remained were guns pressed into use by the Finish Army.
"However, shortage of spare-parts was constant problem with these rifles. By the end of Continuation War over 14,000 of them had been handed over by the troops that had captured them for repairs and were subsequently warehoused. Most of these were warehoused because of worn out barrels and/or other broken parts and awaited repairs, which were never done. In 1958 the remaining Tokarev rifles were declared obsolete and sold abroad by Interarms around 1959 - 1961. Source: LINK
I would assume that Globe Firearms either did its own purchase of surplused SVTs from the Finns - or they made their own indirect purchase, via Interarms at about the same time.
Either way, what they came into was almost certainly a random collection of mismatched junkers - missing parts and presumably with hopelessly corroded bores from being stored for decades in damp warehouses - having never been cleaned after their last use firing corrosive ammo. We know that Globe Firearms sold any nice SVTs that they acquired in an unaltered state and even sold its own line of 7.62x54R ammo (click on this LINK) to coax reluctant US buyers to acquire one of these odd foreign military guns (see my post on this - LINK). Any guns with Okay original bores, but broken, or missing stocks (a known weakness of SVT38s) were presumably converted to 7.62x54R Mohawks. Those with hopeless rotted bores and missing, or broken stocks were converted to Mohawks in 303 British. This was done by fitting NOS Mk III barrels to the gun. If you understand machining, you would appreciate the complexity of this operation. Other changes were made to the magazines to complete the conversion.
In effect, Globe Firearms basically performed a "rescue mission" on a bunch of mis-matched, derelict guns that - otherwise - would have scrapped many years ago.
The 555 Mohawk and the original SVT guns suffer from the same problem. They are fantastic guns in the hands of a knowledgeable operator but they don't suffer fools very well. Specifically, the gas system has WAY too much adjustment range - where the most open setting flows six times the gas and the smallest setting! Further, to clean the gun properly, you must take out the gas adjustment plug - and the markings on that sucker are almost unreadable. Further, the takedown and cleaning procedure isn't terribly obvious - and you need a special tool to do it properly. There are almost unlimited opportunities for bubba-type owners to have never cleaned the gun (even after shooting the corrosive 303 ammo that was sold everywhere at the time) - or if an owner did service the gun, they could easily reassemble the gun with the gas adjustment plug in the wrong setting. This can/ will result in a gun was/ is hopeless over gassed - or under gassed - or you can even have the gas plus position between settings - so that no gas get s through at all.
This accounts for the many stories of from people who say, that "the Mohawk is a POS - I had a buddy that had one that ripped the heads of cases and through brass an acre away." or "I knew a guy whose Mohawk never cycle a single round". SVTs tend to have been bought by a more knowledgeable class of users; so even though the issues are the same for that gun, SVTs have tended to suffer less misuse by ignorant bubba-type users.
As for the cheese grater gas system cover the "problem" there is that - by design - this is held in-place by a friction working on a series of deliberate cuts - to conform with various contact points in the metalwork of the gas block and rear sight. If it is properly installed, it will never come off on shooting. However, you have to remove it to get at the gas system - and the only right way to do so is to take the gun out of is stock. This takes second because stock removal is done in a completely different way from the SVT. You just remove the recoil cross bolt and the action come right out of the wood - and this frees the gas system cover. However, if you remove that cover by just yanking it out (without removing the stock) you will certainly get it out but if/ when you then try to shove it back in (with the stock still on the gun), you will never secure it properly into the corresponding, intended contact points at the rear sight and the gas block - and I guarantee it will fly off during shooting, after that.
The cup at the end of the gas rod faces forward away from the shooter, so that the gases that operate the system are directed forward - away from the shooter (the opposite of the SKS and AK). Accordingly, it doesn't seem to be particularly dangerous to shoot the gun without the cover in-place and there are probably some guns out there in use without the gas system cover without issues (though I don't recommend that)
If you come into a gun with a gas system cover that flies off just take the action out of the stock, check the gas system cover for any damage suffered by its improper removal and correct as required. Then, reinstall the gas system cover or "cheese grater and then put the stock back on. As for correcting problems with the gas system - left over from previous owner(s) - start by looking at what you've got. I came into one gun set at the highest setting (which is nuts). It should be at 1.2 or 1.3 - not 2! I came into another gun where the gas plug was between settings - so that no gas could get through).
Don't even try to adjust service or adjust the gas system unless you obtain and learn how to use the correct five-sided hole wrench (the same one as the SVT uses). They are not hard to get and are a MUST have if you own an Mohawk or an SVT.
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