Destroyer carbine...possibly *not* 9mm Bergman?

DarkSyd

DarkSyd

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Hi folks...
Working with a new-to-me Destroyer. Have a bunch of new starline 9mm Largo brass. Loaded up some dummy round with 115 gr round nose bullets...there is zero chance the bolt is going to close on them. Cases headspace and plunk into the chamber nicely, but the bolt is a long ways from closing.

Tried some 9mm para, and the bolt does close on them, but the extractor also fails to hook onto the rim. Mags (3) also do not have the spacer that apparently is commonly used with a 9mm para conversion.

Also noticing that the barrel is visibly rotated to the right of center...front and rear sights are turned a few degrees past center.

So, dunno what I've got here, but I'm stumped. Somebody's half finished project?
 
Blastattack said:
It’s a Mauser action. You’ll ruin it by trying to run the bolt over the rim. Feed from the magazine instead.
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Good to know, thank you. I'm not in the habit of forcing things that don't appear to want to move unless someone tells me it is supposed to be that way :)

Perhaps what I'm seeing is a magazine issue then. Feeding from the mag, things are fine until the round clears the feed lips, then it springs forward, but isn't captured by the extractor.

Tried to get some pics to illustrate:
All good up till here...
8Ron4THl.jpg


Then when it clears the feed lips, it pops up and forward...
7IXhY4nl.jpg


Kinda hard to make out. I'm not losing a lot of sleep on this one, but if anyone has some ideas or suggestions, fire away :)
 
I like the Destroyer action.

OP you mention that your sights are canted.

When these rifles first came into Canada, some of them were already converted to 9x19 by Century International out of Montreal. The real problem with them was they still retained their 9mm Bergman markings and nothing to indicate they had been altered.

As for the canted sights, it's not uncommon to find these handy little rifles with that affliction. Not sure why. Usually they are canted to the left and I suspect this happened when they were rebarreled or maybe right from factory new.

I had one where the rear sight was in the proper index but the front sight was visibly off to the left. It shot accordingly, to the right.

That front sight is sweated on and can easily be heated and turned to it's proper location.

I have always treated the Destroyers the same way as the Spanish Astra pistols. If the cartridge fits, shoot it. I've shot 380 acp/9x19/9 Bergman and 9x23 out of mine without a hiccup. If you rifle likes 9x19, shoot it.
 
Beater said:
your not pushing the bolt ahead fast enough
Click to expand...

Yep, that was part of the problem! More zip to closing the bolt and it picks up the rim, thank you.

However, still stops far short of closing...my well calibrated eyeball says about 4mm short of where it should be :)

I suspect things are as bearhunter suggests. If I can figure out how to get it to reliably feed 9x19 from the mags, we should be good.
 
colt 1911 mags fit them. get a norinco 1911 9mm mag with the spacer in the back. it will feed from them. all you have to do to the 1911 mag is cut a hole in the back for the catch.
 
mbogo3 said:
Some were made in .38 Super as well.Don't break the extractor as they are impossible to find.
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Interestingly enough, a Winchester 1905 semi auto in 35 Win SL will shoot factory 38 supers without issues. The only problem is that if you put more than a few rounds in the mag they will misfeed due to the cartridge length. It might be interesting to try 9mm Bergman cartridges in a Winchester 1905
 
These were made from parts all over from different Basque villages so they need to be hand fitted.Assembled elsewhere cottage industry.
 
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