- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Id run it at the lowest gas setting it will properly function at, then adjust it as needed depending on the ammo you're shooting at the time. Easy to adjust when you have the proper wrench at hand.
I clean the threads on the gas spigot pretty thoroughly, oil it, then wipe off the excess until it's almost dry, then when I re-install it, I tighten it right the heck down with the SVT wrench/tool.
If it starts to work loose while firing, it isn't tight enough, and you'll eventually come to (very minor) grief. That spigot is also what holds the gas adjustment do-hicky in place. If the spigot comes loose, the do-hicky can start to wander/rotate. Eventually, it will rotate until none of the holes are in alignment, and cut off the gas entirely. At that point, the gun won't cycle, and you'll end up with an extremely stiff straight pull bolt action rifle. And by "extremely stiff" I mean "you might need a rubber mallet to knock the bolt carrier back to extract the case" stiff, especially if you're shooting lacquered case ammo. Once those cases have fire-formed to the chamber, and the lacquer has a few seconds to cool, it's really, really stuck in the chamber. And unlike a turnbolt action - which gives you a fair bit of mechanical advantage when turning the bolt to begin extraction - you don't have any mechanical advantage with a tilt block action when drawing the bolt back to extract.
Learned that all the hard way.
Ok, judging by the ejection and condition of the casings 1.2 is probably it. Any lower and it might get stove pipes. Do you find yourself changing your setting when you change ammo? I'd imagine more grain but a heavier bullet wouldn't make much difference. Nothing a little trial can't figure out.
BOTH
Just do yourself a favour and buy both and a crate of 7.62X54R and giv'er.
The only words of advice I can give you is in my own personal experience the SVT hates good ammo. I had some "good" (can't remember the make) ammo for my Nagant and it WOULD NOT work in the SVT. The case kept jamming in the chamber. Bought a crate (well actually 4) of surplus and it runs through it like water.
7.62x54R with no recoil pad is not a lot of fun.
Slap a maxi pad on there and you're good to go!
You made that too easy and I couldn't help myself, x54r and a mosin has given me a few bruises but it's worth the grin it puts on my face. Last outing I put 100+ rounds through it.
Yup. I have put so many rounds through my Mosin that it was melting the cosmoline out of the wood and spraying it everywhere. Lots of fun but (pun intended) a pretty sore shoulder the next day.
Maybe I have fleshy shoulders, I don't know, but no gun has made me sore yet. Not this caliber, not 300 win mag, not 1600 fps slugs not even 338... I'm lucky I guess, blessed with recoil tolerant shoulder. Or maybe its technique that saves the arm?
The l.o.p. increase can be helpful but are you shooting an M38 or M44? I never found the full length 91 or 91/30 really hard on recoil.
I have a bad right shoulder so any recoil significant firearm gives me trouble. Any full power .30 and up, semis are OK, I even have trouble with a box of 44mag which is a pity because I rather like 44mag revolvers. The joys of getting older and abusing your body.
Maybe I have fleshy shoulders, I don't know, but no gun has made me sore yet. Not this caliber, not 300 win mag, not 1600 fps slugs not even 338... I'm lucky I guess, blessed with recoil tolerant shoulder. Or maybe its technique that saves the arm?