Making the T97 more Reliable (Update #118)

[harbl_the_cat]

It'll probably be under something right in front of you

It actually was... It was pretty hilarious where it was. My wife just shook her head and said "you're so dumb" (she's right).

I literally spent two mornings and an hour in the evening looking for it... The whole time I thought it fell on the floor, that I accidentally threw it in the trash (a bin that was full that I literally emptied out and sifted through it's entire contents, that I put it in one of the dozens of bins I have for brass, parts, supplies, etc, that I put it in my other, adjoining work room, that I put it in my pocket, that it fell somewhere inside a nook inside the lower handguard, that I somehow managed to put it in my other T97 (with it's bolt). I shop vac'd all the walnut media, sawdust, and other crap that had accumulated on the floor. I opened up and emptied out EVERY box, EVERY container, EVERY shelf (no small feat).

I turned my shop upside down trying to find it and guess where it was the whole time? Somewhere in this pic (my cleaning and single stage reloading station). Can you find it?

If bolts could laugh, I'm sure this littler bastard was smirking at me the whole time.

 

[Crazyest Canuck]

...You should NOT go at it like a teenager "rubbing one out".

 

[Zesty]

Somewhere in this pic (my cleaning and single stage reloading station). Can you find it?

Yup. There it is on the right.

As someone who also has a small and often cluttered cleaning table, I learned Pretty quick that gun parts like to hide.

 

[NoDanger]

I don't see it, unless it's that black shape on the right side lower shelf

 

[Zesty]

I don't see it, unless it's that black shape on the right side lower shelf

I believe it's here

 

[harbl_the_cat]

I believe it's here

Ding ding ding!

I was going to post a pic of EVERYWHERE I searched - but they were a bit too revealing. Suffice to say, I looked in a LOT a places.

 

[Zesty]

Ding ding ding!

I was going to post a pic of EVERYWHERE I searched - but they were a bit too revealing. Suffice to say, I looked in a LOT a places.

I used to have parts hide on me all the time. I bought one of them padded disassembly mats, and now make it a point to keep every part on the mat when doing anything. Helped keep me from losing my cz858 extractor bits again.

 

[TRaTSeRiF]

Dollarama magnetic bowls FTW!

 

[harbl_the_cat]

So I ran my T97 with crude feed ramps, out to 200 yards using nothing but Norinco CQA and grey LAR mags. 80 or so rounds with no stoppages.

I was in a rush, and my groups weren't as good as I wanted, but about what I was expecting. With a 4x Leapers scope, 5 round groups, supported in a sitting position, the smallest group I could make was just under 4" at 100. At 200 yards, with the scope, I got 15 rounds into the -1 zone on an IDPA target. With the irons, I got them all in the -3 zone.

 

[SQUAREHEAD1]

These T97s are more accurate than I thought.

 

[SQUAREHEAD1]

So I ran my T97 with crude feed ramps, out to 200 yards using nothing but Norinco CQA and grey LAR mags. 80 or so rounds with no stoppages.

I was in a rush, and my groups weren't as good as I wanted, but about what I was expecting. With a 4x Leapers scope, 5 round groups, supported in a sitting position, the smallest group I could make was just under 4". At 200 yards, with the scope, I got 15 rounds into the -1 zone on an IDPA target. With the irons, I got them all in the -3 zone.

2moa! That's great shooting

 

[harbl_the_cat]

2moa! That's great shooting

Sorry, typo on my part, fixed original post.

More like 4 MOA - I was pressed for time and in a real hurry. If I was using a better scope, took the time to catch my breath after walking (more like jogging) down range and fired from a more stable position, 2MOA might be possible - but for a $80 4x32 scope that started off mounted on a used SKS, saw thousands of rounds on a Nork CQ, mounted with $5 air soft rings, benched with a sandbag on top of my rifle case, that's about what I was expecting.

I have a $50 air soft 6-24x50 variable airsoft scope incoming from DX - maybe i will see how it holds up.

The good news is with about 100 rounds through problem child mags, I had not one stoppage because of my ugly feed ramps.

 

[Rootzee]

Harbl, did you file the M4 style feed ramps, or the "widemouth" style as shown in post #117?

 

[harbl_the_cat]

Harbl, did you file the M4 style feed ramps, or the "widemouth" style as shown in post #117?

M4 ish. I did a really bad job of it too. I'll post a pic sometime this week. They are really ugly, but functional.

 

[Rootzee]

Function is what matters! Nobody but you is really going to see it anyway..unless you post pics of course!

 

[thebutcher]

Has anyone got any ideas on attaching a shell deflector for lefties? Other than a shell bag or tilting the gun at a 45 degree angle. Would love a t97 but also want to keep my face intact too. Thoughts from any mechanically inclined people would be great

 

[BCshooterFMJ]

I have not picked the rifle up yet, and read a number of posts before I gave up looking for the answer and just ask . The LAR - 15 mags caused you problems feeding a new round in, but not problems with it dropping free right?

* Try at your own risk *

I decided to take the risk for all of you and went ahead with my file and sand paper.

1st mod is for making feeding more reliable. Especially for when the magazine is tilted down in the magwell, which would cause the round to ram into the flat part under the feed ramp and cause a jam.

How: Simply take a small round file and make your feed ram just like the M4 extension.

Try tilting front downwards your magazine with dummy rounds to see how far you need to go. I only needed to go about 1/16 to make it work, but I went 1/8 anyways to ensure there's room for error.

2nd mod is to make magazine fit or even drop free, especially Pmags.

How: Take a flat file or sand paper glued on a flat wood stick, start filing away metal at the part that is shiny shown in the picture.

This ridge is usually too tight and seems to be catching onto the rear ridge of Pmags. File it away slightly and Pmags will begin to fit perfectly. Go further and it'll start dropping free. Always visually check your fitments of pmags after every slight "go", we don't want an expensive paper weight. Also be careful of the file hitting the bolt catch, I used a file that fits between the bolt catch and the ridge wall.

 

[t_102]

It drops free but CAN fail to feed. Pmags are wider at the ridge so it is harder to insert.

I must ask, why is it important to drop free? At that angle, you're basically grabbing the mag when changing the mag anyways. Only M4 type weapons need to drop free IMHO.

 

[BCshooterFMJ]

It drops free but CAN fail to feed. Pmags are wider at the ridge so it is harder to insert.

I must ask, why is it important to drop free? At that angle, you're basically grabbing the mag when changing the mag anyways. Only M4 type weapons need to drop free IMHO.

More or less, I was wanting to know if the LAR mags were sticky or not.


I would also say the opposite, AR type firearms, your hand is naturally grabbing the mag when you work the release. As far as I am concerned, with combat type firearms, the idea is to be able to keep your hand on the grip while you release your mag and also either charge, or release your bolt , all while keeping your trigger hand on the grip. Are you a lefty?

And anyway, did the filing fix that problem with the LAR mags then?

 

[t_102]

More or less, I was wanting to know if the LAR mags were sticky or not.


I would also say the opposite, AR type firearms, your hand is naturally grabbing the mag when you work the release. As far as I am concerned, with combat type firearms, the idea is to be able to keep your hand on the grip while you release your mag and also either charge, or release your bolt , all while keeping your trigger hand on the grip. Are you a lefty?

And anyway, did the filing fix that problem with the LAR mags then?

LAR15 works fine now.

Don't you have to reach over to the right side at the back to drop the mag anyways? FYI, the button is at the right rear corner, pressing it with your left index basically means grabbing the mag as well.