Range review CSA 5.56 VZ58 and norinco bulk 5.56 ammo 1120 round case

C

cupar1

Regular
Rating - 100%
3   0   0
Location
Calgary
Went to the range today and fired finally some of the ammo I purchased from CANAM, this is the 95 stamped surplus non-corrosive 5.56 ammo. This ammo is much hotter then remmingtons factory load .223. The ammo did a great job, it's FMJ was able to penetrate two 2x4's screwed together without fragmenting. Even though my barrel has a 1 in 7 twist it didn't fragment even at 110 yards. The factory iron sights gave me 3 inch groupings at 25 yards and 8 inch groupings at 110 yards, No doubt this would easily hit a kill zone on a white tale if I were allowed to use 5.56 for hunting in this province. (Note don't use FMJ for hunting, it's illegal in most places in the first place and would be a very poor choice of ammo). On the down side, I fired 95 rounds and my gun was dirty. Very dirty. Also I should say I loaded 95 rounds I only fired 93. The ammo was so hot that 2 rounds pushed the action back and kept it back long enough that it tried loading two rounds. Also the CSA magazines (smoked plastic) need to be watched when loading, after you load a bullet you need to rest the primer against the back, for some reason it feel's like it could load a much longer round. Also when first cocking you need to let the action slam the first round into the chamber, if you let it out slowly it will catch, I believe people are refering to this as the gremlin, It didn't do this with remington factory loads and if I let the action slam it didn't do this with the norinco either. Here are the picture of the two rounds that tried to double load.





There is alot of powder behind these bullets, I found that out as it poured out the deformed case. This is my first review please give me feedback on my writing and inform me of any mistake I made.
 
First off, you should never ride the action when feeding the first round. The problem with the bullet being pushed into the case while feeding into the chamber is a known issue with Norinco 5.56 that I have read mentioned in a couple of threads. I'm not sure if it is a specific batch or all Norinco 5.56. The CSA 5.56 doesn't exactly have a great track record around CGN right now either. Could be an issue with the chamber size. It's just one of those CSA questions that have never been confirmed.
 
I have heard issues with the bolt yes, however if there was a more skilled marksman then myself I think he could easily punch a hole through the same hole as his previous shot with my CSA at 100yards. I had no issue's at all with remington factory ammo minus one bullet that had been marred before it was purchased, just a factory defect. It's a fantastic gun and I'm happier with my CSA then I think I would be with an 858... Is it worth the extra money, probably not, but if I got to pick one of the two for free I'd side CSA. Don't flame me lol. I hadn't heard about the bullet crimp issue yet. Definately heard about the jamming on other people's CSA's.
 
Out at the range last week shot some American Eagle then switched to the Norinco.There was a noticeable difference in the recoil and sound .The Norinco was most definitely a hotter round.
 
No, that is not what the gremlin is. There are two gremlins and they're only associated with the CZUB Vz 58, the CZ 858. There is one where the trigger doesn't reset for the next round, then there is one where the trigger gets stuck in the rearward position. One requires a bolt tab, which the CSA Vz 58 rifles already have, and the other requires shimming in the trigger group in which CSA has already taken care of with all of there rifles. As someone has already said, you don't let the bolt slowly creep forward. You have to let the bolt slam home and don't let it slam home on a chambered round as this can be catastrophic if you have a slam fire. Imagine your gun going off without the locking lug engaged. That's what could happen if you let the bolt slam home on a chambered round.

When I got my CSA .223 Vz 58, I didn't buy a big case of ammo with it. I got 20 rounds of Norinco 556, 20 rounds of MFS .223, 20 rounds of 55gr American Eagle .223, 20 rounds of 62gr American Eagle, 40 rounds of 45gr Winchester Varmint, and 20 rounds of Winchester .223. Out of all of them, the 62gr American Eagle did the best, 55gr American Eagle was a close second, and 45gr Winchester did the worst. Everything except the MFS and Norinco would dent the case from ejection. There wouldn't be a mark on the MFS because it's steel cased but the Norinco, it crushed the case shut. Not sure if it was from ejection or from firing it. I took note that my friends Ruger Mini-14 did the same thing to a separate box of Norinco 556 that he purchased.

8" group at 100 meters is pretty bad. My CSA .223 Vz 58 does 3" at 100 meters and 1.5" at 50 meters. The CSA .223 Vz 58 isn't stellar accuracy but its better than a Mini-14. The CSA .223 Vz 58 bad track record came from a bad batch of short barreled 7.5 and 11.5" versions as well as some bad 18.5" models with an over exaggeration from people who don't even own one claiming they have one and its a total POS. Its like when Toyota had the sticking gas pedal problem. All the other car companies and people who don't like Toyota jumped on them going "hahaha look, we make ####ty cars but look how dangerous there cars are. hahahaha" The problem with the sticking gas pedal was nothing mechanical at all. It was a chunk of carpet that was getting caught on the gas pedal. Since my CSA .223 Vz 58 has reached 550 rounds though it without issues, I'm ready to ignore the claims that they're a ####ty gun.
 
To mumbles: as I said above a more skilled marksman who wasn't firing 5 rounds in 5 second windows from a standing position could probably have put a bullet through the same hole as the previous bullet at a 100 yards. Also my groupings only had .5" of rise and .5" of drop even though I was firing rather quickly. The 3" was side to side. I could definitely do a 2" group at 100 meters with a scope in a sitting or prone position. Probably most would be a little bigger but yes under 3"

To Luke: it's non-restricted.

To the gremlin issue I said CSA but I meant the vz58/858 in general I haven't read up on it enough to know which guns were effected I just know that mine isn't. *knock on wood* I haven't had any issues minus the 2 pictured rounds above.

It is very apparent that Remington or Winchester factory rounds would be much better in my gun but for 25cents a round this fast flying norinco ammo is great. I wouldn't rely on it, but 93/95 is still 97.8%
 
I have a CSA 5.56. About 1200 rounds through it, mostly American Eagle Tactical and handloads of 25g. of Varget, all with 55g. bullets. The only damage on ejection is a slight crease just below the neck. I reload them. Everything I shoot gives 2"or better groups at 100m. I also tried some Norc ammo. I think it was '95. Fired about 200 rounds. I found the ejection pretty violent and and experience more than a few pushed in bullets which scared the hell out of me. Cases were creased also, just more than usual. I tried to reload the stuff but decided against it cause too many of the primer pockets were so loose they would hardly hold a primer. I decided to stop using the stuff before I blew up the gun. Norc ammo seems too hot for the gun.
 
Mumbles Marble Mouth said:
No, that is not what the gremlin is. There are two gremlins and they're only associated with the CZUB Vz 58, the CZ 858. There is one where the trigger doesn't reset for the next round, then there is one where the trigger gets stuck in the rearward position. One requires a bolt tab, which the CSA Vz 58 rifles already have, and the other requires shimming in the trigger group in which CSA has already taken care of with all of there rifles. As someone has already said, you don't let the bolt slowly creep forward. You have to let the bolt slam home and don't let it slam home on a chambered round as this can be catastrophic if you have a slam fire. Imagine your gun going off without the locking lug engaged. That's what could happen if you let the bolt slam home on a chambered round.

When I got my CSA .223 Vz 58, I didn't buy a big case of ammo with it. I got 20 rounds of Norinco 556, 20 rounds of MFS .223, 20 rounds of 55gr American Eagle .223, 20 rounds of 62gr American Eagle, 40 rounds of 45gr Winchester Varmint, and 20 rounds of Winchester .223. Out of all of them, the 62gr American Eagle did the best, 55gr American Eagle was a close second, and 45gr Winchester did the worst. Everything except the MFS and Norinco would dent the case from ejection. There wouldn't be a mark on the MFS because it's steel cased but the Norinco, it crushed the case shut. Not sure if it was from ejection or from firing it. I took note that my friends Ruger Mini-14 did the same thing to a separate box of Norinco 556 that he purchased.

8" group at 100 meters is pretty bad. My CSA .223 Vz 58 does 3" at 100 meters and 1.5" at 50 meters. The CSA .223 Vz 58 isn't stellar accuracy but its better than a Mini-14. The CSA .223 Vz 58 bad track record came from a bad batch of short barreled 7.5 and 11.5" versions as well as some bad 18.5" models with an over exaggeration from people who don't even own one claiming they have one and its a total POS. Its like when Toyota had the sticking gas pedal problem. All the other car companies and people who don't like Toyota jumped on them going "hahaha look, we make ####ty cars but look how dangerous there cars are. hahahaha" The problem with the sticking gas pedal was nothing mechanical at all. It was a chunk of carpet that was getting caught on the gas pedal. Since my CSA .223 Vz 58 has reached 550 rounds though it without issues, I'm ready to ignore the claims that they're a ####ty gun.
Click to expand...

I had a 5.56 VZ catastrophically fail on me. While it may not be a ####ty gun per se, CSA's QA/QC could use some improvement.

Ben
 
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