This is a pretty gun specific issue, just looking for thoughts.
I started handloading for my AG-42 Ljungman. It's always functioned great, but tends to send factory brass flying into the stratosphere. Decided to handload to increase safety with the rifle. Went with some common suggestions that I found online:
- IMR 4064 Powder for a faster burn rate/more appropriate pressure curve
- CCI 34 Primers for a "harder" military style primer to avoid any issues of slam fire
- Cheap 140 grain Hornady bullets
Started at a minimum load. Mostly worked well, but had a few fail to eject, with ejection being weak enough that the fired casing was still sitting on the chamber. Worked up the load a bit and got similar issues.
The odd part was some rounds ejected nicely, and plopped on the ground a few feet away. Some rounds ejected much more emphatically landing several meters away, and some rounds failed to eject at all. A couple stove pipes as well.
Any thoughts on a this weird dispersion?
I want to rule out the idea that it might be a gun issue, not an ammo issue, so took it home and did a pretty deep dive clean, scrubbed the chamber well, etc. Unfortunately no factory ammo on hand to test to see if function there is the same as always.
I've seen is mentioned often that Swedish military recommended lubing brass to assist ejection in this rifle. I'd certainly like to avoid this at all costs. My understanding is lubed ammo leads to much greater pressure pushing back on the bolt because the case isn't griping the chamber like it ought to, so this seems like a bad idea in general.
I started handloading for my AG-42 Ljungman. It's always functioned great, but tends to send factory brass flying into the stratosphere. Decided to handload to increase safety with the rifle. Went with some common suggestions that I found online:
- IMR 4064 Powder for a faster burn rate/more appropriate pressure curve
- CCI 34 Primers for a "harder" military style primer to avoid any issues of slam fire
- Cheap 140 grain Hornady bullets
Started at a minimum load. Mostly worked well, but had a few fail to eject, with ejection being weak enough that the fired casing was still sitting on the chamber. Worked up the load a bit and got similar issues.
The odd part was some rounds ejected nicely, and plopped on the ground a few feet away. Some rounds ejected much more emphatically landing several meters away, and some rounds failed to eject at all. A couple stove pipes as well.
Any thoughts on a this weird dispersion?
I want to rule out the idea that it might be a gun issue, not an ammo issue, so took it home and did a pretty deep dive clean, scrubbed the chamber well, etc. Unfortunately no factory ammo on hand to test to see if function there is the same as always.
I've seen is mentioned often that Swedish military recommended lubing brass to assist ejection in this rifle. I'd certainly like to avoid this at all costs. My understanding is lubed ammo leads to much greater pressure pushing back on the bolt because the case isn't griping the chamber like it ought to, so this seems like a bad idea in general.
