SVT40 Rimlock issues

[jeffQC1]

Hi!

I've been practising with my SVT40 with dummy ammo, cleaned it up, made a full field strip, etc...

However when using stripper clips with my dummy cartridges, rimlocks almost always happens. I was wondering what could be the potential causes and how to remediate it. I used the same dummies and clips with my mosin with no issues.

The dummy cartridges are basically MFS soft points (Not great for the SVT, i know), but without primers and powder and sealed up. They have been used quite extensively to the rims are getting damaged over time, but they still work. I don't want to test with real ammo until i can go the woods (which isn't until a few weeks)

My main suspect is the dum ammo, but i was wondering if there is other things to look out to prevent and mitigate rimlocks.

Thanks!

 

[Horilka]

Do you mean they got stuck in mag and won't feed? Is magazine original or repro? After you feed from clip, detach magazine and inspect how rounds rims are stacked against each other by remove cartridge by cartridge.

 

[jeffQC1]

Do you mean they got stuck in mag and won't feed? Is magazine original or repro? After you feed from clip, detach magazine and inspect how rounds rims are stacked against each other by remove cartridge by cartridge.

The magazine is original i believe. Most of the time, it seem to be either the first round (on top of magazine) or the third one, however, it sometimes happens at different stages. The issue is clearly rimlocks, i can clearly see the rims not stacked properly and preventing the bolt from going forward.

 

[Butcherbill]

How are you loading the dummy rounds into the stripper clips, if they don’t lock up on you while manually loading through the port or when manual loading a removed magazine I would suspect the stripper clip itself or how you are loading it, if you’re loading it one in front of the rim of the previous and then it’s jumping rims as you press them in you have an issue. What stripper clips are you using?

 

[grelmar]

The magazine is original i believe. Most of the time, it seem to be either the first round (on top of magazine) or the third one, however, it sometimes happens at different stages. The issue is clearly rimlocks, i can clearly see the rims not stacked properly and preventing the bolt from going forward.

Don't worry about it unless it happens when you're firing the gun with live ammo.

When you're manually cycling, the bolt is moving a LOT slower, even if you pull it all the way back and release it. When it's cycling under fire, the bolt will "bounce" off the rear, and come back with more force than just cycling it manually. Also, the recoil seems to "jiggle" the ammo in the magazine, and it self sorts, to an extent.

I get rimlock function checking the gun after cleaning, and just don't worry about it. When firing the gun, so long as I have the gas set right (a little more open for commercial than for surplus - the surplus tends to be hotter ammo), it runs fine and I don't get rimlock. I might get the odd FTF, but that invariably comes down to having it undergassed (gas setting 3 works good for surplus on my gun, so that's where I tend to set it by default after cleaning, then forget to set it higher when I go to the range with a few boxes of commercial ammo), but rimlock is never an issue, and I pay zero attention to rim stacking when I load my magazines or stripper clips.

 

[jeffQC1]

How are you loading the dummy rounds into the stripper clips, if they don’t lock up on you while manually loading through the port or when manual loading a removed magazine I would suspect the stripper clip itself or how you are loading it, if you’re loading it one in front of the rim of the previous and then it’s jumping rims as you press them in you have an issue. What stripper clips are you using?

I use your usual modern clips (Which are rather flimsy compared to the originals) I do have two original with me, but i don't use them since they require so much force to use. It is probably the way the rounds jump up when loading it that cause the issue. I may need a different loading technique to alleviate this.

 

[smellie]

Chargers can be loaded in many ways, Most common are YOUR way, MY way and the ARMY's way..... which works.

Are you loading your Chargers the Army way?

Red Army followed the original manner of loading the Chargers: _-!-_. Rounds 1 and 5 supported by the Charger back, 2 and 4 stand on those, 3 stands on 2 and 4. Makes a pyramid.

Looks weird but it works.

Source: Text Book of Rifles, HMSO, 1909.