TNW Suomi M31 Impressions

I don't have one of these, but looking at the photo, and the snag on the lip of the case mouth, I'd have a good look at the face of the barrel, the edge of the chamber.
 
any chance you could post pics of the polishing you did to the feed ramps. I did a bit, but it didn't seem to improve anything. Thanks

Its kind of hard to take a pic but here you go.

I filed the 2 sharp edges on the feed ramp then polished it with 2000 grit sand paper.

Picture110.jpg
 
Where would you get the barrel and what would be the total cost of the conversion?

How long would it take to get it reclassified?

The total cost of conversion would be the cost of the new barrel if you can find one, they have a quick change barrel system so easy you can do it yourself. Call RCMP tech's to verifiy and change to restricted class then wait for your registration certificate to come in the mail. I'll keep mine nonrestricted thank you.
 
The total cost of conversion would be the cost of the new barrel if you can find one, they have a quick change barrel system so easy you can do it yourself. Call RCMP tech's to verifiy and change to restricted class then wait for your registration certificate to come in the mail. I'll keep mine nonrestricted thank you.

It seems that some would prefer a restricted barrel. So if barrel changes are so easy and a new longer barrel had to be made to comply with Canadian gun laws, I wonder why a restricted length barrel is not available? Or is there more to this?

Who imports these? Maybe the importer can give us an update on the availability of short barrels or restricted Suomi versions?
 
A short barrelled 31 would be a Short Barrelled Rifle in the US, a National Firearms Act gun; export could be more complicated than export of the long barrelled version.
Easiest way to get a standard length barrel would be to have one made. This means finding a blank, having a 'smith turn one. The actual making wouldn't be a big deal.
Once the barrel is on hand, call the CFP, and go through the process of reclassification and registration as restricted.
 
Ok if all that is needed are barrel blanks and having them turned by a 'smith, could not the Canadian distributor import these Suomis from the U.S.A. w/o barrels then get short barrels made here?

Or could we buy these w/o the barrel? That way those who want a short barrel don't have to get stuck with a barrel they don't want. Or am I missing something?
 
Can anyone who has one of these confirm that there is wiggle in the barrel as it mounts?
Is your barrel rock solid or does it wiggle even when tight?

There is a simple fix for that if it bothers you or effects accuracy.

I have fired/field stripped/cleaned an original Suomi. It had shims, very similar to peel washers on AR compensators, between the receiver/barrel jacket and between the front edge of the barrel flange and the jacket. They were very thin, appeared to be stainless or high nickel content. By stacking them the play was taken out and it was rock steady.

If your take down catch is too stiff, there is a small set screw that adjusts for wear, maybe yours is too tight. The Finns were pretty meticulous and took these issues into consideration in design and manufacture, even in an SMG.

Perhaps TNW has left out these shims in the conversion ? They would be easy enough to replicate with shim stock.
 
Lastly, the end cap rotated while firing......

That's very strange. On the original, the end cap had a machined groove on the underside of the cap which engages with a small projection on the top of the cocking handle. When the cocking handle is forward, the cap cannot rotate. Perhaps this feature has been dispensed with on the TNW version ?
 
No, mine has the machined groove on the cap and engages fine with cocking handle. I had my wife holding the handle while I screwed in the cap and she accidently let go so the two weren't aligned and she jammed - couldn't pull the cocking handle backwards, couldn't unscrew the cap. Had to take the trigger assembly out and then everything worked out fine. Can't really tell you guys if I fixed my magazine issues or not, though - packed ten guns up for the range and forgot the mag for the Suomi. I still shot it, but it was one bullet at a time and she went right where I pointed her, so accuracy is still bang on
 
k0na, thanks for the pics. Finally got mine out to the range. Despite polishing the feed ramp and grinding the forward face of the mag, I still had constant issues where the first round out of the mag, would go nose high into the barrel, and not chamber. Pulling back the charging handle partway and smacking it home again would usually work. Once the first round is chambered, the rest of the mag usually went of without a hitch. I also had an issue once where the retaining knob on the back spun out of the groove on the charging handle, and bound up the works. It may just be me, but with the charging handle sliding back and forth, it made getting a proper grip awkward. I usually ended up with my firing hand thumb, on the side of the stock, under the charging handle. Not uncomfortable, but just different. It is however a lot of fun, and pretty accurate. I did notice that pointing the gun down and really whipping the charging handle back and letting it go, would increase the chances of the first round chambering properly. Some more polishing may be in the works.
 
Hopefully, these guns before they were converted by TNW, were more reliable and not Jam-O-Matics? Is the problem with the new barrel and receiver design?
 
I'm leaning towards this being a tnw problem. Suomi's were known for their reliability, and I can't see in battle having issues with the first round of every mag not chambering. Could be hazardous to your health.
 
It may just be me, but with the charging handle sliding back and forth, it made getting a proper grip awkward. I usually ended up with my firing hand thumb, on the side of the stock, under the charging handle. Not uncomfortable, but just different.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but does the cocking handle reciprocate as you fire ? On the original full auto, the charging handle does not move while firing, only used to retract bolt to ####. If it is reciprocating, that would explain the problems with the end cap unscrewing/coming out of alignement.
 
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