who shoots their SVT a lot?

B

big bear

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I have a SVT I've set aside for shooting. aftermarket recoil springs/gas system. It is a real hoot to shoot and once i got everything "just right", it perks along nicely. But I just HATE cleaning it. It's the rear spring guide at the end of reassembly. I have large hands, plus the heavier recoil spring makes it a dog's mom to get back in place. I use a dummy 308 round to compress spring, still a major hassle. I want to shoot surplus ammo, so gotta clean it. Suggestions??? I hate it now when I head out to the range I take the SVT but decide not to shoot it because it's such a PITA to reassemble ( don't mind the cleaning at all). And how did some poor slob clean his SVT in a , cold, wet dark ditch somewhere on the eastern front? I'd really like to know.:cheers:
 
May I suggest that you use the original surplus recoil springs instead of the aftermarket ones you have purchased? Since the surplus springs are more worn out they are easier to compress and the gas system may run on an even lower setting. You only need to replace them if the bolt is failing to go into battery even on a high gas setting.

I use my thumb as well.
 
Its all about the how you hold the spring assembly when you slide it into the bolt carrier, as for sliding the receiver cover off, ive ground the lips on the sides of the cover down so mine only needs to slide about half a cm before its free to lift up and out. Cleaning the gun after firing corrosive ammo is to much of a burden. Thats why im ordering some NON corrosive 54r and ONLY going to shoot that for now on, 50 cents a shot isnt too bad considering I dont fire my SVT 40 too often.
 
I use my thumb as well.
It's not that bad once you get the technique down.

As for cleaning corrosive, I just add one extra step to my cleaning and that's just pouring boiling water over the parts.
 
Just send it to me, I'll take good care of it lol.

It's really not that hard to strip and reassemble, try putting the stock spring back in as was already suggested. I try and shoot mine whenever I go out, it's my favourite rifle I own at the moment.
 
Not sure why you are having such a hard time? I use a 7.62 round to keep the springs in place when I install the receiver cover.

I shot BP for 10 years before getting my SVT so I'm used to cleaning a rifle every time I come back from the range. It's part of the shooting experience.
 
I got the aftermarket spings and piston set. Man does that SVT sing now. Got it to 2-3 MOA depending on how I shoot now, with gas setting 1.1 Is it a pain to clean? somedays. But seeing folk at the range say, thats BS that grouping did not come from that SVT is worth it. They are amazing shooters once they get tuned/replace worn out parts. Plus, piston set being stainless, it's less of a hurry to clean it when I get home late.
 
I used to shoot the unholy hell out of mine.
The stripping and cleaning is a bit of a hassle. Don't put any aftermarket junk in it unless there is an actual reason to. ie if it's functioning fine then why mess with it?
There are a few tricks to getting the cover back on with the spring compressed.
What I did was with the rifle on the workbench in front of me, muzzle pointing to my left, I would compress the spring with my right hand index finger using the side of the first knuckle.
Then with the left hand put the cover down on an angle to catch the spring in the cover notch. Slowly release the spring and let the cover go with it under control.
It was the easiest way I ever found to do it after messing with it for a long time. Hope that helps.
 
OK, I often see complains that SVT is hard to disassemble and suggestions on how to improve. I just checked top 10 video on the subject on the YouTube and now I know why. I am shocked with how ppl field strip SVT. DON'T DO LIKE VIDEOS SUGGEST as only some of them are just partially correct. Nobody bothered to read translated manual, nobody bothered to create correct video on field strip. I don't know how many times I disassembled SVT, probably more than thousand times and never had any springs flying or challenges. But I was smart enough to do first field strip with original manual.

Field stripping SVT is easy as hell. Here's how according to original manual:
- place rifle on the table in front of yourself so the barrel is pointing forward and trigger guard is against the edge of the table (so it won;t move forward).
- right hand is holding rifle in the grip area, left hand slides bolt cover forward
i_057.jpg


- while holding cover with left hand use right hand thumb to fix the rear spring guide (without touching the cover), now you can remove cover.
- slowly allow the spring to move guide to the rear position to the back wall of the receiver. now everything is back in place except we have no cover.
- left hand index finger and thumb grab _middle_ spring guide near the bolt carrier and right hand index and thumb hold _rear_ spring guide. With left hand move middle spring guide backward (to yourself) (just about inch or inch and a half so it leaves bolt carrier) and with right hand move the rear spring guide out of the receiver back wall. (You can actually simultaneously move middle guide backward and rear guide forward and move whole assembly to the side). Remove guides and springs completely. Now remember this - pressing both spring guides against each other and holding them together is the key for easy removal and installation.
i_058.jpg


Then you know what to do do. When assembling back - put guides/springs back into carrier, again compress together middle and rear guides in the same way with left hand on middle and right hand on rear. Put assembly back so it rests against rear wall of the receiver.

It takes couple of seconds to do and 30 minutes to type... Once you do it once you'll never forget.. there's simply nothing that could go wrong when you do field strip in the correct way as manual suggests.

Here's almost correct how-to with pictures (except rifle should be oriented from you, not sideway and thus you grasp guides differently, like on the pictures above) - http://www.mosinnagant.net/USSR/svt_on.asp
But this one gives you idea on how to compress the guides.
disassembled10.jpg
 
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I find it a bit harder since I installed the repo mount and scope. But a 7.62 bullet helps put the cover back on....
 
lalunette said:
Now I'm sad. LOL

I'm in the process of cleaning my latest addition ('91 Izhevsk in regular stock) so I'll definitely try your trick upon reassembly.
Click to expand...

Man, I just hope it's not 1891 Izhevsk Mosin Nagant you're trying to assemble this way, LOL. I have to stop reading this thread.. you'll crack me up!
 
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