My 34 tried to kill me! It runs! (kinda...)

[ScottD]

With the help of Chris's extra long sear and plenty of dremel time, I managed to finally get the trigger to work. I really had to jimmy rig some stuff in this area, had to notch the recoil spring collar for sear clearance and such.

I made my maiden trip to the range, heres the good, bad and the ugly. The first 7 rounds were perfect. The 8th round, the sear didnt fully drop. I went to charge her again and BOOM, she goes off. That was a little discerning, and happened a few more times. I went to clear it again, BOOM, only this time she cycles and jumps the charging handle stud. Now I gotta get her open without the charging handle. Well, this is where I got careless and started field stripping the gun. Took the back end off and gave the bolt a nudge and BOOM...round goes off, out she flies (the bolt) right into my right pectoral. Good thing I have such huge muscles to deflect it! (yeah, Im a bit sore...but I was wearing hand and eye protection). Dern gun has it out for me! (this is why we keep guns pointed down range at all times!)

Then I switched to different ammo. I think it was Yugoslavian (I was running steel Romy). Well she didnt like the Yugo AT ALL. The gun would go bang but get stuck about 1/2 inch before throwing the empty. I had to hand cycle the Yugo stuff. ( My booster cone was 8.70, I opened it up to 9.50 today. I read that some guys ran better with the 11mm cone, I may try that route.) At this point the sear wasnt working right, the gun wasnt cycling correctly and I was getting frustrated. I decided to quit while I was ahead and go home.

So here is my summation. 1) Gun appears to run well on Romy ammo but not Yugo. 2) The sear/trigger bar is still a sore spot and Ill need to do more jimmy rigging in that area. Im sure it is this area that was causing the 'gun shoots when I pull chrging handle' issue. 3) all in all, Im not impressed yet, but at least shes going 'bang' again. 4) my pectoral hurts.

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Yugo primers are recessed farther into the cases than Romy, so if you're firing pin is on the short end of the range, you'll get light strikes and ignition failures. Also, the necks on some early 1950's batched of Yugo weren't pressed down far enough to fit in the chamber on many guns, cause failures to eject. I can't use ANY Yugo in my k43 rifle because of the sticky casing problem. My chamber seems to be on the tight side of the range, and the extractor tends to rip the rim off the casing when it gets stuck. It's a pain to rod out the casing from the muzzle. My MG-42 eats everything hungrily. The chamber sizes are amble and the gun used brute force to rip out any hesitant casings. The SA M53's are finicky enough as it is, so stick with Romy.

[www.Prussia.us]

Great advice DA.

ScottD, CONGRATS, at least it can function

You now know your receiver is well within proper tolerances. The only problem is that if you do not get out to the range for the next 4 -6 weeks, the window is closing to get it together before winter weather.

Good thing the bolt did not exit hitting you in the lower abdominal area, brutal.

[Bil]

You guys that worry about the cold weather-the Germans didn't let that stop them!!Wait,yes it did,never mind!You just live in the wrong neighborhoods.When it gets cold,I just open a door and shoot from there!But get real good earplugs! ---bil

[ScottD]

Trust me, heading to the range on a 10 degree day, with 3 feet of snow on the ground is no fun. Snotcicles really interfere with proper cheek weld.

So where can I get the 11mm booster cone?

[www.Prussia.us]

Brutal, more money to shell out. Well Scott it would be the usual characters to call, which you may have already tried.

First try Dave at Sarco, see what a complete barrel jacket gives you:
http://www.sarcoinc.com/mg34.html

Then I would check Brian at www.BRPguns.com (I find he has the best prices for small parts).

http://www.marstar.ca/mg34p.htm (They have them for $55, John is the one to deal with up there), you could try TNW but they likely charge a lot for one, or hold your breath that one turns up on GB.

[ScottD]

I actually visited SARCO a few weeks ago. They are woefully low on all MG34 parts.

Marstar? Screw dem mo 'friggies. Ive emailed them twice before about small parts and they dont even email me back.

Brian is a great guy who took the time to talk to me a while back. Ill go with him. (after I try to drill my own out, screw it up, post it here and complain about it...........)

[ChrisPCook]

If you guys want a real good cold weather test I'm planning on doing a photoshoot/cold weather shoot this winter with my weapons....I think I have the right conditions....

Chris...

[ScottD]

Chris, you got me beat with cold temps, but how much snow do you average a year. We get just shy of 200 inches a year. (avg is about 170-190). Yeah, for those of you who scoff, thats 16 feet of snow. You cant even walk out to set up targets in that kind of snow. Yeah, Syracuse sucks!