1gewehr

They are very rare and quite expensive when found. I've had some success with using cloth 1919 belts and soaking them in Ballistol, filling them with dummy rounds, and then stringing them between two trees in the back yard to stretch for a few days. I've heard others use Automatic Transmission Fluid. I have one partial section of about 40rds original belt. I never use it in the gun, just for display. Colt and Marlin/Rockwell belts are identical in the same caliber. Be aware that Diggers were made in 6mm Navy, 6.5mm Carcano, 7.62mm Russian, .303 Brit, .30-06, and several more that I can't remember. I've never been able to compare various caliber Digger belts, but I do not believe they would be interchangeable between calibers.

Did you try a different magazine? Also, try loading only 2 or three rounds to see if the magazine is feeding correctly. If you have some dummy rounds, you an try manually cycling them to see where the issue is. This will sounds strange, but don't use the charging handle to manually cycle the gun. Use a long cleaning rod from the muzzle and force the barrel and bolt to cycle like it would when shooting. If you can get a buddy to man the cleaning rod, you can watch to see where the problem occurs. The most common cause of extracting issues is a dirty or rough chamber. Second is a weak extractor. I second the use of the PPU ammo. Once I solved my magazine problems, the PPU ammo has been flawless. If you can get a copy of "Honour Bound: Chauchat Machine Rifle", you will find a wealth of information. When I manage to get to the range with my Chauchat, it attracts more attention than my buddy's MP5. And my answer to the 'know-it-alls' who inevitably chime in with that old 'world's worst machine gun' phrase is; "OK, name one automatic rifle prior to October 1918 that was better". Sure, the gun had it's issues. But, it was cheap enough to field in huge numbers, reasonably effective, and available. And you don't so much 'shoot' a Chauchat as 'ride' it!

Buy lots of mags! You can save money by getting the reduced capacity ones with brass wires. A minute with the Dremel and a pin punch restores them to 32 round capacity. New-made magazine springs are available as well. The magazine tool is great for getting the fed angle correct. I keep one of the British 'spoon' type mag loaders in the gun case as well as other places. That way I don't have to worry so much about not having one. They are inexpensive and work great on British-made mags. Some non-Brit mags have strange dimensions, though. STEn barrels are not indexed. If you don't have the collar tightened, the barrel can rotate. Also, some barrels are not perfectly bored, so if you don't have them installed the same way every time, your gun may fire to a different point of aim. I index my barrels by drilling a tiny hole in the trunnion and the barrel collar. A little roll pin in the barrel collar then ensures that the barrel will line up the same every time.

I'm in for 10 of the 30rd mags. Drop me a line at aasnip@gmail.com and I'll get you paid!

Just to put things in perspective, $189.50 in 1957 is approximately equivalent to $1790 in 1922 dollars according to official US Government inflation numbers. Many folks don't believe those numbers as the government changes the methodology for figuring inflation several times between then and now. Some people use a rough estimate of the current vs. former silver price per ounce. This is easy to figure as silver prior to 1964 was $1/ounce. Using that method, $189.50 in 1957 now looks like $4737.50 with silver at $25/ounce. Looking at it that way, $189.50 doesn't look as inexpensive. But, an excellent condition Solothurn 20mm with all accessories and available ammo to shoot would be a wonderful thing to see at $4737.50! Anybody have one they want to sell me at that price!

I'm very sad to hear this. More irreplaceable knowledge, lost forever. Prayers for John and the family.

I have never had anyone check. I keep copies of the Form4 and the page of the C&R list with my C&R MGs. If it's not listed, I would probably add a print of the C&R definition showing the 50 year rule. Amazing to think that in just another 15 years EVERY transferable will be a C&R!!!

If you still have these, I'll take them: Grade 2 mags (30rd) are $25 each 4 LEFT Thank you, Andrew

Many years ago, I was able to fire a PIAT twice with Inert rounds with a propelling charge. Recoil was fierce. Effective range was about 100 yards with a trajectory like a softball. Accuracy was 'minute of tank turret' at 100 yards. Most of the team did not want to fire it again after their first shot. It would not have been my first choice as an anti-tank weapon in WW2. But, it was better than having to resort to a Sticky Bomb!

The STEn is a surprisingly good gun. It's as basic as they come. A good gun for new shooters as it is easy to shoot well, reliable with good mags, and uncomplicated. It can be customized easily with lots of stock, barrel, suppressor, and other options. As mentioned, parts are easy to find and relatively inexpensive. You will find that the gun will need very little in the way of replacement parts. It's weakness is the magazine. Fortunately, magazines are still relatively inexpensive and easy to find. Believe it or not, I have seen a lot of magazines discarded as unreliable that were simply dirty or full of cosmoline. Feed lip angle issues are easy to spot and fix. Magazines with the brass wires limiting capacity are easy to change back to full capacity and usually less expensive than the others. Semi-auto trip levers are prone to bending as they are simple sheet metal. Most folks don't bother using semi-auto as it is very easy to get single shots with a little trigger control. Most STEns have a hole on the left side of the receiver that allows the bolt handle to be pushed in and lock the bolt forward. This is a safety feature to keep the bolt from bouncing backwards (and firing) if the gun is dropped with a loaded magazine inserted. Do NOT hold it by the magazine well like they do in the movies. This can induce stoppages from magazine movement as well as inaccuracy from lateral dispersion. The barrel shroud is there for a reason. There are several options for magazine loaders. My favorite is the simple 'spoon' style that clips on the back of the mag. Easy to use and gives good leverage to push down each round. Regardless of the type you choose, be sure to get one. Magazines are very difficult to fully load without one.

On the Reising section at 'Machinegunboards' there is a fellow making sleeves for the ProMag .45 Uzi mags so that they can be used in the Reising. Several of us have been using them with great success in our Reisings. It sure beats putting wear and tear on an original Reising mag and they are much less expensive than the 30rd mags. We've been discussing ways to increase the capacity of the Promags. Right now, 22rds is what we've got.

Instead of the old, 'beloved' ORM-D label, it will now be the black and white diamond showing 'Limited Quantities' of less than 66lbs of ammunition. If more than 66 lbs, there are different standards. But I believe that won't go UPS or Fedex. Probably ground freight. https://www.ups.com/us/en/help-center/packaging-and-supplies/special-care-shipments/hazardous-materials/shipping-ammunition.page?

If this is 9/16-24 Left Hand I'll take it. PM sent as well.

What kind? US M1909 with the red paper seal? PPU M1999 with the star crimp? Long IMI or FNM with a full length shape? Boxed, belted, or loose? Enquiring minds want to know! If these are full-size blanks (as long as a complete ball cartridge), then I may be interested.

I have sold one gun on a 50/50 deal. I had it in writing that the 50% down payment was non-refundable, regardless of circumstances. Also that payment in full was due within 20 days of receiving an approved Form4. After 20 days, the transfer would be cancelled and I could sell or keep the gun and any money already paid. There were no problems.

To me it's silly not to have a C&R. If you buy ONE firearm out of state during the 3 years, you have made back the cost of the C&R versus having it transferred to a dealer. Another good point about the C&R; unlike an FFL, you do not have to keep there records forever. Let it expire after 3 years and there is no requirement to keep the records. I just let it expire, then re-apply the day after it expires. I do have to go a month or so without a license. But I will never be hassled about a transaction from 20 years ago. Also keep in mind that EVERY firearm over 50 years old is automatically a C&R. If it was made before 1971, it is now a C&R. As mentioned above, in 2036, EVERY transferable machine gun in the country will be a C&R! No more messing with Form 5320.20!

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Additional thoughts: Don't be put off by the asking prices of WW2 MP40 mags on auction sites. Post-war Vigneron magazines are very reasonable and with five minutes on a belt sander will fit and function perfectly. Just hit all four sides where they fit in the magazine well until they fit and lock properly. I use cold blue to re-touch them and then mark then with a white sharpie so they don't get mistaken for un-modified mags. Reproduction magazine loaders work just as well as the originals; OK, but not great. Vigneron loaders are a better choice as they have leverage to force rounds down. A minor tweak will make these fit MP40 mags just fine. WW2 extractors can be weak as quality worsened towards the wars end. Get a spare. The Portuguese FBP bolt and recoil spring assembly work just fine in an MP40. And are considerable less expensive. Don't use low-powered ammo. Wolf steel-case and Remington bulk pack are notorious for causing runaways in open-bolt subguns due to low power. The WW2 German ammo was 124gr and equal to NATO-spec. I stick to that with my guns. GECO 124gr is clean, boxer-primed, and quality ammo at a good price.

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It depends on a lot of factors. If it is a 9mm tube SMG, and the tube is straight and the welds look good, then no problem. If the price was right, I wouldn't let the welded tube stop me. If it is a rifle caliber and the welds are in front of the locking lugs (BREN, FAL, Japanese T99, etc), then I would have to examine a LOT more closely! If it is an M16 lower and it looks good and the dimensions are good, the I'd snag it. The lower on an M16 has very little stress. It pretty much boils down to how much stress will the weld have to deal with, and was the work well done.

From the pictures, it appears that the operator had to keep the three chutes filled. They look a lot like Browning belt loader chutes. It's a very interesting machine!

Of course, a DEWAT transfer is tax-free on a Form5. You still have the wait, but the cost of the transfer is reasonable ;-) . Another aspect is that almost all registered DEWATs are C&Rs. They retain their C&R status when reactivated, too. That alone saves a future purchaser $200 for an out-of-state transfer tax if they spring for a $30 C&R license. One of the surest indicators of peaking interest in a C&R firearm is when magazine and accessory prices start to skyrocket. Another indicator is when someone thinks that it's worthwhile making replacement parts (and barrels) for 100 year-old guns!

Chauchat prices are starting to go up significantly. With the Prvi 8mm Lebel ammo, folks are finding that the guns actually run pretty well. Also, it's the least expensive rifle-caliber full-auto around. Finally, there has been some renewed interest due to the 100th anniversary of the US getting into WWI. The availability of new barrels will help the prices of dewats go up.

How about making some Sterling SMG recoil springs? I could use a couple of sets. OEM new springs sets do not seem to have made it past the mad smelters in Britain.

I've looked into making Chauchat magazines. Pretty simple construction that might actually lend itself to polymer molding with metal feed lips. The two clamshell parts are pretty crude, in fact.