MPFiveO Posted June 5 Report Share Posted June 5 Going to schedule a test fire of a Reising SMG soon as a prospective purchase. Need to know what to check before pulling the trigger. Any particular screws to check so the stock doesn't crack? Should it be lightly lubed or drenched? Any tips on loading the magazines? Any other advice on what to look for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Bartlett Posted June 5 Report Share Posted June 5 The screw that holds the action in the stock will be small and need a screwdriver on earlier guns. On later guns it will be larger and knurled. Just make sure it is tight, but it doesn't need to be gorilla tight. Check the safe/semi/auto switch to make sure it clicks in each position. When I test fired mine before purchase, it jumped into full auto when I was shooting semi. I later found out that the detent spring under the selector switch was installed backwards. Open the action and see if the firing pin is protruding from the face of the bolt. Sometimes they get stuck and prevent the round from feeding. My Reising is an early commercial version that came from a PD. Installing a Wolf spring kit in the gun and new springs in the original mags made the gun run much better. Light lube seems okay for mine to run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPFiveO Posted June 5 Author Report Share Posted June 5 Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank I Posted June 6 Report Share Posted June 6 (edited) When switching from FA to semi be sure to retract the action bar (cocking handle) 1/4" to disengage the auto connector lever from the action bar. (as per the instruction manual) Failure to do so will result in the bending of the sheet metal L-shaped "leg" part of the selector, that is designed to lift the auto-connector lever off of the action bar. Once it is bent, the auto lever will remain engaged with the action bar, causing the weapon to fire in full-auto mode in the semi-auto position. Suggested reading to prevent (common) firing pin breakage. https://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?/topic/8854-paulfs-pictorial-guide-to-how-i-made-my-reising-run-great/ More Reising articles here... http://archive.smallarmsreview.com/search/index.cfm Search results for "Reising" in Articles: Notes on the Reising Submachine Gun Part I - By Frank Iannamico (April 2011) [Relevance: 40.10] Suppressing The Model 50 Reising - By Frank Iannamico (May 2018) [Relevance: 33.73] Reising Submachine Gun: Part II - By Frank Iannamico (May 2011) [Relevance: 32.99] The Reising Model 50 Pt.1 Submachine Guns - By Frank Iannamico (September 2000) [Relevance: 32.99] The U.S. .45 Model 50 and 55 Reising Submachine Gun and Model 60 Semiautomatic Rifle - By Robert C. Ankony, PhD (July 2008) [Relevance: 29.42] Reising Star: A Buyers Guide to Reising Submachine Guns - By Frank Iannamico (August 2007) [Relevance: 29.00] The Model 55 Reising - By Frank Iannamico (December 2000) [Relevance: 27.69] Bargain Machine Guns - By Frank Iannamico (August 1998) [Relevance: 27.69] The Reising Model 50 Submachine Guns Pt.II - By Frank Iannamico (October 2000) [Relevance: 26.78] Entry Level SMGs - By Frank Iannamico (November 2009) [Relevance: 23.33] H&R Reising Submachine Gun Manuals - By David Albert (July 2005) [Relevance: 21.10] Rescued Reising! - By Lawrence Heiskell, M.D. (April 2007) [Relevance: 16.50] The Ingram Model 6 An Idea Whose Time Has Come? - By Lee Arten (March 2001) [Relevance: 15.73] The H&R Reising Model 60 Carbine - By Frank Iannamico (July 2000) [Relevance: 14.92] Raffica: July 2005 - By Dan Shea (July 2005) [Relevance: 14.07] Options for the Submachine Gun Buyer - By Frank Iannamico (June 2012) [Relevance: 13.16] Edited June 8 by Frank I 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPFiveO Posted June 7 Author Report Share Posted June 7 Thank you Frank, that tip on moving the selector is something I was not aware of. I've heard about the firing pin issues and read Paul's excellent writeup on his journey to making his Reising run reliably. All these tips are greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNWalther Posted June 7 Report Share Posted June 7 I didn’t know about the re-charge with the selector switch. Learned something today as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duza9999 Posted June 8 Report Share Posted June 8 On 6/7/2025 at 7:30 AM, MNWalther said: I didn’t know about the re-charge with the selector switch. Learned something today as well Absolutely same here lol, I bought frank's book and have had a reising for the last 3 years and never knew that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPFiveO Posted Saturday at 03:42 AM Author Report Share Posted Saturday at 03:42 AM Finally got to meet my dealer at the range and test fire the Reising. The factory 20 round magazine was easy to load and I don't currently see the need for a loading tool since I have Glock mag thumbs. Some observations leading to questions. This is a later production Police model. The slits in the compensator look to be different than some others I've seen. They were spaced seemingly further apart and it didn't have the two wider slots at the rear so I'm wondering if this one would still be prone to losing sections. It's clearly original to the SMG and staked on the bottom as it should be. Also, do all Reising SMG's have firing pin problems or only certain models? I didn't disassemble this one to check the firing pin or other internal parts because honestly the gun doesn't look like it ever made it past being test fired. There appeared to be adequate lubrication on the bolt and I pushed a patch through the barrel to make sure it wasn't obstructed prior to firing. I was surprised that the patch came out as clean as it went in, even after several passes. The gun was clean! I loaded 20 rounds of GI ball ammo into a magazine and popped off a few single rounds at the 100 yard plate. It landed three rounds in a tight cluster just to the left of the plate, so some sight adjustment will be in order at some point. Switching to Auto I was surprised at the cyclic rate compared to the Grease Gun. I didn't expect it to be slow but it was pretty peppy. It also had a bit of muzzle climb despite the compensator which makes me question it's effectiveness. I will say this, I enjoyed shooting it and can't wait for the paperwork to clear. Definitely going to go ahead and invest in a spring kit and whatever other parts I can scrounge together. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Bartlett Posted Sunday at 01:28 AM Report Share Posted Sunday at 01:28 AM As far as I know, the firing pin issue was a flaw common to all Reising models. The remedy for this flaw has been discussed on this forum a few times. I don't shoot mine as much as I used to, but I always carry a few tools and a couple of spare firing pins, just in case. Installing a new firing pin in the field is really not difficult. Yes, they do have a high ROF. It is my understanding that most .45 ball these days is loaded hotter than GI ball in the 40's. Weaker handloads might slow the gun down a little. Cast bullets tend to load the compensator slots with lead. Mine used to run great with the steel cased Wolf back when that stuff was cheap. Kevin in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPFiveO Posted Sunday at 03:26 AM Author Report Share Posted Sunday at 03:26 AM Kevin, that gives me an idea. I do load .45 ACP and have loaded a lot for the Grease Gun and others in my stable. I have some vintage '43 Evansville Ordnance ammo that I could chronograph for comparison. Yeah, it's corrosive so I'd test it through one of my parts build 1911's before thoroughly cleaning. I remember shooting the stuff in the mid 80's with my grandfather and it shot fine then just like it would have in the 40's. Anyway, I could adjust my loads from there. Something to think about and work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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