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correct setting on SVT-38

sunneboysunneboy Member Posts: 15 ✭✭
edited August 2008 in Ask the Experts
What would be the correct or most viable. reliable setting on the gas regulator valve,firing 147 grain bulllet, FMJ.@ 100 to 150 yards?

The for a 180 grain buller light military ball ammo. Bulgarian or the Russian variety, FMJ. THanks. I don't wish to be blasting shells,or having stuck in the receiver.
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    TRAP55TRAP55 Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The rifle was designed to shoot the 147grn light ball, and the adjustable gas valve is there so it can shoot any other loads. The surplus ammo varies from load, to who loaded it. The setting varies with that, and the wear factor on the gas piston/cyl assembly.
    1st thing you do is make sure that it's absolutely clean! Make sure your chamber is clean too. The neck area of the chamber is fluted to aid in extraction, make sure those flutes are spotless or you'll have case separation problems.
    1.2 is where I start with a new lot of ammo. Your gas adjustment tool, a broken case extractor, and a rubber mallet are a "must have".
    Fire a round. If the setting is correct for that ammo, the bolt should make a complete cycle and chamber another round. The spent case should eject forward and to the right about 6ft.
    If it doesn't, and the spent round is still in the chamber, stand the rifle straight up with the butt on the ground, and use the rubber mallet to drive the bolt back to eject the spent case. Turn the gas setting up one, making sure the index marks line up.
    Repeat this until the rifle will cycle reliably. Too little and it doesn't cycle. Too much and you beat the rifle to pieces. An SVT-38 is too rare to take chances on breaking it, and parts are just about nonexistent.
    ALL the military surplus ammo for it, is corrosive primed. It's important to thoroughly clean the bore, bolt, and gas system after shooting it. The water content in Windex works well to dissolve the corrosive salts. Dry the parts and clean them again with bore solvent.
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    sunneboysunneboy Member Posts: 15 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I truelly appreciate your time, review and assistance in providing this invaluable information,just as the SVT-38 is now rare, so as the person with such knowledge of the unique functions, and temperment of this Russian piece of history. You might not be Fedor Tokarev, but it is obvious from your actual experience with a SVT type,your input will do and suffice for this owner-shooter. Thanks again. Sunneboy.

    " People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing"
    -Dale Carnegie,American writer(1888-1955)
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    TRAP55TRAP55 Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    sunneboy, The two very critical parts that get the most abuse are the gas piston and cylinder. I have a friend that has a small lot made in stainless steel, in production right now. He's giving one set a good torture test before he sells them. If you are interested,and they are not all spoken for yet, email me.
    A couple of useful links:
    http://stevespages.com/ipb-russian-tokarev38.html

    http://www.surplusrifle.com/svt40/rifle/index.asp
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