grain .22

Merch

I am looking for some advice on .22lr ammunition

Generally all I have come across is 40 grain .22lr in subsonic, I have had some trouble with cycling the action of a semi auto when firing, sometimes stovepipes or just jams on loading with the bullet going up towards the top of the entrance to the breech.

I had thought maybe a higher velocity round might create more recoil, but thinking back to an old physics lesson, I am beginning to think that if I used a round with an increased mass of bullet, that it could work using that.

are subs available in greater than 40-45 grain? 50-55?
I'm prefer not to use a high velocity to help cycle as its not the essential element of what I am looking for (unless its the only option to work), partly because the barrel is shorter and the noise will be greater,but also because Im not looking to use HV.

If the same result can be achieved with a sub with a larger mass bullet then I'd be happy with that.
The rifle has been cleaned and a part replaced, its well worn

Sparks

You used to be able to get some lapua target-grade stuff called scoremax which was 48-grain; but lapua stopped making it a while ago and most target-grade stuff is still 40-42 grain these days. I don't know of any decent ammo that's heavier. You might try with different brands though; it may solved by different tolerances on the headspacing/cartridge dimensions rather than more or less oomph. Eley and Lapua used to have different enough cartridge fits that you had to specify which you were using when buying a bleiker rifle, if I remember correctly; IRLConor or FLOYDSTER could tell you more.

Merch

Ok, thanks
I was hoping there was something easily available in a higher grain as an alternative that I could buy a box of to try, other sub ammunition types varied only slightly with CCI gave the least problems but I haven't seen that available lately.
It can be a bit tedious when it keeps failing to cycle, I'll try a small variety of ammunition again, after that I might start looking into replacing it with something else.

Sparks

Not to ask a rude question, but are you cleaning the mechanism enough?

IRLConor

In match .22lr ammunition I haven't seen anything in Ireland other than 40 grain rounds and a few leftover boxes of Lapua Scoremax. There are heavier rounds out there in the world but I don't know if any Irish dealers would have any in stock.

• Aguila SSS Sniper - 60 grain
• Lapua Scoremax - Discontinued now, but phone around some dealers and they might have a box still on the shelf.

Sparks wrote: »

Eley and Lapua used to have different enough cartridge fits that you had to specify which you were using when buying a bleiker rifle, if I remember correctly; IRLConor or FLOYDSTER could tell you more.

Yup, there are different rim thicknesses. It's very small though, you can still fire - say - RWS rounds through a Bleiker with a bolt set up for Eley but it's a bit stiff on closing the bolt.

I doubt it's a rim thickness issue with the OP though. If the problem is due to insufficient recoil, perhaps there's a tweak that could be made to your gun (like a different recoil spring) which would result in more reliable operation. If you tell us the make and model, maybe someone here also owns one and can offer advice?

Sparks

IRLConor wrote: »

If the problem is due to insufficient recoil, perhaps there's a tweak that could be made to your gun (like a different recoil spring) which would result in more reliable operation.

Yup, but if the rounds are stovepiping, maybe they're just not moving through the mechanism smoothly enough. Different make of round, a half-hour cleaning the mechanism out, that might be enough to fix it, and it'd be cheaper than most other fixes like the recoil spring.

Merch

No worries,
Yes, its been dismantled completely, I cleaned it thoroughly
Its all been lightly oiled, as I haven't used it much lately, with the intention of putting a pull through the barrel before firing.

I am still thinking the (return? spring, I dont have the exact name for it at hand) might need to be changed, I'm unsure if it was either weaker or stronger if the issue would go away, that seems to be the spring that comes under compression during recoil and then cycles the action forward again.
The stovepipes lead me to thing a weaker/weakened spring might help
but
the failure to reload makes me think a stronger one would help.

I'm going to have a look at the feeding of the rounds at the top of the magazines, I opened slightly the lips? on one magazine.

I may replace it with something eventually but I still intend to keep it anyway, not given up on it or fit for the bin yet.

Merch

erma m1

rowa

Aguila make a 60 grain subsonic round , its full 120ft/lbs power so should cycle any action. Don't know if anyone stocks it in ireland though.

http://www.cabelas.com/rifle-ammunition-aguila-22-sniper-subsonic-60-ammunition-dry-box-150-500-1.shtml

Witcher

Merch wrote: »

erma m1

I used one of them a few months back...it's a pig. It was the first gun I thought of when I saw your thread:pac: It always jammed the first round in the 10rnd mag on me and then randomly as I went through it, there's a sizeable gap between the chamber and the mag where the round is left floating basically and can catch the chamber face when the next round in the mag is forced up behind it. I was using CCI standard and 10 rounds of RWS R50...I would try something like minimags..or even stingers..they're hotter and a bit longer so they might reach the chamber and go in smoothly before the next round pushes it out of line..I know you didnt want to get into HV rounds but the action in the Erma is peculier and may need the stingers.

Merch

rowa wrote: »

Aguila make a 60 grain subsonic round , its full 120ft/lbs power so should cycle any action. Don't know if anyone stocks it in ireland though.

http://www.cabelas.com/rifle-ammunition-aguila-22-sniper-subsonic-60-ammunition-dry-box-150-500-1.shtml

Interesting, I'll look it up but never seen anything like that, looks like a smaller case.
I'll ask around when buying some ammunition soon.

dax121

some problems i had with my 10/22 was if the recoil spring wasent oiled it wouldnt function. also i had to get 2000 wet and dry sand paper and give the chamber a few runs with the paper on a cleaning rod. just cleans up any burr's/carbon build up that mite be in their. when i done both of these things the gun fed like a belt fed machine gun
just be careful doing the chamber measure a spent case and only go in that far with the sand paper. also gun oil will aid in cleaning/polishing the chamber.

cookimonster

Just a said here and before some guns just prefer certain makes and spec of ammo. The old semi we used to run had to have HV or it would not cycle.
I know its a different system but a common mis feed problem on the rifle was solved by not loading the tubular mag to full capacity. I find the same works with some of my older all metal 5 shot Brno magazines. If I load 5 it will more often than not mis feed the first rnd, but with 4 in no problems. Had same problem with a 10 shot, never liked them, so I did'ny use it much, but 7 in worked well.

Merch

I may try some of these, even the wet and dry, but only as a last resort.
The jamming from load is not a small error in feeding, the round feeds up and lodges at the edge between the end of the barrel and the breech.
It makes me think the loading part of the cycle is not quick enough, which brings me back to the return spring?
I've only oiled the spring as a means of preventing rust, I dont apply large amounts of oil.
I've tried not filling the magazines completely also.
Maybe it is a combination of problems, a specific ammunition type and a new spring also, I'll try a few things out.

Witcher

Problem is that there's no feed ramp in it and combined with a large gap between mag and chamber the round is pushed forward by the bolt without any guidance, misses the chamber and jams on the rim which destroys the head of the round. A stronger spring might get the round out of the mag faster and chamber it before it can move about and jam, I hope you've found springs available for it..they stopped making those Ermas a good while ago.

Merch

Blay wrote: »

Problem is that there's no feed ramp in it and combined with a large gap between mag and chamber the round is pushed forward by the bolt without any guidance, misses the chamber and jams on the rim which destroys the head of the round. A stronger spring might get the round out of the mag faster and chamber it before it can move about and jam, I hope you've found springs available for it..they stopped making those Ermas a good while ago.

Thats what i was thinking, there is a ramp of sorts there, but its very small and steep, and there is a lot of space in there anyway.

I'll try the ammunition again and then maybe the spring, after that i think I'll just hold onto it as its a nice looking rifle, it functions but i may upgrade to something that is more consistently reliable