amafrank

That looks like the setup for an SGMT or PKT out of a tank or other vehicle mount. They vary a bit from vehicle to vehicle but tend to have similarities as well. Its not a T54/55 as far as I can see but may be one of the others or possibly chinese. Frank

Yep, only FFLs have to worry and C&R FFL holders are supposed to be notified for any inspections and allowed to bring their books into the local ATF office for their check. As for FFLs they can show up at anytime you have listed business hours without notification. Not sure if this is a new deal or not but my first inspection was a surprise. The next one they actually called but only because my listed hours were at a time they didn't work. Both compliance inspectors showed me the reg allowing unannounced inspections. Once again it only applies to FFL holders and not C&R licensees. Frank

Yes, as emmagee noted the spring isn't in the trigger that bolts on your sideplate, its on the mount. It returns the sideplate trigger to off when you let off the squeeze grip trigger. Frank

I have loaded for my 57 and AMT. The AMT doesn't have the double shoulder but is fluted as well. I have been taking the cases fired in the 57 and reloading them to fire in the K31. That straightens out the shoulder and flutes so I can load again for the 57. I can't see any issues as long as you use a powder similar to the original GP11. I think that there can be problems if you use a powder either way too fast or slow for the locking system. Anything that changes the timing of the pressure curve can change the way the system cycles. According to all I've read the whole point of the flap / roller system instead of the plain rollers of the Cetme/HK is to allow for a wider range of loading for the ammunition. The HK seems to be a bit more sensitive to loading. As for loading the ammo for the 57 you just need to insure that the shoulder of the case is where its supposed to be. The double shoulder is only where the outside of the shoulder is pushed back a little. The main part of it is a datum that sets the headspace of the cartridge in the rifle whether its the K31 or the Stgw 57. You'll find that loading a round into the 57 will squish the shoulder whether it fires or not. It still indexes off the datum of the shoulder even if it gets squished. You can take a squished one out of the 57 and drop it into a K31 or any of the other straight pulls and it will still headspace fine. You will have to insure that the bullet is seated to the proper depth since the shape of the bullet is likely to be different from the GP11 type. I've been loading 175gr Sierra Match Kings for all the Swiss rifles. Best accuracy is gained by using a depth that puts the bullet 10 to 20 thousandths off the lands and that will likely be different for each rifle so figure the depth for each rifle.... Reloader 17 is said to be the type of powder used in the original GP11 and it works well for my purposes. Hope something there helps Frank

No, they didn't make one with the magwell attached in 8 Lebel. You're looking at a US 30-06 kit. Its a pretty uncommon part set and no doubt worth some money but I don't think it will help you much with your need for parts. The bolt and barrel are both different and not interchangeable with your lebel gun. Frank

The guns are pretty simple but the trigger mechanism has a lot of floppy parts that can create issues. The guns are fast and this means mag issues can be common and the upper is pretty flexible so ejection issues are common. The disconnector can and in some guns frequently does rattle around on its own when the gun is running. This can cause the trigger to be disconnected resulting in semi auto or short bursts. It can be fixed though the repair will be dependent on the individual gun. For ammo that is diving in the drum you will have to increase spring tension, the spring is worn or things have slipped and the drum can't keep up with the gun. Gunboards.com used to have a great tutorial on adjusting spring tension. For stovepipes and failures to eject have a look at the ejector and the bolt to make sure that the ejector is actually riding where it should when operating. You can look down into the ejection port while moving the bolt back and forth by hand to see. Many receivers (uppers) are bent and allow the bolt to ride up over the ejector which will cause the empty to miss it and not eject. As the bolt returns forward the empty hits the next case in the mag and falls to one side while the bolt continues to strip a round from the mag. The empty being trapped in the reciever stops the bolt and jams things up with an unfired round on the bolt face. If your receiver is bent or the catch on the rear has warped, bent or otherwise allows the receiver too much upward movement you'll have to come up with a fix based on your own issue. I have done many different things to fix this in order of preference: first is to bend the upper back so there is no bow to it. This keeps the bolt down where it should be. You may have to mod or refit the catch if it is the problem. Second is to add material to the top of the ejector by welding and then trimming to size and shape. This makes the ejector work despite the warped receiver. Last is to weld or solder shims into the inside of the receiver in order to keep the bolt down where it belongs and in contact with the ejector. I don't like this method but at least one owner demanded that I not bend the receiver back. Hope something there helps. They are neat guns and normally run pretty good. Wear a hat or tight collar when shooting one....they tend to throw empties straight up and a hot one down the neck of your shirt can be annoying. Frank

Not sure what sort of conversations you will have with your M16 but I hope they're pleasant. In any case, I've had great luck with my Ciener conversion in my SP1 with a drop in auto sear. Same is true of a couple friends who have registered receiver conversions or Colt original AR15/M16 guns. Others haven't had such good luck and it seems to vary from gun to gun. I've seen guys using the original Atchisson conversions with good luck and others not so good. You'll just have to fiddle like the rest. I would think that a conversion upper would be best due to the ring of crap that the chamber insert conversions leave in your .223 barrel. Some have said that you can ring a barrel if you don't clean prior to shooting full power .223. I know from looking down my barrels after running a brick or two through the gun that there is a large ring of build up and debris left at the end of the chamber insert so its quite possible that damage could result. Cleaning is not always easy if you fire a lot of .22 ammo. The lead is tough to remove. So having said all that I'd suggest checking out AR15.com for advice from guys who shoot theirs a lot and also doing exactly what you've done here.....look around and ask questions prior to buying. Good luck Frank

No one will be able to tell you how many were made though some will tell you quite a few. I've seen racks of them in various PD and Game & Fish vaults. There were a lot. You can't get any info from ATF due to the not sharing tax info issues. If Ruger won't tell you how many were built then you're out of luck. As for being "rare" I think thats an overused word and untrue in any case. The market today doesn't reflect the numbers of guns which are registered and transferable nor does it show any realistic idea of total numbers built. Stainless guns were popular with the public and the various govt agencies because they didn't need to worry as much about cleaning. I remember a few class 3 dealers who had 20 or 30 stainless guns each. They couldn't give them away not that long ago. The market kind of peaked in 2006-2008 and stuff sold just because it was registered and for pretty high prices. Now a lot of those guns are stuffed away in safes waiting for the market to come back up to a point where they won't lose so much of their shirt when sold. You may well note the market today, not a lot of machineguns for sale. Thats one of the reasons and it makes it tough to come up with pricing or manufacturing info. Looking at todays market you'd think all MGs are "rare". My wild ass guess on Rugers numbers of stainless folders is thousands of transferable guns, many in the hands of govt agencies, PDs, game & fish etc. Not rare at all, just not commonly seen for sale today. My opinion of course based on my experience in the MG world over the last 40 years. Frank

I've threaded a bunch of Uzi barrels in 1/2-28 so owners could use just about any suppressor out there. Mine has a 3 lug adapter from TROS threaded on and I use a Gemtech Raptor suppressor. The Uzi is a great suppressor host no matter what can you buy. Using the barrel nut attachment limits the availability but will work well. The size of the can may or may not bother you so pick what you want and adapt the gun to the can. Its so simple to do . . . Frank

No, legally speaking you have to have the proof of legal possession (BATF form 1, 2, 3, 4 etc) available to proper authorities who have the need to see them. This doesn't mean you have to carry them but only have them somewhere that you can access them. Its not a bad idea to have copies on hand as the previous poster noted but its not a requirement legally. It might save some troubles however in the very rare event that someone really needs proof. I've been around machineguns since the 70s and have yet to have a law enforcement official ask to see my paperwork. I don't think its a common thing...... Frank

Yes but I'm not one of them. Your best bet is a post on the Subguns.com reloading board or the NFA board. I know a couple guys out there who load for the hispano and shoot them. Frank

The best answer to this question is Don't reload for the 14.5mm. There is no powder available in the US that is safe for use with this cartridge. I had a gun for some time and never was able to shoot it. I spoke with Kent Lomont about loading the round with some of the 20mm powder we use in the Solothurn and he showed me a hand that was missing finger and thumb parts. He said the powder is not right and when temps drop outside it is really hard to light. He was test firing 14.5mm he and a friend had loaded for govt testing and had a hang fire that blew the receiver apart on his PTRS. He ended up losing some finger and thumb parts due to this. The powder used originally is a large grained slow burning powder. It is a high pressure round running around 62-65,000 psi and the PTRS wasn't intended for that much pressure so you can't even shoot new made ammo. Downloading by 10% is frequently suggested but its not a very good suggestion. You are looking at a high pressure round regardless and one mistake may be too much. The guy at CDSS in spokane washington was selling ammo he loaded but I know of 2 guns blown up firing it. We pulled some down and found a ball powder like the 20mm stuff inside with turned brass bullets. My recommendation is that you don't shoot the thing. I'm sure its possible but the question is whether or not its worth it. good luck to you Frank

Actually the grease used with most of the MG's, at least post WWI would have been AutomattenFett which is black. It has some moly in it or something that makes it black and it handles higher temps better. The WaffenFett grease which is yellow was used in all the Swiss rifles for cleaning the bore and what little lube requirements there were. For the most part they didn't lube much as cold weather tended to make the grease freeze and lock things up. Same went for the Maxims. Very light lube in limited locations where loads or wear were heavy. Most of the rest of the pieces were cleaned with gasoline or kerosene and dried. Do you need some pictures of the Swiss MG11 along with its tripod and gunners kit? I have a few spares as well like the blank firing barrel and device, shoulder stock and AA sights, water can and hose.....optical sights early and late etc. Frank

if you send in the form 1 it won't just sit for 5 or 6 months....it will go to the mail room and then to the guys who do data entry and it will not be in the system in your name. At that point it will get kicked back. You cannot legally or reasonably file any of the forms for yourself until the transfer to you is complete. You can't expect to play the "float" on the forms like you could do with checks way back before computers. All it will do is delay things even more and you'll have to start over with your form 1. You can of course try it and see for yourself but it could cause some issues with your form 5's too. Ownership isn't an issue since legally you own it when you pay for it but the legal transfer is the only basis for you to file any subsequent forms. Til its transferred to you there isn't any reason for them to do anything for you. Hope that helps somewhat. I know its not what you want to hear. Everyone wants to jumpstart the overly long wait for ATF but there isn't any reasonable way. Sorry the MP18 info wasn't what you wanted to hear either. Where are you in Ohio? Frank

No, you cannot use an MP28 barrel in an MP18. They are completely different. In the MP18 the barrel is a little over 1/2" diameter over its length with the ends turned down for about 3/8" in front and maybe a bit more in the back. There is a bushing/flange inside the receiver at the rear that is held in by a screw a little below and in front of the magwell. Remove the screw and the bushing can be removed to the rear then the barrel will come out too. Its captured between the front bushing which if I recall is permanently attached to the receiver tube and the removable rear. It is a pretty simple barrel to make but the rear bushing and the screw that retain it are usually badly welded and difficult to remove on DeWats. I've repaired a number of them.... The MP28 barrel has a threaded flange at the muzzle which threads into the receiver tube. There is a lock screw at the top which keeps the barrel from unscrewing. The barrel has a flange at the rear which is integral to the barrel and keeps it centered in the receiver tube. I don't think I have drawings of the MP18 barrel... Hope that helps Frank