So I finally picked one up, and I went ahead and bought a second one as a back up. Thanks to my crackhead friends/enablers for forcing me to do this crazy stuff
Attached FileI put some magazines through it Wednesday with the gas set to 1.4.
What worked:
- Circle 10 Bulgarian waffle magazine with Golden Tiger 123 gr JHPs (this is the good stuff with sealed primers, etc).
- Magpul MOE with PPU brass cased ammo
- Tula ammo in the Magpul magazine
What did not work:
- Bulgarian and Serbian steel magazine with Tula ammo (this is the crappy cheap stuff with gray colored cases, no coating). Multiple FTFs, one double feed
What worked half the time:
- Bulgarian commercial polymer magazine with Tula (didn't work at first, but then it worked).
I am surprised there is not a larger bullet guide or feed ramp. Again, zero issues with Golden Tiger or PPU brass cased using Magpul MOE and Bulgarian Circle 10 magazines. I ran out of time to load some PPU or Norma into a steel magazine. I suspect it needs to be broken in, and my friends on M4carbine.net said as such (
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?177140-Swiss-Arms-SG-553-R-). I shot 100 rounds total and had to leave. I won't get to the range again until the end of March due to work.
On another note, I had issues with a Swiss AR stock adapter. The typical USGI locking plate will not mate to the AR stock adapter indentation. The buffer tube fits well. I forgot to take pics, but I wonder if I need a non-standard locking end plate. When I get back to town, I will try to post pics. I will also order some different end plates with a more rounded, circular peg rather than oval Anyhow, I took the gun apart and cleaned it after my range trip. I compared the receiver to my 551s. There is a hole at the bottom just before the chamber, like on my 551s. I guess this is for over pressured rounds (so it blows out down away from the shooter)?
Attached FileNote the barrel was marked 2019 but my receiver is 2021 (not shown). Kind of cool given the pandemic and how they have to batch things.
Here is the chamber. Compared to my 551, the feed ramp looks the same and is quite small. There is not much of anything between the feed ramp and the chamber, unlike the feed ramps on the M4 or an AK bullet guide. I’m just used to seeing large riveted bullet guides on my AKs. That’s all. I just think it didn’t like Tula:
Attached FileThat’s the best picture I could take with my iPad. Moving on, look at the lower receiver. There is little lateral play with magazines. There is a large amount of forward and rearward play with the magazine however. This was a hard picture for me to take, but here is the Magpul MOE magazine resting naturally without any pressure on it:
Attached FileNow watch it when I use my finger to push the magazine forward in the lower receiver. It moves forward maybe 3 mm:
Attached FileI can do this with the steel magazines and commercial Bulgarian magazines. Not so much with the Circle 10 magazines though. I’m guessing this was by design? None of my AKs will do that. I also find that unless I add generous lube to the magazine latch, I do have to push the magazine forward slightly to get it to release easily. Very weird.
Once I SBR the other 553R I bought, I’ll take it to the flat range, shoot prone, and see if magazine pressure induces any malfunction. I’ll just have to stick to brass cased ammo or good quality steel cased ammo (lacquer coated, good stuff like Barnual manufactures).
Regardless, it’s nice little pistol. Needs a tax stamp.