Hey guys, so I bought a Vector 53 clone recently. It seems to only like brass cased ammo, doesn't run well at all with the steel cased stuff. Once I get it loaded it seems to shoot ok. But when I lock open the bolt and insert a loaded mag and give it the HK Slap to load the first round it doesn't chamber all the way. I'm thinking maybe it has too weak of a recoil spring. Now this gun is using Malaysian parts in it, so it has a cut down HK33 bolt carrier group with the recoil spring and rod assembly attached to the bolt carrier group. But anyways the only way I can load it right now is by dropping a round into the chamber and slapping the bolt closed on it and then inserting the loaded magazine. Have you guys ever had this problem before? Or do you guys have an ideas on how to fix it? Is there a way to remove the attached recoil spring assembly and replace with a factory HK-53 recoil assembly? Thanks.

Sorry you're having trouble with your V53. Sounds like you ought to contact Vector and see what they say. I have not seen the recoil spring/carrier combination you speak of but it ought to come apart so you can change the spring/guides.  I imagine the chamber is clean and all that, right?  As far as brass versus steel, my V53 eats it all.

Download your mag by one or two.

By one, you can see if it has issue on the side of the mag it's feeding from.

By two, will show you if it's just too much mag spring pressure causing the bolt to drag just a hair.

My V53 required about 2-300 well lubed rounds to become fully reliable. Now it eats everything from every mag I've ever tried.

Also, make sure the cocking handle goes fully forward on the HK slap. My 9mm K gun doesn't push the charging handle fully forward with the slap,  And that has caused some issues not firing/feeding correctly.