AIA 7.62x39 cast boolit build

[Alpha1]

Thanks for that ovenpaa I get it now. I think I need one of those I need to have a measure.

[Alpha1]

Yep it can be done my lathe will accommodate a spider on the outboard end. I just have to get one made or I could make it my self I suppose. I still think I would like Allan at work to re crown it though. We will see.

A good day to day I now have a aluminium mould to cast a pure lead slug to carry out a chamber impact cast if I want to. Cutting a mould is a fascinating process. Obviously this was just a one off.

I learnt how to anneal my 7.62x39 cases.

I also read a article about the AIA breed of rifles and the company them selves. Ian Skennerton had some input into the article. What caught my eye was a sentence referring to the chromed barrel and chamber apparently they are not good for accuracy. This rifle does not have a lot going for it according to the tabloids.

[Alpha1]

I have slugged the bore. I have done a impact thingy of the chamber and throat. I'm looking for a .313 boolit. All that remains now is to re cut the crown.
(I'm working on that. There are spiders every ware oh my gawd) Then put it back together fit the kahles scope. Take it to the range chrono the loads bench it then punch the middle out of a bit of paper at 25 yards.

Then start on the mas36. Hmm mas36 counter bored. Hmm.

[ovenpaa]

Yep it can be done my lathe will accommodate a spider on the outboard end. I just have to get one made or I could make it my self I suppose. I still think I would like Allan at work to re crown it though. We will see.

Noooo! You have got to have a go at making this yourself even of you have to resort to a pillar drill at work for the cross holes. You just need a piece of suitable material around 2"/50mm diameter and maybe 2.5"/65mm long. It can all be done in a 3 jaw chuck as the relationship between the major and minor diameters is not critical, you can even support it with a revolving centre in the tail stock for a fair amount of the job with probably the most awkward part being the boring of the centre hole and that can be done from both ends as again it is not critical. I reckon 60 minutes steady work and one coffee in a small lathe with the absolute minimum of tools required. Look on it as a test piece and pop it on the shelf with pride when it is finished.

[Alpha1]

Hmmm we will see.

[ovenpaa]

Get it done clapclap

[Alpha1]

I gave it a try it did not go very well. I decided to use a piece of 2.5" OD (outside diameter) solid round bar stock I cut a piece approx. 3" long. I fastened it in the chuck and attempted to face it of. It did not go well the tool post was moving under load. The finish was really poor. I worked it out the longitude feed half nut lever does not completely lock everything up. I need to screw down the lock nut so it can not move at all and start again. Ill have another go at the weekend.

[Alpha1]

In the end I managed to make a very acceptable out board barrel spider. I'm making another one now to fit in my chuck.

Any way that's enough of that back to the AIA I finally got it together and to day was a range day all though only 25yards.
A out door range the weather was terrible rain very windy in the morning and snow after lunch but I donned my Gore tex bib and brace boots jacket hood gloves etc and snug as a bug in a rug set to whilst my buddies watched from the troop shelter shaking there heads. razz
I fitted a new scope that needed zeroing so the session served two purposes zeroing and ammo test.
I started of with jacketed bullets they are the standard 123 grain bullet sold for use in the 7.62x39 I checked the dimensions before reloading them using 25.7 grains N120. They measure .310 I know by slugging my bore that this rifle is .311/.312 the chamber cast tells me the optimum boolit size is nearer .313/.314.
I wasn't happy with this jacketed load at all it was very inconsistent.

I then switched to the cast boolit load I am still waiting to get my hands on a suitable mould of the right diameter and up to now have been unable to source a suitable boolit in .314.

So I had to go with what I had in. I found some 153 grain boolits I bought of dodgyrog that measured .313 so I went with them I used 3.7grains of N310 for this first outing. After re zeroing the scope I went for a group. The cast boolits performed much better than the jacketed and the group was not bad considering I was chilled to the bone by this time. I took one shot at the bull the last shot of the day I threw my arms up and shouted at the top of my lungs yes. This was when the Guys insisted I stop as I was obviously loosing the plot. It might be only 25yards but to me it was a result and I enjoyed every minute of to day even if it was snowing.

[Alpha1]

Well it took a while but I eventually got it all together it proved quite a challenge in the end to get the 7.62x39 to shoot a group at 25 yards with cast boolits. It took forever to get the mould. I had to make the sizing die. I had to make the seating die. I sized the boolit to .314 it shot into a inch with my elbows rested on a bench if I shot it of a rest I could probably get a better group. Is it easy to get a fullbore rifle to shoot cast boolits at 25 yards no it takes a lot of work if the barrel is not a standard size. I think that I could even go to .315 with this one but that means making another sizing die that's not a problem for me. But how many people can pop out into the garage and spend a hour making a sizing die or a seating die. Have I finished with this quest no definitely not its great fun. The mas36 is next I now have a scope rail for it I just need to adjust it a bit for fit and source a suitable scope. I have a mould I have made a neck and seating die they seem to work OK. So the quest begins cast boolits at 25 yards in the mas. hm whats next.

[Demonic69]

Nice work alpha!