G-43 woes

[Griff Murphey]

Have a Berliner Maschine G-43 I have had for 53 years. I used to catch my college rifle team room-mate dry firing it at the tV which was back when you could get away with having guns at school. Ok?. There is a guy who works on them who sells an aftermarket gas system that is supposed to protect the receiver from excessive recoil and I put that in several years ago. I had a slam fire with Wolf brass case 8mm that broke the extractor and I sent the gun to him for that and a repair on the trigger as well. I had not shot it since the 80?s when I was shooting mild handloads and Canadian N/c ball. Recently tried some Privi Partizan196 gr. FMJ and it was blowing the upper handguard off of the gun. I still have the original gas system parts and I?m thinking I should reinstall those. If this was not enough I put the rifle on safe and the safety fell out! I asked to send the rifle back as he said it needed to be ?re-cut? and he would not work on it. I have found that someone makes a replacement safety kit with springs including one circular one that actually holds it in and I think my gun is now missing that ring.
Ok now for the questions - is the Privi 196 gr. just a little too hot?
Has anyone else had anyone work on one of these that you trust?
It?s a money pit. There is pitting on the trigger guard like blood spatter and I?ve often wondered it it?s haunted.

[Art]

The Privi ammunition is the equivalent, velocity wise, of German WWII ball ammo. However I understand the company has started loading it down almost to US 8mm Mauser ammo in the past year which isn't much hotter than the old 32 Winchester Special. As you know that doesn't mean the pressure curve exactly matches WWII NAZI ammo. Still it should be safe in your rifle. I've shot a lot of it (the hotter 2,550 fps stuff) in bolt guns with no signs of excess pressure.

Unfortunately these rifles were problems from the start having a bunch of issues including metallurgy problems at the end. It says something that there are still companies making parts for a weapon out of production in 1945 with a total production of less than a half million.

I'll check around here for a 'smith for you. good luck.

[Art]

Griff,

This video might help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lSla5rCDSg

Again, good luck.

By the way, the video gives a good look at the gas system which as the fellow says, is a direct knockoff of the Soviet fixed piston SVT 40 set up.

[Griff Murphey]

Thanks Art! Mine has had no bending of the rear of the receiver. It never blew off the handguard with the issue gas system in it. The expert would not reinstall the safety gif me.