Pre 86 Mini Uzi Not always ejecting spent cases

[Scottacousino]

Took my new to me Pre 86 mini Uzi to the range today, IMI Mini Uzi, slant porting cuts in barrel, New in the wrap IMI 32 round mags, Wally World 9mm Value packs, would do some full mag dumps but the bolt would sometimes catch a spent casing and jam the bolt open with a fresh cartridge in the chamber. would clear it out and sometimes it would do it again, other times it would continue to run out the mag. So my question is Ammo? Mags? Ejector?

Thanks
Scott Cousino

[KarlPMann]

My first guess in this case would be ammo. I just don't trust the low bid ammo to be powerful enough to cycle a heavy FA action. I know the mini is a bit smaller and lighter, but IMI made them for that hot ammo that Samson was making back then. Do the test to see if there are any hanging points in the works. Remove the lower, recoil assembly, mag, and top cover. See if the bolt will slide back and forth with ease. Add the top cover and try again. Now the lower and try again. Now the mag and again. If it's slicker than snot on ice, try different ammo. Karl.

[JClem555]

Is it open or closed bolt? Mine hates the Value pack 9mm when it is setup as a open bolt, but works really well with the closed bolt....If it is an open bolt, I would change the ammo first....Even if it is closed, I would still try a different ammo. The Win. Value pack is notoriously inconsistent. One guy on the board said it would not even cycle the bolt on his full size gun. I have never had a problem with S&B, Wolf, or UMC. Those are really the only ones I have tried in it, other than the Win Value pack which only works in closed bolt configuration.

[Scottacousino]

Its fires from the open bolt, where do you suggest getting hotter ammo for a decent price? Thanks for the pointers also Karl and JClem


Thanks
Scott

[KarlPMann]

I reload for just this reason. Getting good hot ammo for a cheap price isn't easy. The only stuff out there tends to be the best of the best (IMI Samson for $$$$) or surplus ammo. IMI is just way too $$$$, and surplus has its problems. The Hirtenberger +P+ stuff is all that I've heard of lately that wont bankrupt you. Karl.

[JClem555]

It depends on how much you want, and if you want reloadable brass. The Russian Wolf ammo is not reloadable, and can be dirty, but I have used plenty of it with no real complaints. I usually get it from:

http://www.ammoman.com for cases of Wolf, it is usually $105/1000 including shipping. J&G Sales http://www.jgsales.com also sells it at a really good price, but depending on where it is shipped to, the shipping may add up to not be any better than ammoman (that is how it is with me anyway). They have S&B as well.

For just a few single boxes and not a whole case, I use Natchez Shooting supplies. http://www.natchezss.com They usually run a special on ammo that is better than the web site price, so I would just call the 800 number rather than use the site. They tack on a $3.90 handling charge, which is annoying if you just want one or two boxes though. If you want 5+ it usually evens out. They have all the cheaper ammo, S&B, Wolf, etc,...and the others which cost more. You may want to use Natchez and get a few different manufacturers boxes to try. I think someone chronographed a lot of ammo and posted it on the board too if you search for it. I do not remember exactly where the post was though.

The Wolf, UMC, and S&B have all worked for me, and are relatively cheap. If you want something really hot as Karl pointed out, Hirtenberger is one option, and then Botach has IMI +P rounds, but they won't be cheap.

[JClem555]

Here is that link:

http://www.uzitalk.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2088

The Wolf is actually fairly hot, and I use it. Others say it is dirty and prefer not to, so that is up to you.

The Winchester stuff even comes up pretty hot as well in testing, but I am convinced that it is so inconsistent that it does not matter what the average is.

[Scottacousino]

Not worried about dirty, but what about the steel case? any problems??

Scott

[amphibian]

You guys have given some great advice to Scott here.
I agree with all the above but will throw in my 2 cents.
I love my MINI's and the only thing I've wanted more regarding the MINI was to slow it down. I made a heavy bolt by adding a weight to it and also took a full length Uzi guide rod assembly and chopped it down and use it in a MINI. The spring is weaker which means it cycles slower but in addition I have found I run the cheap weaker stuff very reliably. My Uzi eats just about anything. Wally world works great.
Even before I made the heavy bolt, I was using my modified spring setup and routinely get doubles in auto all day long and it was extremely reliable with that setup also.

[JClem555]

Some say that if it gets really hot that greenish lacquer finish on the case can come off in the chamber and make a big mess. I have never noticed it, but I do not sit there and shoot it till the barrel is about to melt either. The Wolf brand uses bi-metallic jackets on some of the bullets, which can be detrimental to a non-chrome lined barrel. However, their web-site specifically says the 9mm is copper jacketed. I think the bi-metallic stuff is usually the rifle calibers, (ie. 7.62x39, and every AK I have seen has a chrome lined barrel so it does not matter).

[JClem555]

Originally posted by amphibian
I made a heavy bolt by adding a weight to it and also took a full length Uzi guide rod assembly and chopped it down and use it in a MINI.

I am curious if your recoil spring is different than the one Vector sells? Rex told me that all they do is cut up a full size one to the proper length. Do you have any plans to make heavy bolt modifications for others, or sell a kit? Is it similar to the Tungsten one that IMI made? Sorry, for all the questions, but I did not know anyone had tried the heavy bolt idea....

[Scottacousino]

Thanks for the info,

Amphibian: I like it fast, love my Mac 11 unrestricted, have a pre sample full size on the way also and 4 HK MP5's for slower shooting (Demo guns for a PD)

JClem: I was more worried about the extractor with the steel case stuff, any problems with the Wolf?


Thanks for all the great advice guys.

Scott

On an non Uzi note i received my Suppressed American 180 the same day as the Mini, talk about fun and cheap Man does that thing rock, full 275 round mag dumps. Had to go to an indoor range they had a cowboy shoot at my club this weekend and man you want to talk about some gunsmoke. Damn

[JClem555]

No problems encountered so far with Wolf and the extractor. I shoot a variety of ammo actually, and not just Wolf, but I have put probably 500-700 rounds total of Wolf in it with no problem. I guess I do not dump out 1000's and 1000's of rounds like some people on the board. And if you like fast....have you considered a closed bolt kit? Vector can set you up with one. I have even put a buffer in it with the closed bolt to speed it up.....more like a big burrrrrrrp sound that gunfire.

[amphibian]

Originally posted by JClem555
I am curious if your recoil spring is different than the one Vector sells? Rex told me that all they do is cut up a full size one to the proper length. Do you have any plans to make heavy bolt modifications for others, or sell a kit? Is it similar to the Tungsten one that IMI made? Sorry, for all the questions, but I did not know anyone had tried the heavy bolt idea....

I did buy a recoil spring from Vector but didn't know it was a chopdown. I bought it from them 2 years ago and they told me it was a factory SMG spring not a chopdown. I think it probably is as I know they have been running low on some MINI parts and have been modifying full size parts to make MINI parts.
So I can't say for sure how mine may be different other than I didn't bother to make my spring "captured" by flaring the guide rod.
I have been thinking about offering the heavy MINI bolt as a kit but not sure yet at this time. That bolt is super hard. You will need to get your endmill sharpened after making the hole. I would love to see how IMI made there heavy bolt as I had to figure out how to do mine on my own. I will say this about mine, I designed it so that the extractor retaining pin now has an additional function of keeping the weight in. I can remove the weight whenever I want to make it a super fast fire bolt - Scott should like that. :D

[Scottacousino]

Speaking of making things Amphibian, any progress on the rail system????????????????????

Is it done yet, gonna need one for my full size and my Mini, Are they done yet?......................................Hows about now? Done yet? :D


Seriously though, your prototype looks great, any progress?


Scott

[amphibian]

Originally posted by Scottacousino
Speaking of making things Amphibian, any progress on the rail system????????????????????

Is it done yet, gonna need one for my full size and my Mini, Are they done yet?......................................Hows about now? Done yet? :D


Seriously though, your prototype looks great, any progress?


Scott

Actually, very soon.....
My partner just bit the bullet and bought a nice TIG welder. We should have it Monday. No more running around to get welding done. We can handle just about anything ourselves. Doing the rail system is a top priority that we want to do. The only issue that I was going to address was that rails are not cheap and I do NOT want to get stuck with buying rails and have buyers back out on me.
As I mentioned before this is really just a hobby for me and I don't plan on losing money making these things. The mag catches and topcovers are not too bad, I can buy those up front (except the MINI's too much for me to keep a bunch of those).
So, I'm planning on having people put up some money to cover the rails, some materials and shipping in advance. If they back out, they will get some length of rails that may or may not be cut up depending whether or not I have gotten to them yet. It will definitely be a group buy thing too.