MAS 36 question.........

[3006guns]

I just got back from the range a few minutes ago, trying out some reloads (military brass) using Wolf Berdan primers. Sadly, the experiment was a failure as every primer punctured, allowing gasses into the bolt......so much so that the oil starting smoking! These primers are too shallow for the pockets, so they seat too deep and the firing pin is punching the primer hard enough to pierce every round. Needless to say it was "cease fire"..... I'll order some boxer primed brass and be done with it.

Now for the question! While I was examining the MAS, I noticed the bolt face is not perfectly flat and smooth. It appears to be machined with a small ring depression concentric with the firing pin hole which I thought rather odd. Does anyone have another MAS that they can examine and advise me? Thanks!

[ukrifleman]

73577
Here is a picture of the bolt face on my MAS 36, hope this helps.
ukrifleman.

[3006guns]

Yes, it does.......thank you. I think this particular rifle (and its hit and miss ammo) will be going down the road. Pity......I kinda liked the chunky little thing.

[Dschuttig]

Perhaps find another bolt? They can't be that hard to come by, I wouldn't think..

[Ed in North Texas]

A quick search for Wolf Berdan primers came up empty for me (listings for Wolf Boxer, but no Berdan from Wolf). I have Tula (TulAmmo) primers and there are two sizes of rifle primers from Tula, KV24N for the 7.62x39 and KV762N for 7.62x51 and many/most other Western European military cartridges. As you say the primers are short (seat too deep), I'm thinking you have the primers intended for the 7.62x39 cases (they are a shorter primer). You might want to try the taller primers if you have the shorter primers. I haven't reloaded any of my MAS brass yet, and I'm not at home to deprime a fired case, so can't definitely say they use the same size primer as the 7x57, 8x57, 6.5x55 and 7.5x55 (though it seems likely,but the French are known to go their own way - and the Brit .303 used a different size Berdan primer).

I have found the '36 to be a very accurate rifle with milsurp, so it would be a shame to give up on it if the problem is the wrong primer. I think that is much more likely to be the problem than the bolt.

Of course there is always Prvi Boxer primed cases. Graf's currently has them in stock - 100 @51.99

[3006guns]

Ed,
Thanks for your input. The primers are definitely the correct size (KV762N). I ordered them from Powder Valley about eight months ago with the intent of reloading some 8mm Turkish Mauser. The plan was to pull the Turk bullets, reduce the powder charge, reseat and shoot as the military charge was brutal. Then after shooting up all the jacketed (and since the brass was so nice) I could reload for lead boolits........so I ordered 2000 Berdans. The French 7.5 just popped up in the meantime as an attempt to salvage some milsurp ammo made in Paris in 1939. As it turned out, the primers were heavily crimped and the pockets much deeper than I expected, both of which made reloading the stuff a chore. If I devised a method of seating the primers flush with the base they MIGHT have worked, but it would be a sloppy way of doing things. Better to take a different course at this time.

The ring I mentioned on the bolt face is not serious really and I may have a gunsmith buddy bore, thread and turn a stainless bushing to fit.

The Prvi Partisan brass......even at fifty bucks.........is starting to look very good about now!

[Multigunner]

Looks like the rifle has been dry fired a lot, wearing the firing pin hole out a bit larger than it should be, and leaving a lip of upset metal on the side nearest the extractor.
This can cause a cookie cutter hole in a primer especially if the firing pin strike is weak or the primer pocket is too thin or soft.

The Rifle may operate fine with another brand of primer.

If the pin hole is too large a thicker firing pin may help. The raised lip may be sanded down. If the hole is extremely worn a bushing is the best route.

[n.h.schmidt]

3006guns
You can easily seat the berdan primers flush or at any level you want. A Lee ram prime does this .I think Lyman and RCBS also sell something like this. For the Lee you only need to add a locking ring and adjust the Ram Prime up or down to adjust primer depth. I do this for 8mm,7.5 swiss ,303British and 7.5 French. This works for all with no problems. These primers do not seat like boxer primers ,they don't bottom out on the pocket bottom.
n.h.schmidt

[n.h.schmidt]

3006guns
You can easily seat the berdan primers flush or at any level you want. A Lee ram prime does this .I think Lyman and RCBS also sell something like this. For the Lee you only need to add a locking ring and adjust the Ram Prime up or down to adjust primer depth. I do this for 8mm,7.5 swiss ,303British and 7.5 French. This works for all with no problems. These primers do not seat like boxer primers ,they don't bottom out on the pocket bottom.
n.h.schmidt

[mace2364]

Something else to consider as well; you can get boxer primed brass in 7.5 French. I've reloaded some for my MAS 49/56 with 150gr .308 bullets. I need to get my MAS36 out again.