Marvel "Unit 2" -- bullets sideways

[michael_aos]

I've finally discovered this thing will feed and function well with Remington Thunderbolt ammo.

Now that I'm past that, I thought I'd sight it in. This is what the target looks like:

http://homepage.mac.com/michael_aos/.Pictures/USGI/target-1.jpg

Any ideas what might be going on here?

Mike

[Gman]

You're certainly not getting stabilization.

(I am master of the obvious)

Since the ammo you're using is 40gr lead, The bullets shouldn't be the problem. I'd check the bore for leading and give it a very thorough cleaning. If that still didn't resolve it, I'd replace the recoil spring since it could be allowing slide movement too early.

[eerw]

the thunderbolt ammo is really dirty in my guns...after about half a brick. you can scrub out chunks of crud...but I have not seen that type of keyholing...

I think the unit 2 uses a 10# spring..as compared to a 9# in the unit 1..the website says high velocity ammo too..

am very curious about that..as trying to decide on a unit 1 with iron sights or a unit 2.

[michael_aos]

When I cleaned it this morning, I found some large slivers of lead in the barrel.

The feed-ramp tends to cut hollow-points in half. I suspect it was something like that.

The barrel was obstructed enough that I couldn't get a boresnake through it.

Mike

[Delphi]

SWEET, thats not bad at all!

Think of the nasty impact wound that would make... it's definatly a plus :p


Tell me what gun and what ammo exactly, so i can replicate that!

[Gman]

Accuracy sucks, so that's out of the question. The .22 LR is a good penetrator, so that's about the only thing going for it. If it hits sideways and is unstable in flight, penetration is also going out the window.

A 9mm would be leaps and bounds more effective and I'd prefer to imagine the nasty impact of a 230gr .45 JHP at 900fps that goes exactly where it's supposed to.

[Gun Shot]

I've seen keyholes when the crown on the barrel of a friend's gun was hosed up, but I've never seen anything that bad.

[michael_aos]

I'm working with the theory that these Remington Thunderbolts lead up the barrel so badly after ~80rds that the bullet no-longer contacts the rifling.

I'm going to try a lighter mainspring / hammer-spring and see if that will allow me to use different (copper-plated?) ammo.

Mike

[newracer]

I have heard that Thunderbolts do just that in some guns. One guy posted on anopther forum that in his 10/22 after 2-3 mags of Thunderbolts the bullet would come out in pieces because the leading was so bad.

[michael_aos]

I'm going to try CCI Stingers again.

Any other suggestions on likely candidates? Especially something that doesn't cost ~$.07/rd....

Mike

[newracer]

all the guys on www.rimfirecentral.com swear by Winchester Dynapoints, I just got a box of 500 from WW for less than $10. I have also heard that Winchester Super X is also good. The Super Xs have worked well for me so far, haven't tried the Dynapoints yet.

[michael_aos]

Winchester Dynapoints

Tom gave me a few of those to try. They didn't work at all before, but I'm hoping to try them again with the new mainspring this weekend.

Mike

[newracer]

seems like you need high velocity but also a copper coated bullet. several manufactures offer that at resonable prices

I hope to be at the next shoot, if you are too you are welcome to try some of my dynapoints and super Xs

[Gman]

A lot of the copper coated rounds I've found tend to be lighter weight and often of the hollow point persuasion.

Are you going to the December shoot? I've got a variety of .22 ammo and could bring a box of each for you to try.

[AR Will]

I've found that copper is best in all of my 22's CCI is my fav they feed right and funtion even better.
I won't even use Remmington thunderbolts, besides the heavy lead fouling they also have feeding problems.

[michael_aos]

Basically I want to shoot Winchester Dynapoints.

So now it's just a matter of tweaking this 1911 to make that happen.

Or send it back and try a different Marvel.

Mike

[Delphi]

go to walmart get the copper covered cheap 500rd box ;) they work like a charm in anything

[michael_aos]

Got a chance to experiment a little more this afternoon.

With the reduced-weight hammer-spring, it will finally cycle some different loads. I came away with 2-3 options.

The CCI Stingers work BEAUTIFULLY. But they cost as much as 9mm ammo!

The Federal bulk 550rd value-pack from Wal-Mart came in 2nd, followed by the Winchester Dynapoint back in 3rd place.

I'm ran out of CCI Mini-Mag's before I could really test them, but I'm going to try them again. The Federal 36gr copper-plated HP's were a surprise.

Mike

[Delphi]

told ya the walmart stuff would work :)

sure it wasnt the top but second is good enough if you dont want to break your wallet :)

I had a problem where my beretta .22 wouldnt cycle and the only ammo that would work in it was either really expensive or the copper jacketed walmart cheap stuff ;)

[michael_aos]

Now I just hope I can find that Federal ammo again. Looks like they changed the packaging. I hope they didn't change the ammo too...

I'm stunned at the difference in the bore between the lead & copper-plated. After all the shooting yesterday, it still looks great.

Mike

[michael_aos]

I bought a 525rd value-pack of Federal 36gr copper-plated HP's at Sportsmans Warehouse. I'm HOPING it's the same ammo as that 550rd value-pack I found at WalMart last year.

Also bought a 100rd package of Mini-Mag HP's and a 100rd of Mini-mag solid.

And snagged another 100rds of CCI Stinger as well.

With that $10-off $50 purchase coupon, I'm going to stock up if something inexpensive works well.

With the coupon, the Stingers come out at $.057 and Mini-Mag's around $.032 / $.036.

Mike

[michael_aos]

I cleaned the pistol again on Tuesday night.

Shot ~200rds through it on Wednesday.

Bought 500rds of CCI Mini-Mag (solid, not the HP's) at Sportsmans Warehouse this morning and found a sheltered corner at PWSA to run through a "torture test".

500rds, 10 nosedives into the feed-ramp. I ran a bore-snake through it after each failure.

Magazine #1 - 3 times
Magazine #2 - 4 times
Magazine #3 - 2 times
Magazine #4 - 1 time
Magazine #5 - 0 times

The longest string was 137 shots without a nosedive. 74-shots, 65 shots, 42 shots, 41 shots, 27, 9, 8, 7, 3. Averages to a failure every 41 shots.

http://homepage.mac.com/michael_aos/.Pictures/USGI/IMG_5232.jpg

[michael_aos]

I picked up a 550rd package of Federal 36gr HP's at WalMart for $8.86 tonight.

The package is a little different than the ones I tried earlier, but I kind of think it's the same ammo. The Federal "Champion" 525rd pack from Sportsmas Warehouse didn't work at all.

:(

[Gman]

I have most of a box of those Federal HP's. They don't work worth a damn for me because they won't ignite when I drop the hammer. I bought a brick of Blazer 40gr solids that I'm looking to try at the next opportunity. I pulled a few bullets and dumped the powder and the primer compound ignited quite nicely when I pulled the trigger.

If those Wally-World Federals work out for you, let me know. You can have mine.

[KarlPMann]

Hmmmm, suggestion..... instead of throwing the bullets at the target, try loading them into a gun and shooting them at the target. :roll: :oops: That's weird for a .22 Karl alsoamasteroftheobvious Mann.