Pics of SBR vz58

[Sean K.]

Have you examined the entire rifle carefully, not just the gas system? Is it possible your smith could have damaged the receiver or spring guides or Do you have a spare recoil spring? You could try snipping a coil or two off at a time (I'm really grasping with that suggestion).

What about a Noveske-style muzzle device? Dlask ripped off the KX3 with VZ threading and it should fool the gas system into thinking the barrel is longer.

Everything is just as it was when I dropped it off......I've gone over the rifle and everything seems fine.  I do have a spare recoil spring and rear cover as well as a spare piston spring....but I doubt the piston spring is the problem.  Lowering the weight of the recoil spring might work....but I'm not sure what to try at this point. If I get desperate, I may try it.

I may have to go the Dlask KX3 knockoff route....but only as a last resort.  I cut 4" of bbl off the gun, with the KX3 clone, I'd be adding back on 3.125".....meaning the whole SBR thing was a waste of time/money.

Sean

[Stevo]

I can't imagine shortening the piston spring will make any difference.

I know what you mean when you say "waste of time and money". With a muzzle device on my CSA it's almost identical in length to the regular 15.5" VZ with a plain muzzle. It's a cool rifle, not sure it's really worth the extra money.

[Sean K.]

I can't imagine shortening the piston spring will make any difference.

I know what you mean when you say "waste of time and money". With a muzzle device on my CSA it's almost identical in length to the regular 15.5" VZ with a plain muzzle. It's a cool rifle, not sure it's really worth the extra money.

Ya....that's kinda where I'm at.  Though, at this point, I may have to just bite the bullet (pardon the pun) and get one to make the thing run.  My current PWS J-TAC is like 1.97" long, and since the KX3 is 3.125".....I'd only be adding another 1 1/8" or so to the overall length.  I guess I'll just have to live with it if I can't make it work any other way.....assuming that will even fix it.

I found the Dlask KX3 knockoff for $99.  Anyone know where I might find it any cheaper?  I think that's the best price I'll find....but just in case, I figured I'd ask.

Sean

[Stevo]

Sean,
I don't think you can do any better than that on price. I've found it online for $130 and there aren't that many places that sell Dlask's stuff.

Steve

[Sean K.]

Sean,
I don't think you can do any better than that on price. I've found it online for $130 and there aren't that many places that sell Dlask's stuff.

Steve

Ya, that's what I figured.  Sorry to sound like a cheap skate.....got laid off in July and money's tight right now.

Sean

[armoredman]

Ouch, best of luck to ya!

[Stevo]

Ya, that's what I figured.  Sorry to sound like a cheap skate.....got laid off in July and money's tight right now.

Sean

There's nothing wrong with being "economical". Heck, if I wasn't a cheapskate I'd still be shooting my AR.

Although, 3 VZ-58s hasn't been exactly cheap, either.

[Dennis]

Hi Sean,
You said your bbl port is 4mm, is that the gas hole in your barrel?  Did your gunsmith enlarge the gas port in your barrel?  Is it possible your gunsmith did not make the gas hole large enough or did he install the gas block incorrectly? Have you tried closing off one of the two vent holes in the gas block?  If you have an air compressor try putting a fired case in the chamber, close the bolt then shoot some high pressure air down the barrel and see how the gas piston reacts.  Repeat this with the gas piston out and see how much air comes out of the gas block. Do this with your other rifles, this should help you figure out what is really going on.

[Sean K.]

Hi Sean,
You said your bbl port is 4mm, is that the gas hole in your barrel?  Did your gunsmith enlarge the gas port in your barrel?  Is it possible your gunsmith did not make the gas hole large enough or did he install the gas block incorrectly? Have you tried closing off one of the two vent holes in the gas block?  If you have an air compressor try putting a fired case in the chamber, close the bolt then shoot some high pressure air down the barrel and see how the gas piston reacts.  Repeat this with the gas piston out and see how much air comes out of the gas block. Do this with your other rifles, this should help you figure out what is really going on.

The bbl port is the hole in the bbl, the gas block port is the hole in the gas block....both are at 4mm. The gas block is installed correctly.  Both bleed off ports in the gas block have been welded shut (after test firing with both left ope at around 4mm). 

Thanks for the air compressor tip, but I'm not sure 135 psi will be the same thing as the pressure the gun reaches with X39 ammo.....that's gotta be 40,000 psi or more (5.56 is generally considered higher pressure and gets up to 55K-60K psi in an SBR).  I'll give it a try though and see what I can come up with.

I'm about ready to try the Dlask brake and see if that'll work.  I have a few other ideas before I spend another $100+.

I need to find someone who sells Wolf ammo locally....all I have is Golden Tiger and Brown Bear currently.

Sean

[Sean K.]

Update: I seem to have fixed my rifle.  The smith said the rifle "beat him" and he gave it back to me yesterday and said he couldn't get it to work.  The bbl and gas block port were matched at 4.5mm and it still wouldn't run. It was still undergassed.

I got it home last night, took it apart and measured the piston head (as I had asked him to do back in January).....lo and behold, the piston head was UNDERSIZED at .4685".....the standard piston head is .471-.4715".  I then measured the piston in my Century VZ.....it was .473".

So, I swapped the Century piston into the D-Technik SBR.....and IT RUNS!!!   Ran 120 flawless rounds of Brown Bear HP ammo today.  It won't run Golden Tiger reliably still (might have to get the Dlask brake to make it run that ammo).....but I didn't expect it to since Golden Tiger is supposedly weak anyway.

I just bought a Draco AK pistol b/c the D-technik wouldn't run reliably.....glad to see the tax stamp won't go to waste on the VZ .  I much prefer the ergos and weight of the VZ to the AK as well as BHO and overall quality so I'm glad to see it run.  I just wish it wasn't ammo specific.  The AK ate everything I fed it today so I'll be SBRing it too eventually. 

Regardless....after 9 months of working the VZ SBR project, I finally made some headway today and I'm excited!

Sean

[Stevo]

Excellent news, Sean.

How far/what direction is it throwing the empties?

[Sean K.]

Excellent news, Sean.

How far/what direction is it throwing the empties?

It's throwing them about 8 feet up forward and at about 1 o'clock.

I'm thinking with the Dlask XB2 it might even run the weaker GT ammo.

Sean

[Stevo]

That's farther than my CSA SBR throws them and about equal to my CZ's. Sounds like you've got it licked.

[Sean K.]

That's farther than my CSA SBR throws them and about equal to my CZ's. Sounds like you've got it licked.

My Century VZ and the D-Technik (before I cut it down from 16") throws the cases at least 20'....regardless of ammo.  I ran the Golden Tiger today in the Century with both the J-Tac and CNC Warrior VZ brake and it was throwing them 20' or so.  I wish the SBR did that.....but hey, as long as it's not stovepiping.....I'm happy. Just wish I could get the SBR to run with ANY ammo. I may still get another brake to try and get more reliability. 

Sean

[Stevo]

Lucky for me I only have one type of ammo to choose from!