mic2377

My brother and I both have Versamaxes. Mine has around 1k rounds on mine, and my brother probably around 1.5k+. Both were purchased in 2015. Neither of us has had any issues nor have we had to replace any parts. I have been keeping an eye on the known problem areas. Reliability has been flawless on a diet of Federal bulk pack. Of course this is not a particularly high round count but they were 2015-post guns.

I think you will find many here at big Criterion fans. I know that I am...

Have of you guys used H4895? I have had great luck with this (as well as Varget, which sounds likes it wasn't working that great for you) with 75-77 gr bullets. It also seems to have a wider node for accuracy. It is still a stick powder though and not that great for bulk loading, however it is more temperature insensitive than TAC or AA2520. I am surprised Varget did not deliver, one of my standby loads has always been 23.5 gr of Varget under these heavies. And one last one to consider would be RL-15. It is hard to beat the performance per $$$ ratio of the Hornady 75 HPBT's...

In theory, ATF has considerably high detergent/surfactant content than motor oil. Apparently this helps cut down on carbon buildup and keep it in suspension. In practice, I think motor oil is a touch on the thick side and ATF helps thin it down a bit. Also it doesn't seem to gum up or get thick EVER with this mix. And I put some grease on the cam pin area too. Of course most of this is voodoo anyways so take it for what it is worth.

5w-30 and ATF, 50/50 mix. Most AR's will run fairly dry but wet is better, as it keeps fouling in suspension. Just wipe off and reapply. More important for suppressed weapons. As for the other parts - no, no lube is necessary. A small dab of high temp grease on the FCG contact points or in the buffer tube does not hurt if you are OCD like that

I have used Alliant 2000 MR. It didn't seem especially flashy. Now if you want flashy, try a hot load of H335. It produces awesome fireballs as I suspect it lacks the flash suppressant of its military ball equivalent. In 308 it produces VERY significant flash.

I wouldn't worry about those marks honestly. Perhaps a slighter faster powder would be a bit easier on the brass but otherwise it looks fine. The velocity is in line with reasonable load data as well for that barrel length.

If I didn't already have a Versamax, I would have probably picked one of these up. It supposedly eats everything like the versamax but is shorter, lighter, and cheaper. That being said both my brother and I have no complaints about our Versamax's except the stiff loading gate and fact they are on the porky side. The loading has improved with use...

These are not the PSA brand barrels. I saw these for sale on another website, "working man's armory" if I remember correctly? The specs looks good as they had a 18" rifle gas barrel, but I did not end up buying one.

Is the bolt catch spring strong enough to keep the bolt catch out of the way until the follower on the mag engages it? This can lead to premature locking back. Now it could need more gas if the bolt is having difficulty stripping a round from the mag (which is a different scenario). Have you tried multiple times to see if it will lock back after a single round in the magazine? This will determine if it is undergassed or not. This is the FIRST test to do.

I have a SSA-E and it is decent for quick shots, and excellent for long, precise stuff. However I recently fired both a S3G and one of the HiperFire single stage triggers and I have to say they are at least a little bit faster for hosing with my trigger finger. Overall for my uses a 2-stage like the SSA-E is precise and reliable.

I have a VX-6 and it is a good scope, particularly given how it is much lighter than other "premium" scopes like the Vortex Razor (which is a tank!). I haven't used any of the other ones, although I have looked hard at the Vortex Viper PST after good experiences with the 1-4 model.

The cheapest route is to build one with a Form 1 stamp. This is what I did. It works fine and I have fired hundreds of rounds through it. Otherwise $450-500 is cheapest you will generally find for a quality unit. For the most point even the cheaper ones provide an adequate level of suppression.

The 2 Versamax's in my family have required almost no maintenance. Have used my universal cheap gun lube of ATF/engine oil mix on the bolt and small parts, a tiny bit of grease on the bolt lugs, and some anti-seize on threads of the gas piston housings. Overall it doesn't seem to matter if they are clean or dirty. They run and run and run.

Hmmm... if the gun was having these problems and I was considering buying it... I wouldn't buy it. Lots of other great options besides a 712 that doesn't run right. I had a Mossberg that didn't run, and the best thing I did was get rid of it and get a Versamax.

300 BLK is fine on 3/8 AR500 even at point blank. Although due to frag I don't think shooting it at that range is advisable. I have shot my steel with a 308 from 75 yds on out with no issue. +1 on velocity being the issue. Most AR500 targets I have seen have a velocity limit.

I have a 6.5 Creedmoor. I haven't really shot it beyond one box of Hornady hunting ammo. It seems quite accurate even using factory cheap ammo. It has a McGowen 24" custom barrel. It did not run correctly when first assembled. Was way overgassed. However despite not using a JP HP bolt for initial testing, primers and brass were fine. I am planning to fit an adjustable gas key. As for adjustable blocks, SLR, Superlative Arms, Odin Works - all make a good product. My most recent build used a Odin Works, which is adjustable from the front with detents. Worked great, and was cheaper. As for buffer tube, I would use a VLTOR A5 tube, AR-10 carbine spring, and H3 carbine buffer. I have used multiple systems - the standard A2, the AR-15 carbine tube with the DPMS shorty 308 buffer, and the above setup. That, or the A2, has yielded the best reliability and felt recoil. The workup for my 6.5 loads is going to focus on 123 Amaxes and Varget/RL-15. This seems like the best combo for a gas gun, and easiest on brass. If I was going to spend more $$$ I would also consider the Berger 130 Hybrid.

Have had 2 bolt catches break on 308 AR's. In one of the instances, the broken bolt jammed up the gun. In the other, there was no BHO. It turned out the bolt had too much rearward travel, and was slamming against the bolt catch when coming forward. This was easily rectified, and no further issues. My brother also had a buffer retainer pin failure. The mangled spring caused a stoppage. Easily fixed but annoying.

Works just like H335 for 55 gr blasting ammo. Quite accurate. Have used in 308 with light bullets but there are better powders.

It would look great, and be just as functional if you got rid of the railed stuff and replaced it with wood furniture. Could be turned back into a real classic... I have a DSA 18" SA58 Voyager, and ended up also wanting its little brother. Now there is a 16" SA58 Para to join it... Accumulation happens! For HD there is no question one hit would end the fight! The FAL really can't compete with the AR as a game gun, but for a reliable and historical big bore semi auto it is a great compliment to a collection. Hopefully you can find some nice NOS parts for it!

I have used lots of H335 with good success. It is, along with WC 844/Win 748, the standard for duplicating ball 5.56 ammo. It meters exceedingly well. That being said, it is very flashy and is temperature sensitive. It also doesn't work all that well with heavier bullets. When I say muzzle flash, I am talking visible fireballs. I have used it in 308 as well, but not with as much success as other powders. I believe that 8208 XBR is an overall better powder. Despite being a stick powder, it is fine cut and meters suprisingly well. It works better with heavier bullet weights and in 308, and is temperature insensitive. It does cost slightly more than H335 though. Once I use up my last 8 lb'er of H335, I am moving over to 8208.

Charge weight will most likely end up close. I have used both in 308, under 150-168 gr bullets. AA 4064 is probably a touch faster in terms of burn rate. Accuracy was similar between the two. The powder grains are much shorter cut than IMR 4064 so it meters much better and has higher loading density. Overall I think it is under-rated and works just fine.

Wow, that is a short lifespan. While I use my Lee decapping die in a single stage press, I have decapped at least 2k of 223 and 308 brass, with at least 1k of it being 308 military brass with incredibly tight primer crimps. It shows no signs of deformation or bending. Is it indexing with the case properly? Repeated bending and resultant fatigue is the only explanation I would have for rapid breakage.

Start with H4350, and Hornady's factory load data. They publish the exact load data for their factory 140 gr match ammo. H4350 is THE powder for the Creedmoor.

A 6 or 6.5 mm is simply a higher performance long-range cartridge. If you can afford it and don't care about barrels, fire away. It is a hard to find a downside besides the barrel life and decreased ammo availability for a cartridge like the 6.5 CM. Also don't sell the 243 Win short with 105-115 gr bullets it is an outstanding long range cartridge. The cheapest RPR's I have seen for sale have been 243's. I have rifles in both 308 and a 6.5 (no RPR though!). For a general purpose blaster, including up to medium range (IE 500 yds) I would just pick up my 18" 308 carbine vs my 24" 6.5 CM. They are now making replacement barrels for the RPR so the barrel life issue is not really an issue if you can afford the barrels. I also must mention the very good and relatively inexpensive Hornady factory match ammo in 6.5 CM. A strong selling point.