Shoei FG42 US version.

Hi Guys -

The US version of the Shoei FG42 - at least the one I have - has a steel insert in the chamber.
This stops it from chambering a dummy round.
Without a dummy round the mag hold open stops the action from working.
Without it being able to work the action this might as well be a fiberglass dummy gun.

I had a Thompson that had a similar steel insert removing that was pretty straight forward - does anyone have experience removing the FG42 steel chamber rod?

It has me beat - they put this crap into them for importation purposes at one time.



Pit.

OK - so removed front stock.
Found tiny screw - released chamber insert.

Chamber insert was filled with brass "stopper" - not steel.

Heated up over stove, and dissolved glue holding "stopper" in place.

Used a steel rod through the small end hole in the chamber to tap out "stopper."

It is a perfect 8mm dummy bullet case that has had the rim lathed of it, and then been glued into the chamber insert.

SUCCESS - not.

Unfortunately heating the chamber caused it to expand, when I went to reinsert it into the barrel it didn't fit.

What I should have done is pause and sanded down the insert until it did fit.

What I did: - I thought it would be nice and secure if I tapped the chamber insert into place with a steel tool...

...Well, I managed to bugger the chamber insert wall, and lodge it in place just enough that it cannot chamber a round and cannot come out.

So, I am back where I started - I hope this helps anyone else in this position.

I may revisit this, if I can buy a second chamber insert from Shoei or manufacture one from scratch.

I also managed to knock the ejector claw off the bolt, which isn't held in by anything but the inertia of the claw spring, I got it back together - unbroken, but, wow - robust it is not!

I do like this replica, but I will not be using on set next week as I had planned, it stays in the collection in the office, which is not really what I want, but there you go.



Pit.

I feel for you...

Check with Tomio, he might have a spare part available, although I guess import to USA would need some work.

There is no problem shipping any part into the US -

unfortunately, that is not the issue, the inner chamber is pretty much jammed in there now - except not fully in place, out by just enough to hang up the cartridge, lol.
Replacing it would be extremely difficult.

Avanti -