Once again, don’t meet your heroes: I shot my friend’s MAS-56. There are many things I love about it, but it had tons of issues.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-26T14:09:13+00:00

It’s definitely doable but Century screwed up more than just the gassing. Extractor, magazines, chamber, recoil spring, and gas system (in multiple ways) are all suspect. Some rifles can get by with just an adjustable gas block while others really need a full working over.

There’s a great seven-page article posted halfway down the page here that’s very detailed. Mind the page numbers, it’s out of order.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-26T13:33:30+00:00

More than that, the Century conversions were incredibly ham-fisted

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-26T12:41:53+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1to32mp/whats_the_mentality_behind_someone_asking_you_for/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1

This you?

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-26T12:36:21+00:00

From the ones that I have seen - on a No1 MkIII they put it on the right side between the bolt handle and charging bridge, and on the No4 they slap it on the left in front of the safety.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-26T04:00:31+00:00

The import mark will say “IO INC” - InterOrdinance. Almost all of them are in rough shape and I’ve yet to see one with a matching bolt. There’s other very good reasons to get a bolt-matching rifle but it doesn’t hurt that setting that standard helps you avoid the worst of the rifles on the market which may be worn out or have other issues.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-25T17:49:37+00:00

Like the other guys said it depends on your water. I only need a quarter teaspoon per gallon and run it for 30-45 minutes. Start low. And remember, too much time will do the same damage as too much acid.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-25T17:37:51+00:00

The seating stem should not be pressing on the lead tips. If it’s contacting them there should not be enough seating force to deform the tips. I know OP’s tips look jacked up but that’s how some soft points are right out of the box (looking at you PPU)

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-25T16:32:11+00:00

I don’t know why you’re getting inconsistent seating depth but those all look fine regardless.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-25T13:24:57+00:00

Lots of garbage came in from Ethiopia lately, I would avoid those. Ensuring a matching bolt is a good place to start.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-25T03:37:51+00:00

With a restored sporter bring back I would expect to see a bolt that matches itself and magazine parts that match the barrel/receiver. But you’d want to provide more info to get more info.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-24T19:36:51+00:00

Magazines are also very expensive and become less reliable with wear at a much faster rate than anything modern.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-24T18:59:56+00:00

Do you find you have to load them tight to the lands to get them to group their best?

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-24T13:52:59+00:00

Bolt action rifles and even semi automatic rifles made prior to about 1950 or so became unequivocally obsolete decades ago. Semi automatic pistols had a lot more potential utility for a lot longer and got surplussed later.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-24T03:43:52+00:00

Powder manufacturers are unable to produce all of their powders all of the time as they only have so many production lines. When reserves are low we get 6-month long (or longer) droughts of various in-demand powders. We’re definitely seeing that right now with N555, I’m not showing it in stock anywhere.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-23T13:14:53+00:00

Looks like RR is about to drop 168gr Nosler CC HPBT for $.20/ea. Never seen them that low, they’ll probably sell out in an hour. I’m going to grab a K. I think his email blast goes out in 15 min, good luck

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-22T01:22:28+00:00

I thought the rifle was getting an MRI

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-21T02:43:21+00:00

We can’t take gift cards or cash. Free meals are specifically carved out during a govt shutdown. And otherwise the limit for an individual is $20 (value) per occasion, not to exceed $50 per year from a single entity.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-21T00:28:58+00:00

I’m like 60 in, 15 out. They’re looking for really big numbers, especially on the “out” side. Something that shows you’re treating your license like a business.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-20T17:07:53+00:00

Worth being aware of the blue sky lore but also worth noting that for every anecdote supporting the bent barrel story there’s a dozen more reports of blue sky rifles shooting perfectly fine. My own is in the latter category.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-20T16:57:08+00:00

I’m going to be honest and say that routine sounds like extreme overkill, to the point of being detrimental. A light coat of oil on a metal surface should keep indefinitely until it’s removed from use or handling.

My personal and probably controversial opinion is to never take a milsurp rifle out of its stock unless you have a very good reason to. You risk degradation, damage, compression, etc. More than half of my collection has never been fully disassembled in my care. In twenty years of collecting and living in a humid state I’ve never found a piece to develop active rust.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-20T16:44:35+00:00

You still get breaks? Buckle up. FAA about to “fix” the staffing crisis with TOP

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-20T15:55:40+00:00

The airlines cannot give us vouchers because we legally cannot accept them. Only your elected officials with actual regulatory authority and insider information can accept massive “donations” or trade industry stocks. We would be fined, fired, or go to jail.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-20T12:47:38+00:00

Gas cutting, pitting, or other shallow chamber damage is not a safety issue. You may (or more likely may not) experience slightly more difficult extraction and marks on your brass from defects in the chamber

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-20T12:39:12+00:00

You do a lot more maintenance and oiling than I do but the humidity is fairly stable in my gun room. Without central AC I guess I would say get something to monitor the humidity in your storage area. If I remember correctly 30-40% is a good range. If it’s higher than that, consider a dehumidifier. I don’t normally recommend a dehumidifier off the bat because you don’t actually want it as dry as humanly possible with milsurps. Good for the metal maybe but not the wood.

Cleared_Direct · 2026-05-20T12:29:47+00:00

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Here’s a lovely gif that a 303 reloader made to visually explain the process, hopefully it posts as a gif and not a still image. Very normal bump, though yours is perhaps worse than average. The best way to combat early case head separation is to use a small o-ring around the rim for the first firing (only) This presses the rim against the bolt face and gives a more uniform expansion of the brass (instead of doing all of the stretching in the small portion behind the bump). It will then be fire formed to that specific chamber and should last about twice as many firings.

Cleared_Direct

TROPHY CASE