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August 5, 2012, 12:42 AM | #1 |
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Join Date: February 18, 2008
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Have you tried a Romanian M-69 .22 Trainer?
A good buddy sold me one today. He bought his two years ago.
These seem a bit unique, and are reportedly accurate. The front post is not nearly as thin as the tiny bead on my '40s Savage .22. If you are familiar, what features do you like the most, or dislike? My Google results (even Youtube) last night were a bit limited, and M-69s seem to be civilian trainers, not military. Were they civilian, or both? |
August 5, 2012, 01:18 AM | #2 |
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Join Date: February 12, 2001
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Mine is quite accurate although the sights aren't the best.
The trigger is sort of weird, it's a bizarre 2 stage afair that is almost like a sort of set trigger. If you pull very gradually through the first stage you'll feel a sort of a give at the end of that stage and it's like the trigger is now set. It may be some sort of tactile illusion, but at that point it feels as if a lighter short pull fires the gun from that position. However, it's not really a set trigger because if you release it, the trigger goes all the way back forward. I've had trouble using mine consistently as anything other than a single shot. I don't know if I've only tried rounds that the gun doesn't like, but for whatever reason, I can't get it to feed consistently from the magazine. I also don't know if that's common or if it's just my rifle. I had some ejection issues initially but figured out what the problem was and remedied it. I sharpened the shoulder on the ejector so it would catch properly on the bolt latch. As I recall, the ejector floats in the bolt but as the bolt is retracted, a shoulder on the ejector catches on the bolt latch. The ejector's shoulder had rounded off and it wasn't catching reliably on the bolt latch. I think I paid about $60-$65 for mine (shipping & fees included) a few years back when they were being imported in large numbers and were really cheap, so I can't complain. The front sight elevation can be adjusted with a standard elevation adjuster for an AK front sight. Be sure to select the proper rear sight "leaf" when zeroing the rifle. Windage adjustment requires drifting the entire rear sight assembly.
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August 12, 2012, 04:20 AM | #3 |
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Thanks very much for the detailed description. Mine shoots a few inches high at 50 yards.
Can the front post be elevated a tiny bit with an AK tool, or just moved laterally? The only sight tool I've ever used is the type for my two FR-8s. |
August 12, 2012, 08:10 AM | #4 |
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Join Date: December 2, 2006
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Having 55 year old eyes (and needing new glasses) I scoped my M69 a few years back. The top 'rail' is not grooved, so most .22 rings will not hold - I used the dreaded Dremel tool to undercut a groove each side of it, and touched up the blueing. Makes it much easier to see the target.
Mine has issues with magazine feeding - the firing pin actsas the ejector, being held back for catridge feeding by the bolt stop - mine doesn't hold and the extended FP blocks the new cartridgr rim coming up. Not a problem - having several singleshot twentytwos, I just shoot theM69 in same fashion. Accuracy is alright - not a terget rifle! I refinished the stock too - the original finish is tough! Takes real work to remove! But the wood turned out to be a very nice figured birch wood. Wish they weren't so scarce and spendy these days. I'd get a couple more to really try some 'projects'. Some owners onother forums have done interesting things with reshaped stocks and other things. |
August 12, 2012, 04:31 PM | #5 |
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Thanks Birdog57.
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August 12, 2012, 05:20 PM | #6 | |
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Quote:
The elevation portion of the AK tool will work on the M69. Tapco makes a tool that does only the elevation adjustment and it's a good deal less expensive than the standard tool that does both elevation and windage for an AK front sight. It's only about $4.
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August 13, 2012, 04:12 PM | #7 |
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Join Date: April 6, 2008
Location: West Michigan
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I have a trainer myself. I have no complaints except It isn't grouping as tight as I want. I'm gonna take it to my gunsmith and have him look at the crown. I'm guessing the previous owner may have been careless with a cleaning rod, and damaged the crown.
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August 13, 2012, 04:59 PM | #8 |
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Join Date: November 5, 2000
Location: Wabash IN
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I sold it. I wish I had not. It was an accurate, nifty lil' rifle. The barrel was made by Anschutz if I recall correctly. Target grade at any case. As you can see, I could not get parts. I had to make a new extractor when my old one broke. It solved the weak ejection these were prone to, though. Write me if you need any help with it; I may have pictures or dim recollections of 'smithing it. Regards, Josh Smith [email protected] |
August 24, 2012, 12:41 AM | #9 |
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Josh: Thanks for the offer, and for now it works pretty well.
It's tempting to keep shooting just this handy, quiet rifle, and ignore the SKS, multiple Enfields and the Garand. |
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