C 9 (Minimi) Headspace Gauges

[UKGunplumber]

Good day Canadian Gun Plumbers!

Can i ask a question of you from over the Pond?

Headspace Gauges on Minimi - Which ones do you use?

FN produce 4 different types G022 G023 G024 (see where im going with this) and G025

Thank you very much in advance
PS is your school at Borden, like our school at Bordon is for us? :crybaby:

 

[1feral1]

Hey EME cousin!

From Australia, for all Minimi, we only use one gauge for HS force wide,  a no-go at 37.375mm. ADI (Thales) produced in Lithgow, NSW. Very simple, used at all levels of repair, including FTR.

Australian Minimi are known as the F89A1 LSW, and utilise FNH recievers, some Cdn NSN parts, some US NSN 00 and 01 parts, some FNH NSN 13 parts, and many ADI manufactured parts bearing Aust '66' NSNs, including a unique Aussie heavy barrel.  US M249 butt, and MAG 58 flash suppressor. No front sight on the bbl, and a generic F88 1.5X optical sight on a Picatinny rail. No rear 'iron sight at all. Also the hydraulic buffer is used.

We also use the Para, but this gun is an off the shelf FNH buy.

F88 (Austeyr) FOW uses 37.41mm No go used.

Go gauges are not used in Austeyr and Minimi, period.

Hope this answers some of your question WRT Minimi.

As for the school, in Canada, its CFSEME, yes at CFB Borden, about 80km from Toronto. In Australia its ALTC (formery called RTC located at North Bandiana) at Latchford Bks, Bonegilla/Bandiana, which is near the NSW/Vic border towns of Albury-Wadonga.



Regards,

OWDU
Armourer

 

[1feral1]

Here is a pic on an Indonesian 'Kopasus' Minimi from 2005. A bastardised version w/ purchased ADI heavy bbl, and freaky Pindad rear sight, resembling a crude folding 'Indo' based from a Browning M1919A4/C1/C5/L3A3-A4 .30 MG elevation style. The machining on the sight was plain terrible. The reciever however was FNH.

Pindad are typical of making crude copies of things. You should see their M7 bayonet! A real shocker.

Enjoy the pics.

 

[1feral1]

US M248 SAW, note the gas system.

The US version to me was the most robust in construction, and the most practical of the different types I have encountered since 1988.

Regards,

OWDU

EDITs to add I took all these pics, they are not off the INet somewhere.

 

[UKGunplumber]

Great pictures :nod: So you have done some travelling then OWDU! Never fancied the Limey route eh?
The two gauges i have in the box come up as 37.95 and 38.15 so i was a bit worried when i read your dimensions!
(Any chance of a check on that?)

Its the PARA we have and i have started noticing bbl not gauging but there being a load of wear left in the linings. Usuals checked of course. Breech going well before the barrel id guess you say. As we have bought gauge 1 and 3 in the list i wondered whether we should have gone down the route of selecting 4 instead. The real no-go! I like the idea of just a no go on these types of weapons with fixed distances.
What do you guys do for calibration?

Thanks again.

Pm replied to 421 EME Thank you also

 

[gun plumber]

This is taken from our tech manual:
Ref-C-71-296-000/MA-000- MG Light, 5.56mm, C-9, C-9A1, C-9A2

Headspace- Bolt shall close and lock over the 37.10 mm GO
                    headspace gauge. It shall neither close nor
                    lock over the 37.42 mm NOT GO headspace
                    gauge.

Hope this helps. Any other questions just ask.

 

[UKGunplumber]

Thank you everyone for PMs/E-mails/replies.

Lots more work to do now!

 

[1feral1]

Great pictures :nod: So you have done some travelling then OWDU! Never fancied the Limey route eh?
The two gauges i have in the box come up as 37.95 and 38.15 so i was a bit worried when i read your dimensions!
(Any chance of a check on that?)

Its the PARA we have and i have started noticing bbl not gauging but there being a load of wear left in the linings. Usuals checked of course. Breech going well before the barrel id guess you say. As we have bought gauge 1 and 3 in the list i wondered whether we should have gone down the route of selecting 4 instead. The real no-go! I like the idea of just a no go on these types of weapons with fixed distances.
What do you guys do for calibration?

Thanks again.

Pm replied to 421 EME Thank you also

Sorry mate, definatly 110% 37.375mm for a no-go, if it closes over, or appears to start to close over, the bbl fails. The 37.375mm is noted on the gauge, adn thats its OAL. Gimme a week to 10 days to get a pic.

A plug bore gauge, (AKA PBG)  is used for the trueness of the bbl on both F88 and F89 FOW.

We also use an ADI bbl erosion gauge, similar to the US M16 FOW one, but shorter. It has lines on it when they fit the 'window' their is a warning line and a fail line. This used used on Minimi only.

The ADI bbl's are very robust, and are heavy, much better than the stock standard FNH light ones.

Calibration is annually, if they're out they get returned.

Cheers,

OWDU

 

[UKGunplumber]

Cheers again OWDU

Hope you and all the other guys on here had a quiet and peaceful holiday period wherever you are.