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Thread: Astra AR15
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10-10-2021, 17:17 #1
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Astra AR15
Hey guys
I seen an old thread about an astra arms stg4, I wanted to know if there was any follow up with regards to how these rifles are and how they perform?
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11-10-2021, 14:27 #2
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Re: Astra AR15
I shot with one that belonged to a friend. This was a few years ago. The rifle worked reliably and shot like any other decent AR.
Its probably not in the same league as the latest greatest 50K + IPSC rifles but the one I saw was a decent enough rifle and it seemed to be well finished.
Unfortunately the owner got a good deal on some locally "re-manufactured" ammo and eventually blew up the gun.
But then again I have seen the left overs of a Daniel Defence AR after shooting exactly the same ammo from the same "re-manufacturer" so it probably wasn't the Astra's fault.
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12-10-2021, 09:32 #3
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14-10-2021, 08:51 #4
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Re: Astra AR15
As far as I know it was Nobletec. And in both instances it was the "JF" headstamped mil-surp that comes from either India / Malasia / Bangladesh or some other place depending on who you ask.
This is the same ammo that in non-reloaded / out the box format blew primers in every second AR a few years back causing stoppages etc. And then someone (Nobletec? and maybe a few others) bought up a lot of it and pulled the bullets and reloaded the cases with a lighter powder charge. Which didn't solve the problem (it probably made it worse). The case necks were too long from the beginning on some rounds. I picked up and measured some of those cases that caused issues in an AR. (And the owner still vehemently denied there could be a problem with the ammo because the rounds were part of the reduced load stuff.) The problem is if your case necks are too long the case will get pinched between the bullet and the leade; and this will cause pressure problems. Just like any un-trimmed / over lenth brass.
I kept the cases I picked up and trimmed the brass back to its proper lenth and they all work fine in my gun. But on about 50% of them I had to cut the flash hole the correct size. Some cases had very small flash holes and my LEE case trimmer with the pilot that needs to go through the flash hole wouldnt trim the cases. I suspect that some of the guys who still have issues with JF headstamp cases think they are trimming but the pilot of the trimmer is not going all the way into / through the flash hole and this leaves them with over lenth brass.
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14-10-2021, 08:55 #5
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Re: Astra AR15
'Commercial reloads' are a pox. I would not allow the stuff through my guns regardless of the source.
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14-10-2021, 13:44 #6
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Re: Astra AR15
I have heard about dipopoint also at some point blowing barrels. But the nobletech was good insight. Thanks.
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