MG2 Long Term Reliability.

[LukeP]

I'm wondering to know if some users had a long term reliability knowledge.
For example, anyone passes over 30k-50k shoots?
I think it will be a normal rate for a shooter to bang at least 5k/year, hard shooters put 10k/year, mg2 is not so new, so... what did you have to do?
Normal maintenance like recoil spring, firing pin, hammer spring, other minor replacement or something more problematic?

Thank you,
Best regards,
LukeP.

[me]

A club mate owns a MG2. His gun had done a few thousand rounds only.
To clean the barrel (properly, from the breach end) and the action, he first has to remove 3 long bolts, then 4 more screws to remove the top cover.
Clearing of jams is very difficult.

Shootability of the MG2 is fairly good.

[dnovo]

My MG2 is great -- but jams ARE hard to clear and do happen. Cleaning is not fun, and it demands to be clean if it is going to keep working. I bought it more or less on a lark, offered fairly cheap by a dealer clearing it out (are there US dealers now?) and I guess I made a mistake. Oh well, live and learn, and shoot my other stuff. Dave

[Mark Briggs]

OK, I'll chime in with an opposing opinion. I have two MG-2's, one old one (sn 11xx) and one newer one (sn 15xx). Both work flawlessly, and both of them shoot better dirty than clean. In fact, my personal rule is to shoot at least a box of ammo through the pistol after cleaning it if I'm going to take it to a match. Yes, it really does work better when it's dirty, and I generally shoot at least 1000 rounds in between cleanings.

As for durability, mine have worked out pretty well, but are still relatively "new". The older gun has about 12K shots through it and the newer one about 3K shots through it. I replaced the bullet insert lever and the hammer spring on the older gun. The hammer spring broke as a result of a stress riser that I put in it by my own ham-fistedness when changing the bullet insert lever, which was changed as preventative maintenance since I had the old, weaker style of bullet insert lever and wanted to install the more rugged new style.

As for functional reliability, I recently posted a story on this topic. I had two junior female shooters who wanted to try Sport Pistol. We went to the range and I gave them each an MG-2 and I shot my S&W Model 41. I had a new brand of ammo to try (Eley Sport, made by Aguila in Mexico). The Model 41 jammed on every mag until I started putting oil on the top cartridge. The two MG-2's functioned flawlessly in very inexperienced hands. I can't think of any other high-end pistol that would have produced similar satisfactory results.

[Weekend Shooter]

Am quite happy to have read this line that the MG2 seems relatively positive. The other threads looked more like a nightmare. The reason is that it's really hard in my country to obtain these sporting arms. So as a club we ordered a batch (still in the works). The price was very attractive compared to the other guns we have access too so I decided to give it a shot and get a free pistol and an MG2 Rapid working on my typical hedge fund risk/reward analysis.

I would guess that there will be a handful of lemons out there like in anything, cars especially. I believe in probabilities and sampling though I refused to gamble in Macau 2 weeks ago when I was there. Hopefully the serial numbers I pick up will be part of the other 2-3k units out there that havent reported huge problems.

Wish me luck!

[MG2-owner]

Am quite happy to have read this line that the MG2 seems relatively positive. The other threads looked more like a nightmare.
.

The MG2 is still under development, I recon. A necessity!

Current MG2 extractor version is # 4, current "bullet insert lever" is version #3 I think.
Current bolt is version # 2 or 3, current barrel is version "# 2 or 3, current "ejector-blade" is # 3, and version #4 har just left the factory, in my direction...

The MG2 early versions were severely plaqued with flaws. Some shortcomings have been corrected in later production runs.
Still some more improvements are needed to turn the MG2 into a recommendable gun.

When a MG is working perfectly, which it not always did or does, it is a delight to use. Maybe more so than most other match .22 autos!


I plan to, in the near future, to post a summary of experiences, problemsolving and rebuildings, during my relatively long life with my MG2.
The MG2 has not yet reached the point of "recommendability", but it is slowly, thanks to the steady factory process of improving parts, approacing that point.

[jipe]

May be one hint about reliability: MG2 is now used by several shooters in ISSF WC events, both for women 25m and men 25m RF events.

I do not think that these ladies/guys would dare to use it if it was still subject to problems as it was in its early days.

[LukeP]

May be one hint about reliability: MG2 is now used by several shooters in ISSF WC events, both for women 25m and men 25m RF events.

I do not think that these ladies/guys would dare to use it if it was still subject to problems as it was in its early days.

Also here in Italy at least 3 top shooters (1 women and 2 men), are using it.
With the direct concorrency of pardini, is not a bad results.
Must be said that top shooters are quite an exception, look at the pistol used in RF events and you can see a lot of old stuff.
Here there is great expectation for mg .32 Distributor has a lot of pre-sell.

[MG2-owner]

May be one hint about reliability: MG2 is now used by several shooters in ISSF WC events, both for women 25m and men 25m RF events.

I do not think that these ladies/guys would dare to use it if it was still subject to problems as it was in its early days.

Well, how many are your "several"?
The Italians have designed some very desirable sports and racing cars. But, a very well qualified mechanic is a necessity to keep them running, sometimes ;-). In the long run... No?

Just brief: the present (remaining) reliabily issues are now adressed to the ejector-blade. Which has a double function:
1.This blade pivots slightly in the cradle during the recoil cycling of the action. This blade also rides in a cutout (slot) at the underside of the bolt, hitting the base of the case, rotating it out og the grip of the extractor, and throwing the case free from the gun.
2. The ejector-blade is ment to "positions" the cartridge been fed from the tubular magazine, properly in the "cradle". The position of the ejectorblade itself is controlled by a small, feeble spring.

Sometimes, this force of this spirng is insufficient to stop the cartridge in the porper position by feeding into the cradle, and the round stops a couple of mm to far rearward. That in turn makes the tip of the ejectorblade point to far upward, hitting the rear side of the bolt ABOVE the cutout for same blade.
The latest version of the ejector-blade (versieon nr. 4?) will hopefully correct this.

The last problem is a slightly inconsistent trigger pull, or more preciely trigger let-off force.
The trigger/sear of the MG2 are in two different parts of the gun: in the frame and in the slide cover. With a relatively long lever incorporated.
The problem of trigger pull inconsistence may be difficult to solve.

Thanks for your time.

[MG2-owner]

I have participated in three matches the last two weeks.
My reputed MG2 malfunctioned at all three matches. Eley pistol yellow box, and eley extra blue box ammo.

The first two matches: 1 jam each, rapid fire. Failed to chamber correctly second round, hence 1 hole in target. Allowed to reshot the string and save most points.

Third match: three malfunctions. First malfunction: rim of round too high in cradle, supported against ejector blade. When i released the bolt forward, tip of round did not enter chamber, and (stranglely) round fell out of the gun to the left. Managed to refill magazine with one round!

During rapid fire part, I got two misfeedings of the second round, in two strings in a row. I reshoot accepted. With I hole in target at second reshoot-string, I lost 40 points. Match spoiled.

The problem is adressed to the ejector blade. Which (is supposed to) control position of round in "cradle".
May the force from the more compressed magazine spring, still holding 3 roounds, be to much for the feeble spring of the ejectorblade to resist?
Allowing the rim of round #2 to be positioned a bit too high, causing a failure for the bolt at its forward travel after recoil of 1st shot, to feed the round to the chamber correctly.

I called teh ijprter yesterday evening, after the ruined match. He was familiar with the problem.
He ahd just got form Italy two ney rechaped (hand-reshaped, apparently, he said) ejectorblades.
That will be the very last chance for my MG2...
Enough is enough.