Swedish Ljunman AG42B-Accurate, Reliable Rifle?

[Speedo66]

I know it uses the well thought of 6.5x55 cartridge. Just curious if the semi-auto Ljunman is also considered accurate like the Swedish Mausers.

Also, how well do they function? Any history of problems?

How do you like them?

Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[106rr]

Keep your fingers out of the action when loading, it will slam shut on you. They are said to be accurate. An 8x57js version was sold to Egypt. It was a flop due to design sensitivity to sand. The Swedes apparently don't have much sand the Egyptians have a lot of it.

 

[kingjoey]

Keep your fingers out of the action when loading, it will slam shut on you. They are said to be accurate. An 8x57js version was sold to Egypt. It was a flop due to design sensitivity to sand. The Swedes apparently don't have much sand the Egyptians have a lot of it.

A bigger issue with the Hakim in Egyptian service was that the gun weighs about 12lbs and the average Egyptian male in the 50's-60's wasn't much bigger than the gun I have heard that it was treated as a 'crew served weapon' where one soldier would carry the gun and another would bring a satchel of ammo. They quickly were replaced by the lighter AK47, the preferred weapon of combat munchkins

 

[kingjoey]

You have to adjust the gas setting for a particular load to get proper cycling and the extractors are prone to breakage if that gas setting is too high. Outside of that, they are a very nice rifle

 

[TehK1w1]

surplusrifleforum.com has a subforum on Ljungmans.

 

[PercyShelley]

So they share the Hakim's charming habit of tearing up case rims and popping primers, or is that a gas adjustment issue?

 

[kingjoey]

So they share the Hakim's charming habit of tearing up case rims and popping primers, or is that a gas adjustment issue?

That is a gas adjustment error. On the Hakim you can actually dial the gas down to a point that will almost stack the brass right next to the gun. On the flipside, if the adjustment is too high it will throw mangled cases for a half-mile

 

[R.W.Dale]

While the Hakim has an adjustable gas valve the AG42 does NOT making them quite ammo sensitive. Commercial 6.5x55 is a big NO NO. I used IMR 4320 for my ag42 loads

I liked mine and it shot OK and was dependable but it was quite heavy and very unwieldy. Also bear in mind that spare parts are VERY scarce

 

[kingjoey]

While the Hakim has an adjustable gas valve the AG42 does NOT making them quite ammo sensitive.

You're right, I forgot that they didn't have the adjustment screw up front. Yup, gonna have to handload for that sucker to get the setting right. BTW, I have a brand new handguard for an AG42B if ya need it.

 

[R.W.Dale]

BTW, I have a brand new handguard for an AG42B if ya need it.

Thanks but I sold my AG42 a couple years back when I needed $$$ after breaking my arm in a motorcycle accident.

I'll bet someone over at gunboards would snap that up within 15 minutes if you listed it there

 

[kingjoey]

Thanks but I sold my AG42 a couple years back when I needed $$$

Yup, wish I still had a lot of the guns that I sold in the past

 

[Mr White]

There was a guy who used to post on another board whose nickname was Ljungman something or other. He was a Canadian guy and he was a HUGE fan of the AG42. Fanatical if you will. He was very enthusiastic about his AG42 and its accuracy and reliability. I've never fired or even handled one but after hearing about that gun for 2 years, I would say its an accurate rifle.

 

[Vaarok]

They're like all the other Swedish firearms. Well built, well designed, very accurate, and usually in good shape.

But yeah, handloads or Swedish surplus, neither of which is terrifically suited for plinking, they can bite your fingers, and spares are hard to find.

That said, everyone I know who has one loves it, and I'd kinda like one myself.

 

[ftierson]

The AG-42B is a very nice, dependable and accurate rifle...

Swedish military ammunition was both high quality and manufactured to consistent specifications, so even though the rifle can be somewhat ammunition sensitive, it was designed to work with the ammunition it fired in service...

As others have mentioned, like many gas semi-autos the AG-42B does not work well with really slow powders which are the very powders that allow the 6.5x55mm to be pushed to it's safe limits when handloading...

Since the 8mm Mauser ammunition in Egyptian service came from a number of sources, the Hakim was designed with a gas adjustment to allow available ammunition to be fired safely...

Both versions of the Ljungman rifle are great fun to shoot...

It's just too bad that the direct gas impingement system was such a failure and so few other weapons were manufactured using it (other than several hundred thousand MAS Mle. 49 and 49/56 rifles and several million AR-15 and AR-10 rifles, of course...).

Forrest

 

[Snow Dog]

Here's a link to a small page about the Ljungman:
http://www.geocities.com/therealsailorx42/

 

[Jeremy2171]

One of the only firearms that you actually lube the ammo to ease extraction.

Mine is awesome and it does real well at C&R hipower matches....

 

[Jackal]

I had Hakim and it was a pleasure to shoot. Its amazing what that built in muzzle brake and gas system did for recoil.

 

[sacarran70]

Does anyone know where I can get a replacement stock for my Ljungman AG42B? Mine was chopped to Sh** by some F***ing Wa**er. I'm in New Zealand. Cheers,