M14 trigger housing with a 40554 cage code

Has anyone ever seen a US GI M14 trigger housing with the 40554 cage code?
Apparently a company named Defense Procurement Manufacturing Services made or had them made for the US Govt on a military contract.

While I am at it I may as well try for a "twofer" and ask if anyone has EVER seen(with his/her own two eyes) a GI M14 bolt made by Watervliet(the CANNON people) Arsenal ?

I am building a M14 up using the last of my GI parts like a 26978 chrome lined barrel that I thought was made by "Planetary Gear" but turned out to be General Dynamics/SAK instead.My last op-rod is a 24411 which is a Mercury Tool it seems and after a LOT of checking of alignment at the weld IS perfectly serviceable.I am using a Dennison Mfg hammer and a H&R trigger housing,TRW bolt and and and but would LOVE to find a 40554 trigger housing and a Watervliet BOLT if indeed they actually exist.

Thanks in advance for your input.

JR

Well John R, instead of a "twofer" why didn't you go ahead and request a "Three Way"? We know what you are up to. You are merely trolling for pike.

What you are doing is gigging your friends South of the Border because you are able to build up a genuine M14 while we must piddle around with the cast imitations. Not very nice of you.

Most of us don't know Jack what you mean by a "cage code", I sure don't. So even IF we had what you needed, we wouldn't know it.

As for me, back when the CMP started winding down it's M14 parts supply, I did cash in on a few spare parts. I bought a complete Trigger Group for $35, a complete spare bolt for $50, and a Gen-U-Wine M Rear Sight for $35. Now I believe those parts are lined in gold.

So, to completely answer your question with another question, why not put your request on the CSP Shopper?

IF that is what your post is truly intended to do.

Have a nice day and hope you catch some nice fish.

Keep it civil or fish elsewhere.

Bob

John: It is DPMS, advertiser in SGN.

I have been looking for a Watervliet Bolt for close to 20 years. Never saw one.

Years back I was conducting an investigation at a small machine shop in Kennewick, Wa. The owner of the shop asked how to bid government contracts. He explained to me that he had made M14 trigger guards on a sub-contract from, believe it or not, Lady Bird Johnson. She used to bid small contracts and then sub them out. She made a lot of money by merely handling paperwork. I gave that shop owner a couple of phone numbers and wished him well.

That can be extremely dangerous. Some companies will low ball you a quote, then come time to make the item, will raise the price. Or the owner can close the corpoation and go out of business and your quote is on the hook to provide the item at the bid price. The owner can then open a new corporation and he has no obligation to the previous quote.

I know a company that was sued by Rock Island because of a deal like that. The company ended up going backrupt and closed.

John,

Even though I have no answers to your questions, I know what a cage code is. Why some here would prefer to snipe at you is beyond me.

It's not your fault our politicians here believe more in open borders and/or muslim extremists than they do in allowing us law abiding citizens to owni full auto weapons. We can own them, but we do have to jump through a lot of hoops.

Larry McLarty

SHEESH/Oy gevalt !! here and I woulda thought that all youse "you alls" what with bein' totally clued in on all things related to military weapons /"Gurus"/fountains of knowledge/oracles/etcetera would SURELY have known what a CAGE CODE IS...

I would hope that the WINCHESTER nuts who drool over M14's and parts thereof would ALL know that 66118 which you find on things like BOLTS,HAMMERS,OP-RODS,TRIGGER HOUSINGS(as an aside I actually SAW one trigger housing that WAS roll stamped WRA and not 66118 or OM-N.Must have been a very early example) and I think that's about it.That 66118 WAS Winchester Repeating Arms Div of Olin Mathiesen Chemicals CAGE CODE.Just like the ubiquitous SAK that we found on op-rods and barrels morphed into that 26xxx after General Dynamics bought SACO Defense.The 26 etc bit was General Dynamics CAGE CODE.

The 40554 numbers are that Defense Procurement outfit's CAGE code.My rationale in posting HERE first was to see if anyone had ACTUALLY seen any of these artifacts in the flesh(or 4140) instead of wasting bandwidth forever on the WTB column of the "Shopper" to no avail.As to WHERE or even WHY this admonishment to "keep it civil" came from I am sort of baffled.I "know" Steve,met him in person;have chatted with Bill on the blower and via the www. and NONE of us are prone to use UN-civil language etc around here and never have so I do NOT comprehend the necessity for that gratuitous comment regarding civility.Since when is seeking after KNOWLEDGE "fishing"? My intention IS to go "fishing"(as in with my BOAT,rods.salt water fishing licence and INFINITE PATIENCE) as soon as the tide is about right.A nice SOCKEYE SALMON for the barbie tonight would be just the ticket although sockeye don't usually take bait/lures as some of you no doubt already KNOW.

I nearly went blind last night trying to find any references to anyone's having actually SEEN either the Watervliet Arsenal bolts and if Bill has been looking for TWENTY YEARS and hasn't found one(yet) that tells you something.I don't get SGN but will have a friend look for the DPMS ad that Bill referenced and call them.At the end of all this I STILL don't know if anyone(so far at least) has EVER actually eyeballed EITHER of these parts either.I DO hope that someone has and will chime in.

NOW,I am heading out to look for a few SALMON on the other side of the Lions Gate Bridge(Capilano River's mouth)Snagging a nice plump SOCKEYE would be just duckey.

Cheers all and thanks for the input to date.

JR

John,
While most would like a "pure" M14/M1A, a mixmaster would be very interesting. Good luck in your quest for parts from different makers.

I enjoy a good smoked Sockeye! :)
Gunny

Hey Gunny;

You got it in one.The receiver is a very early PolyTech with no markings other than an electric pencilled serial number.All legally registered so no problemos in that regard.

I decided to build a rifle with a little of everything.I have a "REAL" Springfield Armory(MASS.) M14NM S/N 159xxxx with a SAK/General Dynamics mediumweight barrel and accraglassed heavyweight walnut stock etc etc etc but with our current BS gun laws can't take it out to shoot.So,I decided to build on that I CAN shoot and this is it.

Using parts from as many different US Govt contractors seemed as if it might be fun so here we are.As it is the bolt is a new TRW and the trigger housing is a brand new H&R but with the Mercury Tool op-rod,DM hammer and General Dynamics barrel I figured that I may as well see what other shall we say "ODD" parts can be found and installed.


NOW,to get the h*ll out of here and down to the dock..JR

John: Just some back ground information. In the last 4-5 years, the US had been purchasing many M14 items, in very small quantities. It is not like the 1960's when you would see a contract for 65,000 or 90,000. The recent contracts are usually a few hundred, or maybe a couple of thousand.

DPMS became a government contractor in 1985, so my guess is if the company produced the trigger housing, it was in the last 2-3 years. As I have not much interest in current procurement, maybe Different can zero in on when they were made (if that is an issue).

Have fun.

On the Watervliet M14 bolt, how is it marked ?

I have NO IDEA.Perhaps Bill could chime in and tell us.

CALLING BILL !!

Cheers,

John

I don't know because I have never seen one. Quick explanation:

A retired friend left SA when it closed and went to work for Watervliet Arsenal (WA). He had heard about a short run of bolts for the M14. I assumed it was during his employment. If I recall correctly Different investigated and found the time period to be much earlier, during the early days of the M14.

Anyway he did not know the markings, neither did I. If it is in the early days, it is highly unlikely it will have the FSCM or CAGE number on it. Except for Olin, none of those numbers were put on the item until the mid to late 1970's.

Check your Private Messages (PM) on this forum.
Gunny

13629 colt industries, 19200 us army armament research and development command ( formerly frankford arsenal, 19204 rock island arsenal, 19205 springfield arsenal, 20014 general cutlery company, 74846 imperial schrade corporation, 75081 Phrobis III Ltd, and the list goes on. The department of defense adopted a contractor and government entity (cage code) to identify the manufacturer, distributer, or government agency that distributes the item. 40556 DPMS. Go to www.dlis.dia.mil/cage.

I have been attempting to I.D. some M14 bolts - they are as follows:

1.) 7790186 HRT A10 AJK (think it might be H&R)

2.) 7790185 86118 X

3.) 7790186 86118-TT


Any help would be appreciated

Bolts are 1) H&R 2)66118 Winchester 3)66118 Winchester Letter suffixes are HEAT LOT/MELT ID numbers in all 3 instances

Thanks for the information on the M14 bolts

HRT = H&R, Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa.

On the 7790186 HRT A10 AJK, were these bolts removed from service ?

I know that some M14 bolts that were subcontracted for H&R by Textile Machinery had a heat treat problem(I THINK) and were recalled/withdrawn from Service.I don't think that there were a lot of them but I can't be specific as this is all right off the top of my head.
In my not so humble estimation the ONLY fine firearms H&R EVER produced were their M1 Garands,M14's and those Springfield "Trapdoor" repros they did especially the Cavalry Carbine version.Mind you that isn't to say that there was anything WRONG with H&R's product.You got value for money but they were NOT much money.Never heard of anyone who was unhappy with what they bought so?? JR

PS.I just went back and read Bill Ricca's post and"He is DA MAN !!"

Not meaning to hijack John's thread but have any of you ever seen any SA M14 demilled receivers? I've been looking for a rear section SA M14 for a long time,seems like no one has them. If anybody has one available I sure would like to hear from you!!
Yes I've tried the shopper and all sorts of other forums/sites,dealers etc.