bad gas cylinder?

I wrote another post a few mins. ago and it didnt post because my Ipod died, it was very bitter... I feel better now. My original M1 receiver was a peice from around april 43, It was found to be beyond repair, a weld job. I got an "new" set up from CMP a few weeks ago, a barrel, bolt, and receiver with good headspacing. While I was awaiting its arrival, I practiced single loading in the confines of my garage for competition with the bad receiver still in the stock and all and some snap caps. (Im a lefty) . I was careless one evening and the rifle got knocked to the floor from a leaning position. To my dissmay the stock had cracked in two and the front site was all out of wack. I sought out a new stock from DGR (it is kick ***!) and rebuilt the rifle. When I test fired it this afternoon, I pushed an en-bloc all the way in, the bolt closed, a round was pushed in. I fired, the spent case ejected, but the next round will not load. I tried several clips with no-luck, still had to "recock" it everytime. I suspect the gas cylinder has been oblonged from the spill and is leaking to the point that it will not push the bolt back far enough to get behind the next round, it has just enough pressure to over come the sping for the brass to eject. What do you guys think? "new" gas cylinder? Anybody know a good source? The few I've found online are upwards of 200$. I shot a full clip one time with the old receiver and it functioned fully. :banghead::clap:

I doubt that is the problem. Was the rifle cycling correctly before? The gas cylinder may be worn but a fall would likely do no damage to it. Check all your springs. Check the op-rod for binding on that new "kick ***" stock, lower band, handgaurd and check that it isn't bent also. Do you have plug gauges to check the gas cylinder?

Also, check to make sure the gas cylinder is seating all the way on and the gas lock and nut are tight ;)

Thanks bill I will check the stock, I dont have a set of gauges, but I did have a gunsmith look at the rifle before and he checked a number of things and told me the cylinder was worn but still with-in specs. I dont beleive he told me a value though. - Eric

I've read you can use belt on belted mag case like 7 mag to check gas cyl. If you do have to get a gas cyl check out ammogarand they have them from good on guage to excellent price is from $50 to around $100 most of the time or SARCO has new for $99 but from what I've read they may be Korean. It seems to me if it worked before it should work now thou.

I found that the op rod is binding with the front handgaurd, alot. I sanded it back some on the side opposite the op rod track and relieved it enough to barely shove a piece of paper in the gap. I fear if I sand too much more the handgaurd spacer will be flush with the handgaurd wood. Does this point toward a bent op rod? I painted the op rod lightly with sight black with the exception of the section that enters the cylinder. Then I put the gun back together and cycled it manually a couple of times. The result was a distinct line worn into the paint. It matched up with the handgaurd. I noticed on the old handgaurd there was a spot where the rod was hitting it as well. - Eric

You are on the right track, sounds like Op Rod is bent out of spec

well i got the butchers bill yesterday on the op rod. The "piston is below spec. Guide lug is at min., cam slot tip is broke off,...and it is bent". Pretty beat up.. anyhow, I hope to get it home and back together soon so I can test fire and see if the problem is resolved. -Eric

And...you'll let us know?

I test fired the rifle again with the re-worked op rod, but still no luck. The first round fires and the next time I pull the trigger, "click". I'm glad to have the op rod straight and reworked, but I sure wish it was the problem. I'm drawing a blank on what to do next.

You really need to have the gas cylinder gauged. If you dont have anyway of doing it you can send it to me and I can check it and send it back, you pay shipping both ways
You also need to look over the gas screw very carefully. Look for cracks and make sure you have it installed tight. You also need to check to see if it is leaking.
put a piece of tape across the end of it and fire a round, if the tape gets blown off of it is leaking.
also check the gas port in the barrle, make sure it isnt plugged

Did it pass the tilt test after it was returned and re-installed ?
Chris

Chris good question.....I checked, and it will pass the tilt test, but only with the trigger group removed. It acts the same way with my old stock. Everytime I lock in the trigger group it binds. I thought it was the op rod rubbing against the stock but I did the tilt test on the op rod with the bolt removed and had no binding when I locked the trigger group. But when the bolt is in, the op rod is removed, and the trigger group locked in, it binds about half way closed.

It will always hit with the trigger group in as the bolt is hitting the hammer
You need to go down my check list as you are just chasing your tail

I had a tech inspection done by dean from DGR and he gave me a full report: the muzzle was a .5, te 1.5, headspace from cmp 2.0497 closed 2.0507 opened, gas cylinder >.5290 ^.5280, and the op rod piston .5260. He said that it looked as the gas cylinder was driven too far up. He also replaced my op spring with one from orion. I got it back from him about 2 weeks ago and have been to the range twice. The first time out the same malfunction happened, i would have to charge the handle after every shot. But after two or three rounds the rest of the clip fired fine. Then the second clip only the first two. and within a few minutes it seemed to loosen up and the rest of the clips fed fine. The second day on the range I got it pretty zeroed in and hit where I wanted to shoot without a single miss fed or anything. Dean is a great gunsmith and I have good feelings about the stock I got from him, it felt really solid and is supposed to increase accuracy due to the way he recesses the receiver to decrease movement at the heel. This new receiver i got from CMP is beautiful, grade "B" my butt. It is a 48,xxx.