I know this subject has probably been discussed in this forum before, but I don’t lurk here regularly and I couldn’t find it through a search. So, my apologies for rehashing.

An armorer told me that a forged M14 flash hider can be identified by the fact that it will ring like a tuning fork when struck. A cast one (or a forged one that is cracked) will just thunk.

I had a sale go bad because the buyer claims that a cast one will also ring, and the only way to accurately determine is by the shape of the flash hider, most specifically that the sight platform is squared off in a forged one, and "stepped" in a cast one, as described here: (bottom center)

Different's M1A Gallery :: The M14 Close Up

I know that both can’t be true, because I have flash hiders that are from a military source, ring when struck, and have stepped sight platforms.

Thanks in advance for any expert information that anyone can give me on this matter.
-Lori
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