Problem with my L1A1

[tankhunter]

A VERY common problem in British Army Service, Gas cyl retaining pin falling out & getting lost! I ALWAYS ensured that when fitting a replacement, or the original pin. & LIGHT tap with a small flat ended punch to 'Burr' the metal over slightly each side of the pin hole. This would ENSURE that the pin did NOT fall out of the gas block again. If you needed to remove it at a later time, it was simple matter to puch the pin out again with a paralell shafted punch of appropriate diameter. Armourers NEVER threw Rifle or GPMG L7A2 MG firing pins away in the scrap. They made EXCELLENT punches/ drifts when ground correctly!
Also, you will NEVER find such excellent steel that stands upto huge punisment when utilised for the same purposes. As an SLR L1A1 or FN Gas Piston!
I also found, that the internal kernal of an Armour peircing .50" Cal bullet head make a superb centre punch! They are SOOOOO hard, they dont get blunt!

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

Just bring it to the Armourers shop during the week, with the customary bag of tea bags, jar of coffee, carton of milk and a packet of biscuits (cookies to you wild colonials...) and I'm sure that Sgt XXXX will have it sorted by lunch time. Then in the afternoon, we can go to the 25 yard range and give it a damn good blasting ....., er, I mean range test!

[FALBLDR]

FAL manfunction,

1. Indian ammo is crap and is often the problem.

2. Gas position?

3. Regulator setting.

We all know Century ALWAYS means quality......

Is it a short cycling problem, ejects but doesn't pick up a new round?

I've also seen a gas tube out of position and pin jammed in place.

[Amatikulu]

1. I have heard that the Indian ammunition is variable in quality but I have used it with 100% sucess on my other FAL built on the Imbel metric receiver.

2. I have tried the gas plug position in the two ways that it will fit with no change.

3. I have tried the regulator at all values with no change

4. I have also heard that Century builds are of questionable quality but I may have misled you in that this is a build on a century imported Imbel L1A1 receiver.

5. I guess it could be called a short cycling problem as the bolt carrier does not appear to cycle at all.

6. I have checked the position of the gas hole into the barrel and confoirmed it is clear.

[Amatikulu]

Update:

Followed Peter's advice and removed the dust cover. Bolt carrier moves about an inch rearward when a round is fired. Not enough to eject the round or strip a new one from the magazine. This was the same with Indian and some Swedish 7.62 NATO rounds.

Decided to move the gas regulator to position "9" - i.e. closed and fired again

This time the rifle cycled correctly with both the Indian and the Swedish ammo.

Moved gas regulator to position "8" and it doesn't feed again.

Do I have too small a gas port, too strong springs, or what else should I start looking at?

[Peter Laidler]

You need to loook at the 'problem afresh now you have identified that it works on 9 but not on 8 or anything less............ This is in simple words, insufficient gas to operate the system. After all, we KNOW that it works properly but only on 9 upwards!

You now know that this happens on Swedish and Indian ammo but does it happen on RG ammo? TRY THAT AMMO next because it was made to run on that......., a bit like running your car on 80 octane when it was made to run on 95 octane.

If it does the same on RG ammo, then you could ream the gas passage from the barrel through the gas block to clear any fouling but I doubt that will have affected it.

Then replace the gas cylinder and make sure that you fit it properly. Clean out the threads in the gas block (we had a special tap). Clean thoroughly, grease with graphite grease and insert new gas cylinder. Screw in until it stops then unscrew until the PIN, retaining gas cylinder hole in the block aligns with the flat of the gas cylinder and push it it.

But here's a little secret......... If the pin and gas cylinder flat are almost lined up when you screw it in tight, then don't back it off half a turn. Just take a gnats knacker of metal off the front of the cylinder so that it rotates to the point where it does line up.

Keep us informed...........................

[Will M]

Maybe not a gas problem, not common, but are the butt return spring and tube clean, not rusted up or full of grease?

[Brian Dick]

I've still got a few gas cylinders if you need one.

[OlManDow]

I have had a few that wouldn't cycle where the problem turned out to be a very worn gas tube. I found an amazing range of inside diameters in my spare gas tubes, and replacing the problematic one with a small diameter tube cured the problem.

OdManDow

[Amatikulu]

Well guys, I need to spend more time on this problem. I took the rifle to the range last saturday, along with my worn out and cruddy metric FAL ex Southern Africa.

The SA Fal performed perfectly but my pristine L1A1 functioned at gas setting #9 (almost closed) for one magazine but that was the end of it! It wouldn't function on any other magazine after that or on the original magazine (just in case).

I brought it home and stripped it down for close examination.

The gas hole is clear - I can fit an appropriate sized drill bit down it and into the barrel - so there's no build up or blockage.

The gas piston showed fouling past the head and onto the first section of shaft. So, maybe I've got a worn gas tube ...hmm

Checked the tension of the spring on the gas piston with the SA FAL's one - no difference.

Never taken the butt off before or checked the springs - will do today sometime, any special way of doing it or simply remove the two external screws?