M1 Operating Guide Spring...What caused This ?

[imntxs554]

Any clues as to what caused this to happen to the O.G. Spring. Thanks

Frank

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[browningautorifle]

Looks like it was kinked when it was stripped or assembled.

[imntxs554]

I odered some GI Surplus Springs after receiving those Wolff and saw the length difference so when they came in all i did was gently pull the guide rod without any force just pulled it back a little like i have done a few times and looked at the spring and saw the kink. I've never seen one come out like this. Thanks.

Frank

[browningautorifle]

I've seen guys that should know better do it...

[Neal Myers]

Not easy to do that to a USGI milspec spring. I'm always suspicious of the description of a part as "GI Surplus", as, to me, that means it was made for the military of some other country, or made in a Chinese or Korean factory to look like a USGI part.

Maybe I'm just too suspicious, but I suspect that you got knock-off part.

Neal

[Harlan (Deceased)]

I agree Jim.

I think we all have to agree that most of our carbines have had very long careers that go back to when they were first introduced in WWII and then fought through Korea, and Vietnam for a while...

Then, many, many were sold back to citizens as surplus military goods, et. for almost nohing..... God even knows how many people who didn't know a clue about any guns worked on them over the past 70.

I'm pretty sure in my mind someone who didn't know about what they were doing bent the spring in the past 40 or so years post VN era, and they just shoved the ruined spring back in. I know their values are high now, but not so long ago carbines were cheap and people did their own thing and abused them to hell. (Dang I'm getting old!)

[browningautorifle]

I watched a Sargent of infantry do it right in front of me with an M1 Thompson recoil spring. Yes, it can be done.

[shadycon]

I've seen hammer springs bent the same way. If you do not install correctly this can happen. Even a simple install can go bad.On TSMG springs and hammer springs which are harder to install, you need to use the correct tools and follow the correct way upon install. Don,t guess if you are not sure, get information and life is easier! GK

[browningautorifle]

Don't guess if you are not sure

Thing is, I'd just shown the young Sargent how to reassemble the TSMG when he gimped up the spring. Was I ever jerked at him...

[imarangemaster]

When I was a dealer back in the day, selling lot's a $139 Blue SKy carbines coming back from Korea, I ran into that fairly often. I kept spare springs just for that reason.