Gas Cylinders

[ssgross]

For many years, just before Christmas, my dog would get me a pair of CMP Garands and somehow convince Santa to get them under the tree without my wife noticing - service grades until those were gone, and a couple years of expert and/or field grades. I'm finally starting to go through my inventory, tuning them up, figuring out which ones shoot the best, etc. One of my inspection points is of course the gas cylinder. I have a set of pin gauges, .528+, .530- and .532-, as well as the USGI combo gauge. All my cylinders are serviceable, some of course a bit more than others. One of the field grades is the closest to swallowing a field gauge. One of my expert grades came with a cylinder marked CMP on the bayonet lug. When I traveled to AL for work and stopped in the Anniston store the other year, I confirmed that CMP did indeed have some new production gas cylinders made. I have inspected mine closely, including the tapered power stroke area with an anvil type bore gauge and mine is spot on exactly what Kuhnhausen says it should be. Borecam pics also show a carefully honed/polished interior. These cylinders are not, however, available for individual purchase.

This all has me thinking...how long before we start to see new production gas cylinders readily available? Seems about everything else but receivers, op-rods, and cylinders we have seen reproduced. With today's CNC, I imagine the demand will catch up sooner than later. Seems it already did at CMP. It will be much more expensive to buy an oversize piston, pay someone to correctly install, and correctly ream a worn out cylinder to the first oversize diameter. This is likely why CMP had those cylinders made. Anyone know who CMP contracted to make them?