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Posted: 1/2/2008 4:40:01 AM EDT
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Recently, I purchased an M1A1 from an old friend of the family. My dad and this guy built this gun from the ground up, and it is a shooter... at least it was. At this current point in time, I can manipulate the operating rod off of the bolt with little effort. I know that the weapon has not been fired enough for the parts to be worn out. In fact, in the last ten years the weapon has probably had less than two hundred rounds put through it. Speaking to a gunsmith in passing a few weeks ago, it was suggested that the op-rod may be bent... but it does not appear to be, at least not to my eye. So, any ideas? Also, I am looking to do some modifications of my own, once the op-rod problem has been solved. I would like to put a scope and such on her, but of course that means a different stock, or at the very least modifying this one. Any opinions about which mount/scope combination to go with? The stock part should be pretty easy, but I am open to suggestions about that as well. Thanks for reading, tz |
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Something to consider here IF this rifle has had a recent "stock" change - it's not un-common for folks to swap out the stock on old M1s and M14s and forget to properly check for op-rod clearance issues with the new stock - which can result in a bent op-rod. mike |
First I thought you had a U.S. Main Battle Tank. M1A1 .. But I can see your talking about the SA Inc. M1A .  j/k .. are you just talking about at the dismount slot for the Oprod ?? Some are hard to come off ( SA Inc.. commercial type are. Yours seems to be a USGI type from how old it is. As long as it's in there during the cycle, I would think you would be OK. But wait and get more replys... It's hard to figure something out without actually being able to fondle it yourself. Good Luck WarDawg
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I suspect shooting an op-rod would render it completely FUBAR - not to mention all the shrapnel involved...... IF on the other hand you are wondering about the operation of the op-rod during the firing of a M1 carbine, M1 Garand or a M14 (aka M1A) suggest ya hop over to the Fulton Armory web-site and check out their FAQs. The op-rod is the part that operates and facillitates the bolt movement on these rifles, causing the round to be ejected and a new one to be loaded into the chamber. mike |
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If your dad and this guy built the rifle from the ground up more than ten years back it's most likely they were using usgi parts for the build and usgi parts are used parts and that op rod could have a had a pretty worn tab when it was put on. There's always the chance of an older SAI op rod used, but I doubt it. There's definitely a chance that the op rod could be bent at the start or from improper assembly too. No offense, but a M14 is a little more complicated to assemble and most guys let a smith who's got years of experience do it so it will be done right. That doesn't mean that they did it wrong though. Either way looking at the situation as it is now I would suggest having the gun looked at by an experienced M14 smith and see what he recommends. If you send it to someone like Warbird for instance he can even retab the op rod and you wouldn't need to buy another. If it's bent depending on how bad, it may be workable too. In the end he'll be able to go over the rifle with a fine tooth comb and put it in perfect running condition if it needs it. Atleast from that point you'll have a very clear picture of where the rifle is at. Warbirdcustomguns |
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Okay gents... my apologies... not to make lame excuses, but I made that last post quickly trying to avoid the boss... Okay, I have an M1A, not an M1A1... sorry about that. This weapon has a Krieger match barrel and a custom trigger job. My dad is, or was, a certified gunsmith, and of course I could just ask him, but he is a little sore that I bought this gun... which means that it is now mine and not his. I have never had a problem firing the rifle, however, after I discovered that the op-rod could easily pop off, I stopped firing the weapon until a solution could be found. So, family politics aside, the stock comment that I made in my original post refered to the height of the scope from the stock... probably going to need an adjustable cheek piece to achieve a comfortable cheek weld. Of course, there is a posibilty that there is a scope mount out there that will allow me to keep the same stock, but I am not trying to built a scout rifle... The following pic is almost exactly what mine looks like. Hopefully I will find my camera soon (just moved) and can post a "live" pic. If so, then I will post step by step pictures of the problem. http://www.frontlinearmory.com/M14_1_sm.jpg Again, I apologize for the confusion, and thank you for the information that some of you have provided so far. tz |
OK Lets get this straight. You can pop the oprod off/out of the channel at various points along the oprod track in the receiver. Your NOT just talking about it being easily removed from the dismount slot in the receiver . If it comes out ( POPsout It is praboly too wide of a slot in the receiver or the oprod tab is worn away and making it loose. Good news is this can be corrected ... Measure the tab. It should read .100 -.005 . While it can still be thinner than that and still be fine. That measurment is for a NEW one. If it is like .085 and less you can send it out to someone like WARBIRD ( I believe ) and he can weld the tab and bring it back to spec. And Im sure he can also leave it larger if your slot is milled out oversize. There is also the hieght to consider.It should be .320 -.003 by USGI spec. Hope Ive helped.. Im no expert but a fan of this great rifle. Check with the TED Browns and WarBirds for the guys that build them for a liveing. I build them for FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck WarDawg |
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