M1A Gas system

[Boston-Irish]

Hey Guys,

Still getting to know my Springfield M1A. I had it out shooting today and a guy came over to admire it. He mentioned that the marks I was getting on my operating rod (from the brass cases ejecting) were do to a "timing issue". He looked at my rifle and said "you need to oil the gas piston". He put a few drops of rem oil into the little hole. I thanked him and went on my way.
When I hot home and was cleaning the rifle and noticed in the manual that "CAUTION: the gas piston was designed to operate dry".
I was already out of ammo, so I did not fire the rifle this way. I dont have a gas wrench yet, so I have not cleaned the oil out of it yet.
Any advise is surely welcome!
Thanks
Joe

 

[PatMcD]

The brass marks on the op-rod have nothing to do with timing. They are perfectly normal. Yes, the gas system is designed to run dry, but I know several people who drop some oil in there with no ill effects. Personally, I would pull the piston and wipe that oil off. Any 3/8 wrench will work on the plug, just hold the gas cylinder tight and it should come right off.

 

[Boston-Irish]

Thanks Pat... you rock!
So I should not waist the monet on the gas system wrench and holder?

 

[rscalzo]

Drop a line to Dan at West Texas Armory. He also has set up a forum for service rifles at http://westtexasarmory.com/phpBB3/ and will gladly answer any questions on the M14 system.

Plus he is outstanding gunsmith on those systems. His website is www. westtexasarmory.com

 

[Big Daddy 45acp]

The M14/M1 gas system is a dry system, as other posters have said.

They do need to be scraped out once and a while, I forget the drill bit sizes. This is to get rid of carbon build up.

One thing to watch for is your case ejection.

If your cases are ejecting to around 1-2 o'clock, the gun is running good.

As they start approaching 3-4 o'clock, time to break out the chamber brush.

 

[MassMark]

Brass hickeys are nothing more than a sign of a rifle that gets use. They are also easy to remove - just soak em with Hoppes Benchrest, (not 9) while you clean the rest of your rifle - they come right off. How are you set for tools? All you really need for your piston is the Sadlak bits....I have found a trick I read on M-14 Forum that works really well when my piston needs to be thoroughly cleaned. I soak it in a glass cigar tube full of WD-40 overnight, clean all the WD out, (it should be dry) and wipe with a LeadAway cloth - works like a friggin charm....

 

[Boston-Irish]

I don't have any tools for the rifle yet. I have the usual wrenches etc. in the basement. I was going to order some stuff from Midway, but was not sure what is good to have and what is a gimmick.

 

[rscalzo]

I buy most of my tools from Brownell's as their selection is outstanding and the shipping on small items is better. Here's what I have on hand for my M1A's maintence aside from normal hand tools:

Handguard Pliers - 093-200-050CD $24.95

 

[rscalzo]

Here's what I have on hand that I usually purchase from Brownell's:

Hand guard Clip Pliers (nice to have but not essential) $24.95
Gas Pistol Drills $44.83
Gas Cylinder Wrench $44.95

I also keep the M14 multi-tool in the shop and gun bag. It is used for removing and securing the gas cylinder plug. Brownell's, Cheaper Than Dirt, gun shows all have them for around $5.00.

The prices on the above items are probably high as Brownell's will give discounts to LE, clubs, dealers, etc.

 

[Big Daddy 45acp]

I don't have any tools for the rifle yet. I have the usual wrenches etc. in the basement. I was going to order some stuff from Midway, but was not sure what is good to have and what is a gimmick.

Send me a PM with your info. I should have an extra cleaning kit with the multi tool if you need it.

 

[Boston-Irish]

Send me a PM with your info. I should have an extra cleaning kit with the multi tool if you need it.

PM sent and rep points given!
Thanks for the offer! It's members like you that make this site a great place to learn.

I am going to check out brownells after the hockey game.
Thanks again

 

[MassMark]

The drill bits and wrench at Sadlak.com are an excellent accessory....

 

[rscalzo]

I bought these drills for the gas system. They are custom made and of a very high quality and priced right.

http://www.m-14forum.com/upload/showthread.php?t=53858&highlight=drill+bit