M305 New Op Rod Spring Guide and a few questions

mosinmaster

mosinmaster

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Hi,

So I installed an S&J hardware op rod spring guide, and the spring is definitely straighter. When I cycle the op rod, it's very smooth for the first 2/3rds of the journey, but the last journey, I hit some resistance and I can hear the op rod spring kinking or making the twangy/crunchy sound that a heavy spring makes when being compressed out of alignment around a rod. The op rod can cycle through all this, but I was wondering if this resistance/noise is normal for the last 1/3rd of the bolt's journey. I tried flipping the spring over in the op rod but same thing. I haven't shot the damn rifle at all yet, will it work itself in?

Also, I took off the butt plate to clean out the packing grease in the stock, and now the bottom screw that holds the butt plate on doesn't screw in tight, it just keeps turning. It's also supposed to pass through the rear sling swivel, but if I remember correctly, the rear swivel had no play when I got it. Now it can wiggle side to side and up and down. Is there a way to get that bottom butt plate screw to screw in tight? The top one is fine.

Other than that, rifle is greased and oiled, and functions fine. Bolt is tight, trigger crisp, mags work, tilt test passes, sights work.

Oh and I forgot. For the sights, is the battle zero set at 100 meters? So when the aperture is at the lowest setting, the elevation should read '1'? What does the 'M' stand for? Basically, I just want to start at the bottom, shoot a group at 200 yards, figure out how many clicks up that was and then readjust the elevation drum so it has the '2' aligned with the aperture setting at 200 yards.
 
mosinmaster said:
Hi,

So I installed an S&J hardware op rod spring guide, and the spring is definitely straighter. When I cycle the op rod, it's very smooth for the first 2/3rds of the journey, but the last journey, I hit some resistance and I can hear the op rod spring kinking or making the twangy/crunchy sound that a heavy spring makes when being compressed out of alignment around a rod. The op rod can cycle through all this, but I was wondering if this resistance/noise is normal for the last 1/3rd of the bolt's journey. I tried flipping the spring over in the op rod but same thing. I haven't shot the damn rifle at all yet, will it work itself in?

Also, I took off the butt plate to clean out the packing grease in the stock, and now the bottom screw that holds the butt plate on doesn't screw in tight, it just keeps turning. It's also supposed to pass through the rear sling swivel, but if I remember correctly, the rear swivel had no play when I got it. Now it can wiggle side to side and up and down. Is there a way to get that bottom butt plate screw to screw in tight? The top one is fine.

Other than that, rifle is greased and oiled, and functions fine. Bolt is tight, trigger crisp, mags work, tilt test passes, sights work.

Oh and I forgot. For the sights, is the battle zero set at 100 meters? So when the aperture is at the lowest setting, the elevation should read '1'? What does the 'M' stand for? Basically, I just want to start at the bottom, shoot a group at 200 yards, figure out how many clicks up that was and then readjust the elevation drum so it has the '2' aligned with the aperture setting at 200 yards.
Click to expand...

Congrats on your new rifle.

Read the sticky on iron sights...

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...-a**-with-M14-irons-sights-(and-grade-4-math)

Cheers!
 
Mosin, I found the exact same thing after I installed an aftermarket ORSG. Was a bit concerned at first but my Norc cycles now like it never has! Just make sure the spring and guide have enough grease. Both the S&J and my M14.ca ORSG's are made for use with the chinese springs if I'm not mistaken.

Rooster
 
mosinmaster said:
Hi,

So I installed an S&J hardware op rod spring guide, and the spring is definitely straighter. When I cycle the op rod, it's very smooth for the first 2/3rds of the journey, but the last journey, I hit some resistance and I can hear the op rod spring kinking or making the twangy/crunchy sound that a heavy spring makes when being compressed out of alignment around a rod. The op rod can cycle through all this, but I was wondering if this resistance/noise is normal for the last 1/3rd of the bolt's journey. I tried flipping the spring over in the op rod but same thing. I haven't shot the damn rifle at all yet, will it work itself in?

Also, I took off the butt plate to clean out the packing grease in the stock, and now the bottom screw that holds the butt plate on doesn't screw in tight, it just keeps turning. It's also supposed to pass through the rear sling swivel, but if I remember correctly, the rear swivel had no play when I got it. Now it can wiggle side to side and up and down. Is there a way to get that bottom butt plate screw to screw in tight? The top one is fine.

Other than that, rifle is greased and oiled, and functions fine. Bolt is tight, trigger crisp, mags work, tilt test passes, sights work.

Oh and I forgot. For the sights, is the battle zero set at 100 meters? So when the aperture is at the lowest setting, the elevation should read '1'? What does the 'M' stand for? Basically, I just want to start at the bottom, shoot a group at 200 yards, figure out how many clicks up that was and then readjust the elevation drum so it has the '2' aligned with the aperture setting at 200 yards.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry too much about the spring making noise when you compress it.

Shoot it and inspect it after every trip to the range.

If it looks like it's damaged or kinked or bent permanently in any way then you will know there is a problem to address and to change it out.

As for the rear butt plate screw, take off the butt plate and fill/pack that hole with as much wood filler as you can get in there. Do the same into the slot the rear swivel slide up into, get it as far into the hole as possible (that's what SHE said! :D) let it dry a couple days then just drill a new pilot hole half the diameter of the screw all the way down from the hole at the rear of the stock. Put the plate back on Then just screwdrive the butt plate screw back in all the way.

You may have to use a small drill bit to bore out/clean up the slot that the rear swivel will slide up into before you screw the lower butt plate screw back in. That should work like magic man.

I'm assuming here so sue me lol but you have a wood stock right? Or is it synthetic?
 
Lol it is the stock nork synthetic stock. Is the screw supposed to thread into the swivel or the plastic past it?

I used oil on the op rod spring guide, should I being using grease on it and the spring itself? (probably!)

Also, the front sight is drifted on its dovetail a little bit off to the right, for zeroing purposes, should I center the front post as much as possible by eye, and then do the fine adjustment using the rear sight windage?
 
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Not exactly. The american spring has a smaller I'd then the Chinese, hence smaller spring guide.
All guides made for the smaller spring will naturally fit in the larger Chinese spring



358Rooster said:
Mosin, I found the exact same thing after I installed an aftermarket ORSG. Was a bit concerned at first but my Norc cycles now like it never has! Just make sure the spring and guide have enough grease. Both the S&J and my M14.ca ORSG's are made for use with the chinese springs if I'm not mistaken.

Rooster
Click to expand...
 
bottom buttplate screw should screw into sling swivel. first time I took mine apart the screw did the same thing and I stripped it trying to get it all the way in.
bought a spare of a member here and it screwed in perfect, swivel's tight now.
 
mosinmaster said:
Lol it is the stock nork synthetic stock. Is the screw supposed to thread into the swivel or the plastic past it?

I used oil on the op rod spring guide, should I being using grease on it and the spring itself? (probably!)

Also, the front sight is drifted on its dovetail a little bit off to the right, for zeroing purposes, should I center the front post as much as possible by eye, and then do the fine adjustment using the rear sight windage?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't grease the spring man.

There's people on these boards that think that the M14 is going to explode if you don't put NASA grade grease made from unicorn tears in exactly 15.8 precise spots lol It's ridiculous.

I use cheap mechanical grease inside the track on the receiver where the bolt and charging handle rides. That's the only place I grease.

Just oil the rest of the parts normally. I've got at least 1000 rounds through mine (not counting the previous 2 owners lol) and I haven't had a single issue.

Normally the screw passes through the hole in the swivel and threads into the stock past the swivel.
You can try any number of things to push into the stock hole past the swivel that the screw will screw into firmly. The wood filler may still work even on synthetic. I always had a wood stock. Chu Wood Norc at first then unfinished Boyds M1A Walnut now.

Anyone else have a good idea as to how to get the screw some meat to bite into past the swivel?
 
Cheap way could be just to wrap some thin tape (plumber's, electrical) around the threads and use that as space filler.

Also, when you guys oil the rifle, do you only oil the parts that are exposed to the elements i.e. the bolt, receiver, and exposed barrel? Or do you also oil all the metal bits hidden by the stock?

Lastly, the oil bottle contains some sort of blue oil, is that unicorn blood?
 
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I'd avoid oil except for the trigger group. Use grease instead, and lots of it.

If you use oil, you'll get a lot of it in your face when shooting - ask how I know. The action is quite vigorous. There are likely some stickys that show you where to grease.
 
I've greased the rifle as per the stickies. Just all the other parts of the rifle need some oiling to replenish the parkerizing, I suppose if you just soak it in and wipe off the excess it'll be good.

Also, on the front sight, there is a reference mark cut along the base of the blade and onto the flashhider to indicate the factory setting. The sight is slightly off to the right when looking from the receiver, should I loosen the screw and slide the sight till it's centered?
 
mosinmaster said:
I've greased the rifle as per the stickies. Just all the other parts of the rifle need some oiling to replenish the parkerizing, I suppose if you just soak it in and wipe off the excess it'll be good.

Also, on the front sight, there is a reference mark cut along the base of the blade and onto the flashhider to indicate the factory setting. The sight is slightly off to the right when looking from the receiver, should I loosen the screw and slide the sight till it's centered?
Click to expand...

Aye, just oil the other parts like any other rifle.

As for the front sight, it's pretty common. If I want my windage knob zeroed in the center when I zero my rifle, my front sight block has to be all the way over to the right.
I have no idea why, if anything it looks like my barrel is slightly undertightened so you would think it would have to come over to the left to compensate lol

If you center the front sight block, you will probably end up having to move the rear windage over to the left considerably to compensate as it seems your rifle (like mine) was assembled and zeroed in a way that it has to be over to the right. You can break the welds on the flash suppressor, put a new one on that is center aligned etc etc but I have heard of people having sever accuracy problems as a resutl as well.

Have you shot her yet?

Oh well it's a $400 Chinese clone battle rifle that shoots 1.5"-2" groups out of the box with decent ammo, what more can you expect?

I look at it as "if it shoots accurately, and does all that I ask of it then it isn't broken" mentality you know :D
 
I lubricate the spring and op rod guide. In the winter, it's a pain, but mine functions flawlessly. I also found that I had to beef up the spring with a USGI spring when I replaced my bolt with a USGI. I have not taken apart either, so I don't know whether the lower buttplate screw is long enough to also fasten the swivel assembly to the stock. From what you describe though, remove the screw. does the swivel come out as well? If it does, perhaps it would be similar to the methodology of affixing a doorknob assembly in that there will be some receiving threads on the swivel assembly and the area inside the stock is hollow, so there is not guide for the screw. The trick in that case will be to align the screw with the receiving nut threads. If you have ever replaced a doorknob on a thick door - you know what I am talking about.
 
I got the rear sling swivel fitting solid. I looked at it, the threads weren't stripped, but the screw once through the eyelet in the swivel wouldn't screw into synthetic stock past the swivel. So I just wrapped 1 layer of hockey tape on both sides of the eyelet and passed the screw through it to fill up some space behind the swivel. It's very tight and there is no wiggle side to side or up/down.

I took the rifle apart and looked at the op rod spring and it's smoother now when out of the stock. I tried wiggling the op rod guide itself to see if it was misaligned, it kind of moved a bit and snapped into a fixed position and it felt like the op rod itself better aligned and the friction was reduced. I haven't greased the op rod spring guide/spring/and op rod guide yet, but I'm sure it will be much better afterwards.

Also, should you grease the bottom of the bolt because it slides past the receiver bridge?

Lastly, the stock ferrule sits tight against the front band. I greased it, but do you have to do the adjustment where you remove some material so there's a bit of light passing between that interface?
 
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I fixed the spring scrunching noise by just lubing the spring guide, spring, and op rod guide. Much smoother and no noise now. A little goes a long way!
 
Going to shoot her!

man, I hate that feeling when you can't go shoot it right away, and you spend all your time looking at reloads for 308 and upgrades. It's like the incurable itch. Makes you fee like I should get a bayonet, USGI rear sight... flash hider.. castle nut pliers to put on the new flash hider.. SADLAK TiN gas piston, extra magazines... a USGI stock...

what an addiction..$$$$$

What kind of reloads are you using? The rifle is designed for 147 gr ball ammo, but people are shooting 168 gr match bullets, doesn't that cause wear on the gas system? Or if you adjust the powder charge accordingly it's okay?
 
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