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Thread: How to check Reciever suitabilty for a build, with-out any tools.

  1. #1
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    How to check Reciever suitabilty for a build, with-out any tools.

    So you bought a USGI Parts kit, and you want to know if you should buy a fresh rifle and part it out, or build off what you have.

    The general consensus on the internet is that the “golden age” of good receivers is at an end. But that doesn’t mean the receiver you have is trash.

    Most of the problems with the current crop of receivers are the bolt. I could write a thesis on that, but what we were talking about here is the receiver.


    I am assuming that you have read and followed the inspection FAQs in the MBR forum stickies. That the safety bridge is in spec, etc.

    First, ensure the rifle is cleared (unloaded). Next you want to strip your rifle, as if you were going to give it a full detail clean.

    Slide a stripped USGI bolt into the receiver, you will want the firing pin and extractor out of the way. This test can be done with-out the bolt being stripped, but you will have to "de-code" if any "hitches" that are from the bolt or firing pin etc. Now slide the bolt fully to the rear of the receiver.



    Your bolt should sit “high” in the receiver. If it drops down then this receiver should be culled. if you are doing this test with a Chi-com bolt, then it is likely that the bolt is garbage, but it is still possible that the receiver could be out as well.

    Now move the bolt slightly forward, softly and gently. You are feeling for “hitches” or sticky/grabby feelings. Move the bolt forward and back a few times and stop where the leading edge of the bolt is above the safety bridge.



    The bolt should not “impact” on the safety bridge. A little touch is OK, but an impact is reason to cull that receiver from contention.

    Now slide the bolt fully forward so that it drops down into the bolt lug recesses. Is it tight? Good bolt lug contact? If it is impacting on something, is it the receiver or the barrel?

    You want to ensure that the bolt is fully to the bottom of the bolt lug recess.


    You want to ensure that at least minimum contact is achieved with the bolt. Lapping the bolt will come when you actually install the barrel and do your build, this is the inspection stage.



    If the bolt impacts on the barrel, but clears the receiver, I believe you will be fine. The barrel may have to be relieved once the USGI bbl is installed. If the front of the bolt lugs touch both the front & rear of the pocket, you may need to swap your “large bolt” for a slightly smaller one and re-do these tests.

    IF you left the extractor in the USGI bolt, it is possible that the extractor could touch the barrel face near the top and cause the bolt to bind. If so you will have to strip the bolt to ensure no other issues are present. This is a likely scenario with an over indexed barrel.

    If your rifle has passed these tests, then it will work for a build with the parts tested. Other parts may not be dimensionally the same, so you may want to check those parts as well. If you do these same tests with the OEM Chi-com parts, and they pass, the receiver is “inspec” and should be suitable for a build, but..... Unless you have tested fitment with the parts to be used, there could be a problem.

    The next bit is “nice” but not necessary if you are planning a scoped rifle.

    Remove the rear sight. Take a look at the rear sight pocket.

    What you are looking for is a mark (deeper than a slight rub) across the the rear sight deck.



    This one is the extreme of what is acceptable, if you want to install a USGI rear sight and actually be able to use it. If the holes in the rear sight ears are cut any deeper into the deck, then the rear sight may go into the pocket, but will not be “adjustable”, and if it isn’t adjustable, then why bother to upgrade the rear sight.

    John

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    So I've got a 2005,2006 and a 2014. The year is not stamped on the 5,6 but it is on the 14? correct?
    Should I only look at the 5,6? Consider the 14 not usable?

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    CGN Regular mad_mardigen's Avatar
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    I just bough a norinco m14 from a site sponsor. Are you saying the receiver won't work with my parts kit?

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    Quote Originally Posted by GUB View Post
    So I've got a 2005,2006 and a 2014. The year is not stamped on the 5,6 but it is on the 14? correct?
    Should I only look at the 5,6? Consider the 14 not usable?
    No I did not say that. I said your odds of not haveing any issues are better with the older rifles. Do the basic checks above and see for yourself.

    Quote Originally Posted by mad_mardigen View Post
    I just bough a norinco m14 from a site sponsor. Are you saying the receiver won't work with my parts kit?
    If the receiver passes the "test" above, it will work just fine.



    John

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    CGN Regular Picatinny's Avatar
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    Very interesting indeed.
    Are you planning on selling some complete light and heavy rifles anytime soon?
    Thanks.
    Ounces leads to pounds, pounds lead to pain.
    Light, strong and cheap - pick two.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Picatinny View Post
    Very interesting indeed.
    Are you planning on selling some complete light and heavy rifles anytime soon?
    Thanks.
    I am in the process of building complete rifles. I have 5 builds planned with the parts I have. It will likely be 6-9 months before they are ready for purchase. I had this idea long before WS announced the parts kits. I already had a couple of built & tested Chi-com USGI hybrids, but decided to wait for the parts kits from WS and picked up the odd reciever along the way. Now that the parts have landed, I have decided to proceed with my original intention of having the receivers custom heel stamp'd etc. These builds will not be IDF sniper re-pros but rather something unoriginal and boring..... unless of course you find accurate, tuned M-14 pattern rifles with Cera-kote and a lifetime warranty new and exciting....

    I would like nothing better than to buy 10 (heck 100) more parts kits, but the CC is still smouldering and the bank acct is tapping out! !

    John

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    Being doing the basic bolt checks. With the 14 receiver the bolt lugs won't fit in the lug recess.
    But a 05/06 receiver it fits extremly well, snug back and forth also.
    So it could be hit and miss if a guy is going to buy a gun for the receiver??
    Both receivers fit and worked with the bolt to the rear test. Haven't tried the rear site yet??
    These were done with a stripped bolt.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by GUB View Post
    Being doing the basic bolt checks. With the 14 receiver the bolt lugs won't fit in the lug recess.
    But a 05/06 receiver it fits extremly well, snug back and forth also.
    So it could be hit and miss if a guy is going to buy a gun for the receiver??
    Both receivers fit and worked with the bolt to the rear test. Haven't tried the rear site yet??
    These were done with a stripped bolt.
    How close are you to "dropping" fully into the recess?

    Little known fact, you can lap the front and back of the bolt, but you don't want to lap more than 1-2 thou off the front or rear.....

    I just shipped out a customer rifle, it required a bolt swap... it would have taken too much material to lap it in. Another customers rifle needed less than a thou removed to get the bolt to drop-in. It took 2 min to lap the front of the bolt in. Then the rear was lapped to ensure good contact.

    This is where having a few spare bolts comes in handy. You can mix and match to find one that fits well, or decide to lap in a bolt that is very close.

    John

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