So I duno if the machine was running too hot, but when I go to reassemble now after unitizing the gas cylinder, the piston doesn't just drop in like it used to. It still goes through all the way but she's tight and needs to be pushed in from the muzzle end so i can screw the cap on. Anybody ever encounter similar problems? Thoughts?
anybody ever have problems unitizing their gas cylinder?
- Thread starter crocker038
- Start date
Bazzoka_Joe
Regular
- Location
- PRQ(People Replublic of Quebec)
i think you deform you cylinder try to find good size reamer or a new cylinder Good luck and happy new year !
Yup, sounds like you deformed it when you welded it. I'm sure 45ACPKING will be able to give his opinion on it, but sounds like you're going to need a new GC.
FWIW, before the advent of affordable TIG rigs and gunsmiths who understood how to TIG carbone steel onto stainless gas cylinders, we used to have to drill and tap the cylinder and use loc-tited screws to unitize the cylinders. this mod also lost you the ability to use the spindle valve. If you haven't got specialized equipment, or if you use the wrong welding rod, or if you don't know exactly how much and where to weld, it's VERY easy to warp the cylinder by welding it. I suspect this is what you have done.
This topic comes up alot on the M14TFL forum. Mixed results it appears. The guys who try using JB Weld say it does a good job initially, but eventually the epoxy fails and you have to redo the job (as soon as a hundred rounds IIRC).
To the OP, FWIW, Brownells sells unitized SA gas cylinders. Assuming you have a Norc, you'll have to pick up a USGI gas plug as well, but you'll be able to use the same gas lock.
What he said. What shimming actually does is get your gas cylinder lock to "time" properly, that is to say, get it so it goes hand tight at about 5:00 and full stop at 6 o'clock. Or you can forget the shims and do the 180 degree gas lock flip as Hungry teaches at his clinics. Or if you have access to a quantity of GC locks (as might happen if you go to a clinic), you can try switching locks around with other guy's rifles until you find your very own Goldilocks GC lock.
Oh I get it, I just think the shimming is cranking the cylinder down against the handguard cap tight enough for the average shooter or a Nork barrel. If you had a custom shillen barrel, and went through all the other accuracy mods like bedding it in a USGI glass stock etc, then possibly the very last thing I would do as an accuracy mod would be weld the cylinder up....I just don't think it will give any measureable improvement compared to a tight shim where you have to wrench the lock closed.
