Garand gas assembly/adjusting/tightening/hammering

[Klunk]

So....Im out shootin my Garand

Springfield gun with a almost new .308 barrel that has been fired and cleaned enough to consider it broken in

And...It just isnt as accurate as I would like.

So...after checking everything else I decide to tighten the gas tube.

Removed the gas plug...tapped the gas tube down about 1/32" and tightened the lock nut one more turn. It was very tight the last quarter turn but it went(basically 'bottomed out'). This also made the forend much tighter(I have heard they are supposed to rattle and float a bit?)

Put the gas plug back and....

Fired several groups that were HALF what they were a minutes before(4-5" down to 2" average)

SO...what is the correct way to tell if the whole gas/forend assembly is correctly tightened??...Is what I did right or to tight?

 

[Randy Carriere]

I think theres a few different theorys on how to tighten these as I've seen wrenchs for tightening but have also heard that the proper way is to tighten by hand, then turn back to line up and put the plug in. With recoil and wood compressing, I would think that if they were every tight...they'd all eventually loosen one. A site called fulton armory has a lot of good info. How tight is the gas cylinder/sight on the barrel? If its loose you can peen the splines on barrel sightly and tap gas cylinder assembly back on. Not sure that loosness there might have something to do with the level of accuracy you are experiencing. I hand tighten then turn back to line up and put plug in but have no idea what the right way is.

 

[Klunk]

How tight is the gas cylinder/sight on the barrel? If its loose you can peen the splines on barrel sightly and tap gas cylinder assembly back on.

No...the gas tube is tight on the splines (new barrel)

I was wondering how 'far back' the gas tube/lock ring should be. Right now the lock ring is tightened to the point of being bottomed out. I couldnt 'back it off' because I cant tighten it any farther.

It must be OK as the gun seems to shoot MUCH better with that one extra turn on the locknut

 

[Claven2]

Your experience seems totally opposite what most people experience. Oh well, don't mess with it if it works.