Ghetto flash supp alignment gauge

J996

J996

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I reassembled and final inspected my new rifle today in preparation for some shooting this weekend. I have never owned an actual M14 FS alignment gauge as they are hard to come by so I always use the ghetto gauge.
Buy a handful of crappy papermate plastic pens and roll them on a table to find the straight ones. They fit nicely into the muzzle. Push all the way in and check alignment to make sure pen is exactly in the center of the opening. Tighten down the castle nut and re-check alignment with 2 different pens. And don't get it stuck in there or you're screwed:D
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This confuses me, AFAIK my Norc FH only goes on one way, there is no movement once its in the groves and tightened down with the castle nut.
 
To ensure it is on there exactly straight. This is much more critical on an unreamed FS to ensure the bullet does not strike the tines and trash accuracy. On an NM type with its larger opening this is only important if shooting in the rain. If drops of water accumulate on the broad bottom tine, they can deflect the bullet. If the bullet travels dead center through the flash supp, this wont happen. To the best of my knowledge norc/poly flash supps are NM spec so no worries unless you want to keep hitting the target during a downpour.;)
 
Hmmm, I could be wrong, but my thought on how the alignment gauge is supposed to work is you use it when the FH is fully tightend on. Not as you tighten it.

If you determine that the FH does not align properly then it needs to be replaced, reamed, or shimmed? or otherwise machined to fit properly.

There is no adjustment on the rifle for the alignment, it will only go in one position once its tightened down.
 
Yes you are correct john@ but you can make adjustments to splines by carefully tapping the edges down with a punch, reinstalling the FS, tightening and checking again. If you determine the FS is bent there's not much to be done but replace it. I just finished installing a USGI Flash supp with no NM reaming done to it on my other rifle and it fits tight as hell. Really hard to gauge that one by using a pen. I'm still not convinced its dead center. Tomorrow I'll go to the store and get a brass rod as close to bore diameter as I can find and check with that. If I get bullet strike going on this weekend I'll know for sure:D
 
As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man
face down on the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto

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