Joined the M305 Club! Parts ID and advice?

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ilikeoldguns

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Picked up a used M305 recently at auction and I really like it.

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It's an interesting weapon mechanically and fun to shoot! Got some needed tools on the way though, as the flash suppressor is a little loose; which naturally messes with the sight alignment.

Which brings me to my question; I think the previous owner was trying to make this rifle as "M14" as possible; the stock is a dead giveaway, with the cutout for the selector switch, but the rest; I can't tell where the M305 ends and the M14 starts. All I'm really sure of is that the stock looks like an original M14.

I'd be interested in upgrading some parts over time; but right now, I'm not sure what I even really have. About all I know I need for sure is one screw for the buttplate; the upper one is very loose.

Here are some detailed pics, could you fine folks give me some pointers on sorting the sheep from the goats on this one and answering a few newbie questions.

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[/URL][/IMG] I have a buddy with an M305 and his front sight post is thicker and taller than this; mine shoots better than his---even with the loose castle nut---because of this, I think.

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[/URL][/IMG] here is a close-up of the stock. original M14 or some home-mod?

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[/URL][/IMG] The flash suppressor. I'll note an M6 bayonet fits on here very snug-ly. I hope it's loose because the castle nut needs to be tightened and not because it's a USGI model and those do not fit tight on M305 barrels...The barrel would almost have to be M305, right?

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[/URL][/IMG] Rear sight; looks better and feels tighter than my buddy's.

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[/URL][/IMG] Gas system; this is super tight! penetrating oil and the right-sized wrench wouldn't budge it! I like to do a detailed strip on every weapon I buy and I have never had cause to regret this. On a gas-op firearm; I definitely want to look at the gas system. Would the combi tool from the cleaning kit help?

mainspring; the mainspring spar there looks kind of flimsy; is this to spec?

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[/URL][/IMG] here's the receiver. It has a serial number, but I blurred it with photoscape. The receiver itself also has the charger guide; looks kind of sloppily machined/cast, but I'll need some chargers to see if it works. See how the metal in the charger guide and the receiver itself is a different tone of finish?

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[/URL][/IMG] the trigger group; looks very roughly finished on the one side; seems to work well though. is this kind of scoring or scratching normal for M305s?

Thanks for your time, I'm really glad to finally have something close to the M14s I always thought were so cool.
 
I think some of these Chinese rifles were prepped for military market which would have given them select fire capability stock.
I think the seer looks select fire. Hopefully somebody that knows more will chime in
 
Looks like a USGI stock , you need a pair of castle nut pliers to tighten the flashider .There is a allen head set screw on the front of the sight that will need to be backed out first and then after tightening castle nut the set screw is tightened it fits in the notches on the castle nut. Get an after market Op rod Spring guide ( not called a mainspring spar ).
This would be one of the first and easiest improvements to do.The combination tool will fit the gas plug or just use a wrench.Once you get the gas system apart see if the gas locking ring gets nice and tight before the 6:00 position. If it doesnt it needs a shim installed or try removing it and turn it over and reinstall.This sometimes tightens it up.Try and get to one of Tacticalteachers clinics and read ALL the stickies up top.Tons of info there.
 
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That's a USGI stock, you'll probably find a Circle P mark (P) on the grip. The cutout at the rear is for the FA selector.

The rest of your rifle has the usual parkerized finish. It's rough, but you can polish the trigger group to smooth it out. And the op rod spring guide (the metal guide that goes inside the spring) is normal, but they bend easily and most guys replace them with enhanced guides.
 
I would venture at 98% certainty that aside from your obvious M14 USGI stock that the res of the rifle is Norinco based on your pictures and the fit and finish of the parts.

The flash hider can be tightened by simply torquing down the castle nut.
MAKE SURE YOU BACK OUT THE SET SCREW. The one that's in front of the front sight base. Back it out first with an allan wrench. Then torque down on the castle nut and then re-tighten the set screw.

Almost all USGI parts will fit the Norc M14's with minor issues on some that can be fixed with minor effort. Many do not need to be replaced though. Don't waste money on swapping parts that are fine. Save your dollars for ammo so you can shoot it more!
 
From my understanding of the Norinco 305 rifle, they can vary in fit and finish from one rifle to another. As mentioned, check out Tacticalteachers threads on this firearm. If you are in driving range of Collingwood, make an appointment and go see him in person. I was up that way yesterday to have him check out some headspace issues with a couple of rifles. Generous with his experience and very helpful when if comes to questions from 'newbies'(me). His fee is small(discuss ahead of time) but the learning is huge!
 
chalkriver said:
Looks like a USGI stock , you need a pair of castle nut pliers to tighten the flashider .There is a allen head set screw on the front of the sight that will need to be backed out first and then after tightening castle nut the set screw is tightened it fits in the notches on the castle nut. Get an after market Op rod Spring guide ( not called a mainspring spar ).
This would be one of the first and easiest improvements to do.The combination tool will fit the gas plug or just use a wrench.Once you get the gas system apart see if the gas locking ring gets nice and tight before the 6:00 position. If it doesnt it needs a shim installed or try removing it and turn it over and reinstall.This sometimes tightens it up.Try and get to one of Tacticalteachers clinics and read ALL the stickies up top.Tons of info there.
Click to expand...

Wow, if you hadn't mentioned that little set screw, I'd have never known to look for it! Tiny little thing.

M14.ca should have op rod guides and that pesky buttplate screw I need, right?

The Gas plug is crazy tight! Like I said; penetrating oil and a wrench couldn't budge it!
I'll check out those threads too.
 
lerch641 said:
That's a USGI stock, you'll probably find a Circle P mark (P) on the grip. The cutout at the rear is for the FA selector.

The rest of your rifle has the usual parkerized finish. It's rough, but you can polish the trigger group to smooth it out. And the op rod spring guide (the metal guide that goes inside the spring) is normal, but they bend easily and most guys replace them with enhanced guides.
Click to expand...

Couldn't find that mark, but I'm relatively satisfied it's a better stock than the synthetic version.

I can probably track down how-tos for polishing the trigger group online, right? And replacing the op rod guide will get me a more reliable rifle it sounds like!
 
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