M14 gas piston totally siezed up.

olegs69

olegs69

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Well, I've gone and done it.

I fired about 120 rounds of South African from my Norc14 about three weeks ago. I brought her home and promptly gave her a good bore cleaning.
While cleaning the bore I neglected to clean the gas piston. The thing is totally jammed up. I've tried wiggling it loose to no avail.

The piston is jammed in the fully back position since I lock the rifle with a cable lock with the bolt fully open. Is the piston FUBAR? Please help.
 
try putting in some breakfree and a good hosing of WD40 and letting it sit. after give it a tap with a rubber mallet, it should come free.

I rememeber a fellow at our range had a similar problem and he did this and he got the piston out. You might have some carbon deposits in there? I am not so sure at this point you could call it rust.
 
Piston Seizure

olegs69 said:
Well, I've gone and done it.

I fired about 120 rounds of South African from my Norc14 about three weeks ago. I brought her home and promptly gave her a good bore cleaning.
While cleaning the bore I neglected to clean the gas piston. The thing is totally jammed up. I've tried wiggling it loose to no avail.

The piston is jammed in the fully back position since I lock the rifle with a cable lock with the bolt fully open. Is the piston FUBAR? Please help.
Click to expand...

Would gave to be a lot of carbon to do that.If it is carbon,lots of Hoppes #9,soak for a while then shoot one round - the gas pressure will blow the stuff out and free the piston.
I have used that method with other seized pistons (on vz 58's) when rookies didnt clean the piston.
 
I have to use a large wrench or vise to hold the barrel and gas assembly to get the gas plug out.

Remember that it's a dry piston. No lube at all in this area.
 
I must have gotten water into the gas system when I cleaned it.

When I finally got the gas piston to come out I was mortified. I could see a lot of orange rust.
There is pitting on the gas piston, probably major pitting in the gas assembly. Well, live and learn. A new match gas cylinder is only about 114 bucks off Brownell's, the question is will it fit the Norc?
 
think i'd try marstar first - a whole lot less hassle and you KNOW the piston is GOING TO FIT- i wouldn't bet the farm on usgi fitting a norc cylinder or vice-versa- depending on the condition, you MAY need a whole new cylinder with piston- and get it fitted- that means taking off the flash hider and front sight- remember the cylinder walls have to be SMOOTH - depends on how badly it's pitted
 
olegs69 said:
I must have gotten water into the gas system when I cleaned it.

When I finally got the gas piston to come out I was mortified. I could see a lot of orange rust.
There is pitting on the gas piston, probably major pitting in the gas assembly. Well, live and learn. A new match gas cylinder is only about 114 bucks off Brownell's, the question is will it fit the Norc?
Click to expand...

It should fit - but not the figure 8 lock - different thread
 
After a good scrubbing with a toothbrush, the gas system appears to have no visible pitting. The piston itself seems to have some orange staining. The piston slides around with a wee bit of difficulty, but that should smooth out once the rifle starts slamming that piston around.
 
one of them "special armourers tools" may be an answer - consists of a piece of fine emery wrapped around a dowel
 
olegs69:

Sounds like you already have everything under control. Well done. Keep it dry! Mind you if you really want to squirt something down there... NRA Articles used to suggest a few drops of bore cleaner, work the piston back and forth then FIRE the rifle a few times to blow out the carbon.

Then leave it dry! :D

Cheers,
Barney
 
gas cyl

i put a us gi gas cylinder on my own norc m 14 with out any problem the only thing i needed was a us gas plug the pistion fit was good . and it works just fine. norc lock nut is not needed to do this as it still threads back on to same threads :)
 
Interesting

black john said:
i put a us gi gas cylinder on my own norc m 14 with out any problem the only thing i needed was a us gas plug the pistion fit was good . and it works just fine. norc lock nut is not needed to do this as it still threads back on to same threads :)
Click to expand...

If you mic. the pistons you will find they are definately different diameters - Possible to much gas blow by or not enough. If you end up having problems let me know - I have spare new G.I. pistons .
 
How did you get water in there is the question I want to know. Were you shooting in the rain?

I take it the piston isn't chromed, was this a corrosive ammo?
 
gas piston

:)thanks for the offer chopper 1`. but its been 5-6 years since i have built up my m 14 and there has never been a hich. the piston is tite so tite that i have to wait till the air slowly leaks out for it to slide in to the down postion. it worked for me thats all i can say. and when i got my gun it came as a box of parts nothing was assembled just on box of parts when put assembled it should look like an m 14. the only thing i had any problem with was the head space was to tite.
 
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