I have a 2007 M14S i got a few years ago that was gathering dust. Last weekend, after throwing the action into a glass stock, I tried shooting it to see what I would get. I was disappointed to find it only fired about once in every 5 rounds.
I am writing this to see if anyone has had the same problem. Primers showed weak strike but the firing pin protrusion (with the bolt out of the gun) appeared visually to be alright. There is nothing to suggest a problem with the tail of the firing pin entereing the rear slot on the bolt. So what's up?
My first thought was that something was wrong with headspace but although the bolt "just" barely closes on a NO GO guage I didn't think that was a problem. I was trying a variety of reloads and using a Hormady shoulder length gauge put that issue out of the way.
Next was a problem check in the trigger assembly. Was the main spring too weak? was there something jamming up the works. No. But here is the neat thing and my particular point.
When the hammer was eased forward off the sear, It did not fall all the way forward against the front inside wall of the housing. That didn't seem right. In fact I noticed that on my trigger guard the cocking tab (what used to be a round pin on the early original M14's) was preventing the hammer from falling forward fully.
I tried to bend this tab back a bit using a heavy screwdriver but that made no difference. This is a stout and hard piece of metal.
Back home in my shop I dismantled the trigger group and pinched the trigger guard in a smooth jaw vice to try and tap the tab back. i couldn't get enough pinch on the guard to make this possible. So it is back to basics.
Using a #0 tip on my acetylene torch I gently heated the tab to dull red heat and with a pair of needle nose pliers I bent it back slightly. Note that this was done very quickly and with no discoloration of the main portion og hte guard. Let everything cool and reassembled. The eye had been good and now there was the smallest gap between the hammer in full forward position and the cocking tab. A test in the bullet trap gave 5 firings without a hitch.
So. If someone is selling you one of these rifles it is a quick and easy check for this problem. Pop out the trigger group, eas forward the hammer and make sure it comes toe a stop on the trigger housing and not on the cocking tab. If the hammer fails this test move on or start to bargain hard on the price! The guy selling it probably knows the gun wont shoot.
I'll be interested to hear if anyone else has had this problem.
I am writing this to see if anyone has had the same problem. Primers showed weak strike but the firing pin protrusion (with the bolt out of the gun) appeared visually to be alright. There is nothing to suggest a problem with the tail of the firing pin entereing the rear slot on the bolt. So what's up?
My first thought was that something was wrong with headspace but although the bolt "just" barely closes on a NO GO guage I didn't think that was a problem. I was trying a variety of reloads and using a Hormady shoulder length gauge put that issue out of the way.
Next was a problem check in the trigger assembly. Was the main spring too weak? was there something jamming up the works. No. But here is the neat thing and my particular point.
When the hammer was eased forward off the sear, It did not fall all the way forward against the front inside wall of the housing. That didn't seem right. In fact I noticed that on my trigger guard the cocking tab (what used to be a round pin on the early original M14's) was preventing the hammer from falling forward fully.
I tried to bend this tab back a bit using a heavy screwdriver but that made no difference. This is a stout and hard piece of metal.
Back home in my shop I dismantled the trigger group and pinched the trigger guard in a smooth jaw vice to try and tap the tab back. i couldn't get enough pinch on the guard to make this possible. So it is back to basics.
Using a #0 tip on my acetylene torch I gently heated the tab to dull red heat and with a pair of needle nose pliers I bent it back slightly. Note that this was done very quickly and with no discoloration of the main portion og hte guard. Let everything cool and reassembled. The eye had been good and now there was the smallest gap between the hammer in full forward position and the cocking tab. A test in the bullet trap gave 5 firings without a hitch.
So. If someone is selling you one of these rifles it is a quick and easy check for this problem. Pop out the trigger group, eas forward the hammer and make sure it comes toe a stop on the trigger housing and not on the cocking tab. If the hammer fails this test move on or start to bargain hard on the price! The guy selling it probably knows the gun wont shoot.
I'll be interested to hear if anyone else has had this problem.
