M305 OP-ROD issue

unic said:
Bending the op rod will align it with the gas cylinder as well.
However, it must maintain parallel with the barrel and spring/rod.
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In us white trash talk that means: bend her side to side but not up and down ;)
I wouldn't advise bending it. Especially if he could confirm the op rod is perfectly straight/good to go.
You're not addressing the root of the issue in this fashion but that's just me.
 
unic said:
Bending the op rod will align it with the gas cylinder as well.
However, it must maintain parallel with the barrel and spring/rod.
Click to expand...

ya..... maybe don't listen to this guy ^^^^^ .
wow..... that's some bad advice LOL

the oprod arm should be completely parallel to the oprod tube.... but everybody already knows that I'm sure.
this is a lot of discussion over such a simple adjustment. I don't see how anyone is assuming an out of index barrel, a bent oprod , or any of those things by the picture that was posted. Looks like a classic loose or off axis oprod guide would be the "first" thing any of us experienced folks would suggest.

I dimple too vs knurling tool. I use the knurling tool now for any high end barrels but for the usgi and chinese barrels , dimpling has kinda become the standard method for us all. Works well. I only build maybe 2 or 3 rifles a year now just for me and friends these days and just refer folks to M14medic.ca. He can take care of you guys needing work done ;)
 
Can anyone explain the method they use to dimple it in detail. Lots of dimples or just a few spots? I have yet to find any info explaining the proper procedure for this. Maybe im over thinking it. But id rather ask first than butcher my rifle and then ask hah!. I was just thinking its best to evenly dimple it around the entire surface in rows. But then i thought it might be good enough to just give some strikes in a few spots around the barrel. Its not that loose and i plan on epoxying it too. But its probably best to just simulate what the knurled surface would look like...
 
Thanks. I checked out quite a few of his vids but didn't see one on dimpling. Just knurling. He explains that dimpling is an alternative to knurling. He does not demonstrate dimpling from what i have seen. The video linked above shows him peening the splines to keep the gas block tight. Not the oprod guide mating surface. Tony Bens videos along with info from a few fellow cgn'rs on this thread as well as one i have started myself have been extremely helpful and informative. Much appreciated. Tony ben though. Must watch for anyone new to the m14/ m305.
 
C.308 said:
Thanks. I checked out quite a few of his vids but didn't see one on dimpling. Just knurling. He explains that dimpling is an alternative to knurling. He does not demonstrate dimpling from what i have seen. The video linked above shows him peening the splines to keep the gas block tight. Not the oprod guide mating surface. Tony Bens videos along with info from a few fellow cgn'rs on this thread as well as one i have started myself have been extremely helpful and informative. Much appreciated. Tony ben though. Must watch for anyone new to the m14/ m305.
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Essentially like I posted prior, you just center punch under the op rod guide on the raised portion of the barrel where it sits.
Drift out your op rod guide roll pin.
Drift guide forward off of this hump.
Center punch into said area. You want a good amount of dimples. I put about 6 all around one ring at front and 6 all around at the rear. So you have good raised metal on front and rear of the op rod guide band. Make sure you support under the hump on the barrel properly. Don't be hammering into the center of the barrel with it suspended between two tables or anything foolish lol
If you don't have to hammer it on with decent force then you didn't dimple it hard enough or enough of them. The idea being it does not move or loosen up as the barrel heats up and metal starts expanding plus the movement of the action will vibrate and could lossen it again. Just make sure when you hammer it on your op rod is in line with the gas system/piston. You want to avoid hammering it left or right after you have got it back on as this could "unstick" the tight fit you just created.
This is the reason I had my friend do one tiny little tac weld to the rear of the guide rod at the top of the barrel on top of the dimpling but if you don't know a guy that has a set up this will cost money.
 
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C.308 said:
Thanks. I checked out quite a few of his vids but didn't see one on dimpling. Just knurling. He explains that dimpling is an alternative to knurling. He does not demonstrate dimpling from what i have seen. The video linked above shows him peening the splines to keep the gas block tight. Not the oprod guide mating surface. Tony Bens videos along with info from a few fellow cgn'rs on this thread as well as one i have started myself have been extremely helpful and informative. Much appreciated. Tony ben though. Must watch for anyone new to the m14/ m305.
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Lots and lots of dimples.... DO NOT dimple the relived area for the roll-pin. The barrel is much too thin there and you will deform the bore.

With dimples, more is better than deeper. You don’t have to whack the punch hard. Generally I do rows of 6 and then nestle rows of 5 in between. Probably 60+ dimples.

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John
 

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Another note.
After you have done this, you may not want to drift your op rod guide roll pin back in.
My first M14 from 2007 actually was on the rifle very solid but the rod was still offset at the piston..... they machined the drift pin notch on the barrel hump offset....
So I followed the stickies to dimple the barrel and then drifted the pin back into the op rod guide only to have it twist right back offside lol
FYI, if you do it right you don't actually need the roll pin back in anyhow.
 
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