M305 upgrade kit???

blueflash

blueflash

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Is there anywere out there that sells all of the parts that are recommended for your new Norinco, so that you can safely fire 180gr bullets out of your M14?

Or do you have to buy all of the parts individual? is so what exactly are the parts that are needed? best place to buy from? and how much $$ total for everything that is needed to upgrade your rifle so that it can safely handle the higher pressere from 180gr bullets.
 
The main thing is the sadlak piston with the grouve. Other than that... it may be a little harder on your rifle, but as long as you're not shooting 180gr all the time you should be alright.
 
I have shot a few hundred through mine, not max loads though. Got a nice load for the Remington 180 gr PSPs, and sorta stuck with it. When I have the money I'll work on a 150 gr [4650?] load, but until then it'll be those 180s and some 20 year old BLC2.
 
Really my plans are to shoot whatever is best that I find for at the Range, but once a year, I may go through 2 boxes of 180gr hunting ammo getting ready for hunting and hunting. I just don't want a malfuntion to occur when I am 14 hours up North, and sight in my rifle one more time before the big hunt starts the next day. I would rather spend the money now to upgrade the rifle before I go.
 
An NM grooved Sadlak gas piston and I recommend an NM oprod spring guide rod and a USGI or M1A recoil spring.
This setup is "proven" to allow safe and reliable operation with 180gr bullets.
The occasional mag of 180gr is not such a big deal but those using them regularly without the 3 parts above are asking for trouble.
The only problem that arises is the piston may not have sufficient vacuum in a chinese cylinder and this means an M1A or USGI gas cylinder and plug.
 
Yep, just ran into that myself. One of my two M14's still has the Chinese gas system. It was fine for USGI rounds with a 98% reliability rate. The moment I switch to reloads with anything other than H4895 or a 150gr pill, the reliability drops to 50% with lots of short-strokes. Entirely a gas system problem.

That rifle is waiting for a 762mmfirearms gas system to show up in the mail.

The more I experiment with non-standard loads, the more the dimensional issues with the Chinese gas systems are highlighted and the more I'm inclined to recommend guys to swap them out. In fact, I'd now state that as many as 70% of the chinese gas systems I've seen are out of tolerance - some more than others. Depending what you shoot in your rifle, this may or may not be a problem.
 
M14Doctor said:
An NM grooved Sadlak gas piston and I recommend an NM oprod spring guide rod and a USGI or M1A recoil spring.
This setup is "proven" to allow safe and reliable operation with 180gr bullets.
The occasional mag of 180gr is not such a big deal but those using them regularly without the 3 parts above are asking for trouble.
The only problem that arises is the piston may not have sufficient vacuum in a chinese cylinder and this means an M1A or USGI gas cylinder and plug.
Click to expand...

Were is the best place to buy those 3 parts? Brownells?
 
Have you considered shooting 150 grn. TSX bullets over H4895 in it? I haven't ran them personally but it seems like it would be a deadly combo! My M14 LOVES 150 grn. so why screw with it? :)
 
Why bother? ..... Many folks don't reload, and many folks don't have stock pile of surplus ammo.
Having the grooved and standard pistons on hand, allows the shooter to run what ammo he has access to.
When stores are out of 150 or 165 , often they got lots of 180gr .
Right now it's hard to find case lots of 147gr surplus but in 180gr, there is case lots availlable.
 
Okay, so if I get a

NM grooved Sadlak gas piston
NM oprod spring guide rod
USGI or M1A recoil spring

Then I will be good to go for shooting 180gr ammunition. My next questions are:

1. Do I need to switch out anything when I am using 150 gr ammunition ? or once I upgrade to these 3 parts, then I can shoot both 150gr and 180 gr ammunition?

2. Is there a CGN sponsor that sells all 3 of the parts that I need? if not, any suggestions, of were to buy from for the best price?

3. Is it better to get the Titanium or Stainless gass piston?
 
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I do not consider myself an expert on the M14 (but I have three of them). The rifle was designed to fire 150gr. and 168gr. bullets with powders in the IMR 4895 pressure band. I know that in one of my old Brownell catalogs they offered adjustable gas pistons for both the M14 and the M1 Garand (so the reloaders could mess around abit). Unless you go this route, I would stick with suitable powders within this pressure range. You can drop a big bull moose just fine with a 130gr. Barnes tsx out of a .308. Onceyou start messing around with heavy bullets (over 168gr.) you are just going to take some life out of your operating rod, and why? I have a M1A with a .243 barrel on it and I load with IMR 4895 (why beat the piss out of it?). If you want to shoot 180gr., Thats ok if you are out in Grizz country, but you really do not need that weight of bullet for big game hunting unless you are in that situation (protection). I know there are some M14 experts on this site (and I think one of them has his own website). They seem very knowledgable in what the rifle is made to do and what it can do.
 
blueflash said:
Okay, so if I get a

NM grooved Sadlak gas piston
NM oprod spring guide rod
USGI or M1A recoil spring

Then I will be good to go for shooting 180gr ammunition.
Click to expand...
in a perfect world that would be it..... but as i mentioned , the sadlak or any piston made to the usgi for diameter may or may not function reliably in a chinese gas system. you will want to keep your original piston so you can swap it back in for loads lighter than 180gr.

blueflash said:
My next questions are:

1. Do I need to switch out anything when I am using 150 gr ammunition ? or once I upgrade to these 3 parts, then I can shoot both 150gr and 180 gr ammunition?

2. Is there a CGN sponsor that sells all 3 of the parts that I need? if not, any suggestions, of were to buy from for the best price?

3. Is it better to get the Titanium or Stainless gass piston?
Click to expand...

I prefer to stick to the standard stainless versions but this is personal preference, I'm still not sold on the benefits of a titanium coated surface.
no CGN sponsor offers all of these as far as i know.
your first question is answered above ;)
 
sunray said:
Why bother? A 180 won't do anything a 165 or 175 grain bullet won't do.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

I didn't think a deer or moose could tell the difference between a 180 and a 150 grain bullet that the rifle was originally designed for.

By the time you spend the money to 'upgrade' your M14 to fire slightly heavier bullets, you are half way to another rifle.

Canadian tire should stock ample amounts of Federal 150grn SP's in .308.

But hey, it's your money. ;)
 
Tyler said:
Exactly.

I didn't think a deer or moose could tell the difference between a 180 and a 150 grain bullet that the rifle was originally designed for.

By the time you spend the money to 'upgrade' your M14 to fire slightly heavier bullets, you are half way to another rifle.

Canadian tire should stock ample amounts of Federal 150grn SP's in .308.

But hey, it's your money. ;)
Click to expand...

i offer the insight and how to shoot 180's and up safely in these rifles because it is there for people to know and they want to know it now :D

BUT I agree with this poster's comments.
in my m14 rifles i hunt with a 165gr nosler partition, winchester premium, commercial loads. 5 well placed rounds on any incoming "hostile critter" is gonna get the job done and anything with antlers and hooves is going down equally fast with one well placed shot.

BUT for those who want to dabble a bit over the 180 threshhold for whatever reason they may want or have need to do so..... the parts are there to get it done without damaging your rifle.
 
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