Please help me with M14 parts identification. *Many pics*

W

wildphil24

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Hi guys,

I received a Norinco M14 with a majority of american parts. It's my first time with a chinese M14. I did a pretty good inspection and figured the origin of most parts. Here are the questions I could not answer:

1) Which brand is the gas cylinder?
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ftPEOl.jpg


2) Should there be a screw locking the barrel thread? (It was rebarreled with a Criterion.)
PGH0ll.jpg


3) Which brand is this standard rear aperture? It's really redish and have a vertical loose. The turrets are USGI M14.
HvfGrl.jpg


4) Is the oprod welded or are all Chinese oprod like that?
ffOTLl.jpg

1QWOml.jpg


Thank you!
 
- Looks likea GI gas cylinder... hard to tell manufacturer because most weren't marked.
-Norc barrels are held with set screw through the receiver. No other manufacturer, including USGI, uses the set screw... so if it was rebarreled with a criterion you don't need the screw.
-OP rod is norc... looks normal.
-Not sure why your apperature is red (???)
 
A piece that's been re blued (not parkerized) will turn reddish or plum if there's a lot of nickle in it. I suspect a refinish of the rear sight aperature at some time. Where did you get that one?
 
1) The gas piston is either USGI or reasonable commercial facsimile in stainless steel. the cylinder could be either USGI, SAI or 762mmfirearms. Pretty much impossible to tell and it makes no difference so long as it operates OK.

2) The first thing you ditch when you re-barrel a Norinco is that goofy screw. A properly indexed and shouldered barrel doesn't need a screw to keep it in place, and neither do chinese barrels for that matter. At hte last Ottawa M14 clinic, I hand-ground (hollow grind) a driver blade and removed a couple for guys (if you don't do this right, those screws are a BUGGER to remove).

3) This usually happens with high-nickel cast parts. Original GI apertures are, if memory serves, forged and machined, so the aperture on yours might be a Springfield Armory Inc. replacement aperture which someone blued. If it bothers you, you could have it parkerized - no sweat. It should be better quality than the crappy original Norinco part.

4) That oprod is not welded, that's just a shoulder where the lathe stopped when they were turning the forging's shaft. Norinco oprods are made from one-piece forgings.
 
Actually one way ive found out to tell if its a USGI gas cylinder is to check right under the front lip where the gas nut screws in .. some were marked with 2 or 3 very very hard to see letters , most common ones seen have been W a very shallow one . ive heard of people seeing some with trw on them but the letters were so worn off they couldnt really tell .
 
Claven2 said:
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4) That oprod is not welded, that's just a shoulder where the lathe stopped when they were turning the forging's shaft. Norinco oprods are made from one-piece forgings.
Click to expand...

That engraved serial number is low enough to be a Norinco. It would be a long stretch of the imagination for a 4-digit USGI piece to have survived from the 1950's in that condition. Out of curiousity, does it match the receiver number?
 
GI oprods were never serial numbered in US service, they would only have had a drawing number and maker's mark. Complete parts interchangeability and all that... ;)

In Canada, the electro-pencilled units are generally Norinco and the Polytech's seem to be pantograph engraved with the s/n on the bolt, oprod and trigger group housing.
 
Thank you Claven for all the informations!

browningautorifle said:
Where did you get that one?
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I have no clue. It's a nice hybrid-M14, the riflesmith didn't note it's specs and I'm the 3rd guy to have it in 3 years.
So the aperture is a blued SAI...
It's not the color that's bugging me. The aperture have vertical looseness and I have a hard time shooting 6" groups at 50yds with the sights. An optic would tell me if it's a sight problem or the poor stock fitting. I don't need help on this, I'm taking care of it.

maple_leaf_eh said:
Out of curiousity, does it match the receiver number?
Click to expand...
Not at all. And I can't confirm about the TG and bolt marking because they were replaced by USGI parts.

Cheers,
Phil
 
Claven2 said:
GI oprods were never serial numbered in US service, they would only have had a drawing number and maker's mark. Complete parts interchangeability and all that... ;)

In Canada, the electro-pencilled units are generally Norinco and the Polytech's seem to be pantograph engraved with the s/n on the bolt, oprod and trigger group housing.
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity , my GI oprod made by HR has some wierd serial number lookin deal on it .. what exactly does it mean , just a part #? its about 7 digits with a 64 before HRA .
 
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