Possible to re-tap Norinco M14 threads to imperial?
- Thread starter Artie Fufkin
- Start date
For a metric castle nut, you could always track down a tap in the proper size (not a clue what it is) use a peice of round stock, use a dremel (if no mill is avalible) with a small carbide bur, carefully cut the Cotter pin slots (Where the wrench grips on), and then put the peice of round stock on the lathe, drill and tap it using the tailstock, then part it off to lenght.
Don't know if the knurl's are all that important or not ??
Dimitri
Don't know if the knurl's are all that important or not ??
Dimitri
i would figure any one of the machinist type guys on this site with access to the right tools could easily knock off simple parts like castlenuts and gas lock sights with ghost ring navy type sight or simple raised dovetail. it's a metric thread so it would be simple with the right tool to gauge it.
I'm kind of surprised for all the Norinco's in Canada that someone hasn't started up a side business for these metric parts. What do you guys do if you damage one?
Since Marstar has gone to the trouble to have the hooded sight/cylinder lock made I'm surprised they don't have the gas plugs and castle nuts made as well. Maybe thats a good sign, must not be too many in need of them.
AF
Since Marstar has gone to the trouble to have the hooded sight/cylinder lock made I'm surprised they don't have the gas plugs and castle nuts made as well. Maybe thats a good sign, must not be too many in need of them.
AF
Ishootguns
Regular
- Location
- Acton Ontario
I haven't heard of anyone damaging the parts mentioned. Making new ones in the shop wouldn't be a huge deal, however not too many people will pay for the time it takes.
Dave
Dave
The Marstar METRIC GAS LOCK front sights are worth the money.
Gas locks, and particularly the GLFS are NOT trivial ...
notice that when you turn over Marstar's gas lock front sight, the thread is indexed differently. This means you can get TWO different gas assembly lockups with one GLFS ...
and one of them should index correctly [ 4 o clock plus some rubber hammer time ] for your particular gas assembly.
This might save you a shim pack.
PLUS,
the GAS LOCKS should be surface ground perfectly flat, to the perfect exact width and perfectly bored at exactly 90 degrees, then hardened [ without warping ] to take the guff.
You won't likely get that degree of accuracy at home on your table top drill press ... or rubbing the gas ring evenly on a 620 grit piece of wet and dry sandpaper [ hopefully with a piece of perfectly flat glass under it to make it perfectly flat ].
With enough neversieze, the wrong castle nuts CAN be forced on, either way, and you get what you deserve with that. Having the flashider wobble is probably no big deal if you also have taper reamed it out to NM specs, right?
And when Hungry talks about things falling off ... the flashider getting wobbly is the first symptom ... then we all know what comes next??
The wrong gas lock can also be forced in, but when you consider the forces acting on that unit when the HEAVY op rod slams into the piston, which then slams into the gas plug, which then slams the entire gas assembly into the gas lock, you can see why messing with these threads is non-trivial.
Off course, you a free [ and actually encouraged ] to mess around with your M-14 in whatever way you want.
But don't blame our FAQs if your you know what falls off.
[;{)
LAZ 1
Gas locks, and particularly the GLFS are NOT trivial ...
notice that when you turn over Marstar's gas lock front sight, the thread is indexed differently. This means you can get TWO different gas assembly lockups with one GLFS ...
and one of them should index correctly [ 4 o clock plus some rubber hammer time ] for your particular gas assembly.
This might save you a shim pack.
PLUS,
the GAS LOCKS should be surface ground perfectly flat, to the perfect exact width and perfectly bored at exactly 90 degrees, then hardened [ without warping ] to take the guff.
You won't likely get that degree of accuracy at home on your table top drill press ... or rubbing the gas ring evenly on a 620 grit piece of wet and dry sandpaper [ hopefully with a piece of perfectly flat glass under it to make it perfectly flat ].
With enough neversieze, the wrong castle nuts CAN be forced on, either way, and you get what you deserve with that. Having the flashider wobble is probably no big deal if you also have taper reamed it out to NM specs, right?
And when Hungry talks about things falling off ... the flashider getting wobbly is the first symptom ... then we all know what comes next??
The wrong gas lock can also be forced in, but when you consider the forces acting on that unit when the HEAVY op rod slams into the piston, which then slams into the gas plug, which then slams the entire gas assembly into the gas lock, you can see why messing with these threads is non-trivial.
Off course, you a free [ and actually encouraged ] to mess around with your M-14 in whatever way you want.
But don't blame our FAQs if your you know what falls off.
[;{)
LAZ 1
Well if I get dimensions (cause I got no M1A till January) I'll be able to locate replacement castle nuts (ether shop made or custom ordered from a fastener company), and if they can be priced reasonably, I'm sure they'd sell.
Dimitri
Ishootguns
Regular
- Location
- Acton Ontario
Dimitri I agree with you, however from my experience of building parts for others I have found that the term "priced reasonably" is definately open to interpretation.
Dave
Dave
