Upgraded Spring Guide causing bind (M305)

drifter dave

drifter dave

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I picked up a new spring guide from Magwedge (non-fluted and marked M14Medic). Installed easily but causes a lot of bind when operating the charging handle. The bind is audible and the action is rough and notchy. I looked around for any obstruction, but everything looks fine. Charging with the factory Norinco guide is smooth as butter. I have stripped and lubed the action several times. Gun has about 200 rounds through it.

Suggestions?


TIA
 
Definitely not.
:)

It seems as though the narrow norinco guide allows the spring to flex side to side, whereas the new piece gives the spring less room to move as it travels in and out of the op rod. Hard to explain. The narrow guide allows for slop in the spring, new one forces it to bind on the op rod...

Could be my op rod guide is out of alignment? It does not line up perfectly with the gas tube...


Ahhhhh Norinco...
 
This is quite common to find when installing the NM guide rods of any brand. It's not a problem with the "m14medic' spring guide.

I'll post a pic in a few minutes to show you where you must stone the engagement end of the guide rod to seat it further in and align it better with the oprod tube.
I believe the problem pops up when the oprod is not perfectly true.

Simple mod, hang on for the pic.
 
Thanks 45.

Mach it runs great with the Norinco guide. The "slop" it allows in the spring allows it to move and flex, clearing the sides of the op rod (if that makes sense)
 
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The arrow is pointing to the top edge not the actual "side" of the engagement end
I had to do this mod on probably every 3 out of 5 guide rods I've installed, from all manufacturers in dozens and dozens and dozens of rifles hehehehe
it allows the rod to become more centered to the oprod tube itself.

when then the oprod comes rearward compressing the spring, if the oprod spring guider rod's engagement end is not centered to the oprod tube, the spring begins to pinch and drag between inside of tube and guide rod, more to the last 1/3 to 1/4 of it's rearward travel.

just remember to keep the area being modified nice and flat...... work it on the stone for a bit and trial fit, repeat as necessary until the binding is relieved.
trust me...... it's a routine part of fitting an NM guide rod , or so I have found over the past few years.
 
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oh ya..... gas tubes/cylinders.
when you guys do the oprod guide mod to anchor it to the barrel and align with gas system...... align the oprod tube center with the center of the piston itself..... ignore the cylinder altogether hehehehe
 
Tried clearancing the rod as you described and it seemed to help a bit - it still binds in the last few inches of travel but I'm wondering if I'm being a bit picky here..
I'm going to run it and see how it goes :)


9111820546_1933c44390_z.jpg
 
Too much binding can slow things down just enough to cause feeding malfunctions.
Try taking a bit more off that surface and it "should" eliminate the issue altogether
A straight edge can also be set on that surface to ensure parallelism between that surface and the guide rod itself.
 
I had the same issue with my sadlak guide, it found the norc spring isnt wide enough to fit the guide properly, I got a USGI spring and all is nice n smooth now.
 
CeeJay said:
I had the same issue with my sadlak guide, it found the norc spring isnt wide enough to fit the guide properly, I got a USGI spring and all is nice n smooth now.
Click to expand...

This is a different issue altogether.
The canadian made spring guides have generally been made with the chinese spring diameter in mind.

Important to remind folks that US made spring guides require US made springs. Reason being, the chinese spring is a bit too tight of diameter over it's US made equivalent
US springs will function fine on canadian made guide rods however.
 
Would it be possible to repost that picture of your fix? Doesn't appear to show up anymore and I have this exact problem.
 
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