Tuning and accurizing M14

[Tokarev]

Was at the gun store and there was M14 made in China there, one of the few still in stock in the country (everyone seems to be sold out of them). Temptation was too much and I bought her.

With Russian Wolf 147gr ammo at 40 yards she shot rugged holes with ghost ring iron sight to which I am not used to. I did not try longer distance due to lack of spotting scope or binocular.

What advise can you offer for initial tuning and accurizing this magnificent rifle?

Being 'optics' guy I would want to scope her. What is the absolute best mount out there? The consensus in the forums that I was able to google was that Smith Enterprise was top 1 with Sadlak being top 2. What do you think?

[DCM]

Unitize the gas system with the front ferrule by TIG welding.

Remove the upper handgaurd, put some high temp RTV on the front ferrule area and between the rear attaching clip and handgaurd. Reinstall and wipe off the excess RTV in both locations.

Polish the front ferrule and band where they contact each other and lubricate it.

Bed the action to the stock making sure to have positive pressure on the front ferrule.

You may want to find J Kuhnhausen's book on this rifle. While your at it please find my copy too! :)
There is way more info in it than I can properly relate here.

[Tokarev]

The front site sits at an angle of about 5 degrees to the right. I thought that it is fixed in place by an Allen screw and castle nut, but the screw head has a round cavity, not hex.

Is that a correct screw? Do you see the same thing I do?

[Gtek]

First- Please find parts breakdown and learn function / fit / lubrication demands of your platform. Second- have headspace checked, if on loose side your on good side to correct barrel timing issue and chamber dimension and find sight center on front end. Third- Please understand that USGI parts if needed may not fit very well and will need touching if replacement is required. Jerry Kuhnhausen created a wonderful piece called The U.S. .30 caliber Gas Operated Service Rifles, A Shop Manual Volumes 1 & 2. Enjoy, Be Safe. Gtek

[DCM]

I suggest trying this book.

http://www.gunbooks.com/us30.html

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/582340/the-us-30-caliber-gas-operated-service-rifles-a-shop-manual-volumes-1-and-2-book-by-jerry-kuhnhausen

[c3d4b2]

Here is a link with some M14 Info. There is a link on the page about bedding a M14.

http://www.imageseek.com/m1a/

[c3d4b2]

Here is the AMU's M14 Accurizing guide.

http://www.m14.ca/accurizing/m14_m1_accurizing.pdf

[seagiant]

Hi,
Congrats on the Poly! They are the only M-14 I will own! I won't go into why. Yes I will! It seems that we can not make an as good FORGED reciever as the Chinese in this country! I don't know why? My best advice with yours is shoot it! If you want to put a scope on it you sort of defeat the purpose of a grab and go battle rifle!

I put together a FA made Poly with GI parts to shoot with a scope but it makes it pretty heavy,fun to shoot though. I have a FAL Austrian STG 58 that I built on a forged Imbel reciever for a grab rifle!

[Tokarev]

What is the thread size on the lower buttpad screw? The one with with very fine thread that screws into the sling swivel.
I bought a rubber buttpad which is 1/4" too thick for the standard screw to engage in the threads and need to find replacement.
If I am not mistaken, this looks like approx. 48 TPI thread 0.212" in diameter.
Or is it metric? Then it would be an odd 3 TPmm with 5.5 mm diameter [smilie=f:

[john hayslip]

I just went and measured mine which is off the rifle while I refinish the stock - it is a 12-28, My rifle is a Springfield arms M1-A and I'd assume used surplus parts.

[Tokarev]

Should have mentioned that this is a Poly Technologies m305, not Springfield GI M14!

Mine doesn't look anywhere near 12-28. That would have been a piece of cake. :(

Found it easier to make my own screw and square nut instead of calling and driving around or ordering.
One day I might make a proper sling swivel too, but that can wait until I'll find better material than 1018.
Original screw (bottom) vs. replacement screw with standard metric M6 thread (top):

[Tokarev]

A local gunsmith helped put the screw thru the thread gauge and found that it's 5.5x0.5mm thread.

[Tokarev]

Mailman dropped off a parcel with the correct M5.5x0.5 die today and I endeavored to make a correct buttpad machine screw. Turned out pretty well, I think for 1 hour including setup:
http://www.tallmanindustries.ca/images/large/m305/m305_extscrew_01_LRG.JPG
http://www.tallmanindustries.ca/images/large/m305/m305_extscrew_02_LRG.JPG
Icing on the cake was using this opportunity to teach my older son to take measurements and make blueprints, set up lathe and turn thread using a die in the chuck.
Now I have this rubber buttpad on:
http://www.tallmanindustries.ca/images/large/m305/m305_extscrew_03_LRG.JPG
http://www.tallmanindustries.ca/images/large/m305/m305_extscrew_04_LRG.JPG

[Tokarev]

A favour!

Can anybody take a picture of your M14's breach end from straight above the action with the bolt pulled back?
I am trying to figure if my barrel is not properly indexed, or the slots in the front side and gas port threads are cut at 5 past midnight. Just wanted to check if the breech end of the chamber looks right.

[JKH]

Every Poly or Norinco I have owned, or handled, with a canted sight it was the flash hider itself that the spline grooves which were milled out of time. Pick up a good replacement (aftermarket or USGI) flash hider or muzzle brake (such as Smith Enterprises) and the problem will go away. Be aware though that most, if not all the newer Norinco's have 2 spot welds ony the bottom of the flash hider skirt tacked to the barrel, they can be removed but the welds will have to be broken or carefully drilled/milled or spot ground to allow removal, there is a YouTube tutorial for the simplest method.

Otherwise if the windage is okay at 100 yards minimum, And the rear sight is basically centered then it is purely cosmetic.

I have a pre-ban Polytech (my 3rd) and they are an excellant weapon, this one Will still be in my collection for my sons to inherit, its my favorite semi-auto after my Garand's : )

Hth

Jeff

[Tokarev]

On mine front site, gas block and barrel shoulders are all equally underindexed by 00:05.
The gap between handguard on the left is wider than on the right side. Defective barrel?

[JKH]

A horse of a different color ; ) That is a very small amount and can most likely be torqued to 12 o'clock with a proper barrel vice and action wrench, know anyone that 'smiths M1 Garand's?