M1 Carbine stuck piston

[rdfact]

[TKM]

Hit it with a quick shot of 40K PSI air wrench.

See what it does after being fired.

http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/forum/gas-piston-question_topic3529.html

[rdfact]

Hit it with a quick shot of 40K PSI air wrench.

See what it does after being fired.

http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/forum/...topic3529.html

Last time I fire it, it wouldn't cycle.

[Bainter1212]

Tap it with a mallet

[dogrunner]

The tapping method might work. You might also try using vise grips with some non marring shield.....leather etc.......and try rotating it till it frees up. (might have to coat the jaw shields with rosin for gripping purposes)

Incidentally, I have never seen one seized that badly and I own an M/2 that has been fired thousands of times with cast bullets!

[rdfact]

The piston has been freed. I guess it needed to soak for a few days. There was a lot of carbon buildup.
Just after removing the piston, gas port was blocked.


After poking the buildup with a needle.

[AR22]

I was going to say, soak it with some PB Blaster, and Fire it. That gets most free.

[NorcalGSG]

Possibly was fired with some corrosive ammo bought cheap at a gun show, etc. Hard to tell but it looks pitted inside the bore. I'm sure it will work after being cleaned up though

[mtykim]

try some oven or bbq cleaner on it. I use the cheap stuff from the dollar store with pretty good results on carbon buildup. works well dissolving away died up old cosmoline too.

[NOTABIKER]

A clean gun is a working gun . I usually take a gun 100 % apart after shooting a lot.Cleaning the receiver and barrel are not always enough.

[rdfact]

A clean gun is a working gun . I usually take a gun 100 % apart after shooting a lot.Cleaning the receiver and barrel are not always enough.

I put less than 150 rounds through this particular M1 Carbine (a 1943 Inland). That level of carbon buildup was from the prior owner(s).
Normally I would agree that a full take down and clean is best but these gas piston nuts are usually staked in place, so I was wary about disturbing that.

[Bainter1212]

Buying the piston nut tool is worth it. I do away with the staking and at the very least, put the wrench on the nut at every cleaning to make sure it isn't loose.

You only need to stake the nut if you're going to fight a desperate winter campaign in Korea. Otherwise take it apart occasionally to clean it.

[wpage]

Prior owner evidently was not a meticulus cleaner. Similar to M1 Garands the carbon build ups will certainly foul the action from performing. As others have suggested, any carbon busting agents over and over till you get it worked out will prevent future jams.