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So recently I picked up a commercial M1 carbine for a decent price. It is a James River Armory receiver with what looks like a newer Criterion barrel. The rest of the parts appear to be USGI.
I got it for a decent price because the seller disclosed that it had light strike issues. I picked it up from my FFL hoping to solve the issue cheaply and have a nice shooter.
I tore it down and immediately noticed that the extractor spring plunger was not notched in properly with the extractor. I corrected that issue and spent a good hour or so thoroughly cleaning the carbine.
I checked the firing pin protrusion and found it to measure .053 which is on the shorter side but apparently well within spec. I replaced the hammer spring and recoil spring just for good measure.
Hoping that the extractor issue was the only problem, I took it out to test fire it. First 15 rd mag, no issues. Then in the few subsequent mags, got a few light strikes. Most rounds fired off, only had 4 light strikes out of 50 rds, but I am still not happy with that.
Thanks to Sailorman2, I was able to borrow a set of headspace gauges. I found that the stripped bolt would close on the NoGo AND the Field gauge.
Not good.....but could be a worn out bolt.
Next step was to establish a control. I have a reliable Inland that I used to test the bolt theory out.
First I stripped down and gauged the Inland with it's own bolt. Almost (but didn't) close on the no-go, and not even close on the field gauge. Alright....so my Inland is good.
I then swapped my known good Inland bolt into the JRA. Failed again.....closed easily on the Field gauge.
Just for giggles, I put the bolt from the JRA into the Inland to test. Funny....that bolt would not close at all in my Inland....with or without gauges. Odd. I cannot see why that is the case.
So now I am resigned to contacting James River Armory to see what can be done. Can the barrel be pulled, some material removed and the barrel re-installed and the chamber re-cut??? I am not a smith so I don't know.
So it looks like we might have a chamber cut excessively here.
Any help is appreciated.
I got it for a decent price because the seller disclosed that it had light strike issues. I picked it up from my FFL hoping to solve the issue cheaply and have a nice shooter.
I tore it down and immediately noticed that the extractor spring plunger was not notched in properly with the extractor. I corrected that issue and spent a good hour or so thoroughly cleaning the carbine.
I checked the firing pin protrusion and found it to measure .053 which is on the shorter side but apparently well within spec. I replaced the hammer spring and recoil spring just for good measure.
Hoping that the extractor issue was the only problem, I took it out to test fire it. First 15 rd mag, no issues. Then in the few subsequent mags, got a few light strikes. Most rounds fired off, only had 4 light strikes out of 50 rds, but I am still not happy with that.
Thanks to Sailorman2, I was able to borrow a set of headspace gauges. I found that the stripped bolt would close on the NoGo AND the Field gauge.
Not good.....but could be a worn out bolt.
Next step was to establish a control. I have a reliable Inland that I used to test the bolt theory out.
First I stripped down and gauged the Inland with it's own bolt. Almost (but didn't) close on the no-go, and not even close on the field gauge. Alright....so my Inland is good.
I then swapped my known good Inland bolt into the JRA. Failed again.....closed easily on the Field gauge.
Just for giggles, I put the bolt from the JRA into the Inland to test. Funny....that bolt would not close at all in my Inland....with or without gauges. Odd. I cannot see why that is the case.
So now I am resigned to contacting James River Armory to see what can be done. Can the barrel be pulled, some material removed and the barrel re-installed and the chamber re-cut??? I am not a smith so I don't know.
So it looks like we might have a chamber cut excessively here.
Any help is appreciated.
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