[jcs77]

I am taking apart my first garand from CMP and am having a problem. I took the gas cylinder lock screw and the gas cylinder lock off of the rifle, but I'm having trouble getting the gas cylinder off of the rifle. It won't budge. Any suggestions?

[trbon8r]

The gas cylinders are often on there real tight if they haven't been off in a long time. Get either a block of wood, a punch or large screwdriver with a towel wrapped around it, or basically anything that won't scratch. Give it a few taps with a mallet and push it forward off the end of the barrel.

It will come off. It could be the previous owner peened the barrel splines to tighten up the gas cylinder fit. That can make them especially tough to get off. A good presoak with a shot or two of penetrating oil like CLP will help too.

I should add that taking off the gas cylinder isn't something you want to do that often. Gas cylinder to barrel fit is a critical part of good accuracy in an M1.

[jcs77]

thanks for the help. I just want to take it off to clean it up since it's been in Greece for decades.

[pccraig]

Greece or grease ?

[Buckskinner]

Greece....Grease...

snicker snicker haw haw!!!!

[Neo-Luddite]

Muzzle down on a block of soft pine--tap on the back of the bayonet lug GENTLY with a block of wood and hammer. I understand your desire to get it cleaned out but please resist the temptation to go hog wild. Soak in solvent and use soft nylon brushes (I use a tooth brush myself). Unless you're really shooting a lot, this is a once a year thing at most. In truth, I just took mine apart after if began to short stroke--it had been over five years.

Just to mention what I found--no rust or corrosion but some hard carbon buildup. I do clean the rest of the rifle much more often of course.

[Guy B. Meredith]

It is a good thing that the cylinder is tight. Be gentle.

[hps1]

One other possibility!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My son's DCM M1 came in with a pretty sloppy gas cylinder/barrel fit. A sloppy gas cylinder not being conducive to accuracy on the Garand, I removed the front sight and drilled and tapped the gas cylinder to accept an allen screw down through the top spline. The screw draws the cylinder up tight against the two bottom splines and removes all play. When the sight is replaced, the screw is not visible and any attempt to remove the gas cylinder on this rifle would be unsuccessful.

You might wish to remove your front sight and look if light taps with a block of wood on bayonet lug does not move the cyl.

Regards,
hps