receiver life

[Slamfire]

roller bolts coming off, extractor failures, bolt lug cracks have nothing to do with receiver life. They are all expendable /wear parts, I would bet many were commercial cast parts. How many of the cracked recievers were commercial cast?

All of the rifles that the USMC used were out of military inventory. Light military stocks and barrels were replaced with commercial heavy match versions, I don't know where they got their NM rear sights, but receivers, trigger groups, gas cylinders, flash suppressors, operating rods, were all GI.

At that time the M1a with its cast receiver was fazing out, and fazing out quickly. On the firing line, the change over from M1a to AR was quick and rapid. I think by 1998 there was one M1a every 20 to 25 firing points, the rest were AR's. GI parts were plentiful, I bought all TRW trigger groups from the CMP for $35.00 and bolts were less than $50,00 (I think). Today the supply of GI parts is so tight that cast parts are common.

I went over and talked to the USMC Armorers, because in 1996 half the team had match M16’s, the other half M14’s. The Armorers told me that the M14 was more maintenance heavy than the M16, and were nice in answering accuracy questions, parts questions, etc. In 1997 the USMC Marine team was all match M16. By 1998 the M14 painting on the side of their van had been white washed over.

People buy into myths. I had been squadded with any number of Vietnam veterans some who used the M14 and the M16 in combat. None of them were worshipful of either platform, it was just a tool that they lugged around and used. The ones who were victims of the early M16’s and their failures still are upset over the good American Boys who died with jammed M16’s in their hands. When the bugs were worked out, it just became another piece of equipment.

For many in the civilian world, rifles, models, brands, etc, become an emotional issue, mythical issue, sort of like the question of whether Davy Crockett died fighting or whether he was captured and executed. The Davy Crockett fan club want their Davy to die heroically, die fighting on his feet, swinging his Kentucky rifle, with a pile of dead Mexican Troopers all about, and they won’t accept any other version of events.

Well, just pick the version of history you want. Ever lasting M14’s, and the die hard Davy are nice myths to believe in.

 

[Orlando]

The only reason the Garand heel was annealed/softened was becuase of a bad lot of steel. Instead of scrapping them they were annealed. Had nothing to do with launching grenades as some people incorrectly repeat over and over

 

[tark]

I think we are all kind of wandering off topic when we start talking about ARs and such things. I am as guilty as anyone, as I interjected M-14s into the mix, which were not part of the original question.

We need to try a little harder to stick to the subject question.

 

[HankB]

The only reason the Garand heel was annealed/softened was becuase of a bad lot of steel. Instead of scrapping them they were annealed. Had nothing to do with launching grenades as some people incorrectly repeat over and over

Please refer to Bruce Canfield's book, Complete Guide to the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine, page 21.

. . . During the war, it was found that the bolt could crack the rear of the receiver, particularly when firing rifle grenades . . . metallurgy specifications were changed to reduce this problem.

So maybe he made a mistake - if you have credible contrary information, please cite the source.