What is "The Rope Trick" for removing / installing an M1 Garand rear handguard clip?

[Armchair Bronco]

I'm planning to put the USGI furniture back on my M1 Garand. One tool I really wish I had is a rear handguard plier. But I don't want to spend $25 on a tool that I'd only ever use once or twice.

While researching alternatives, I ran across this reference on another site:

"Those (pliers) are neat. I still use the rope trick (piece of steel cable and a good pair of pliers). But I don't have to lift a handguard as often as you."

So what exactly is this "rope trick"?

http://m14forum.com/m14/81553-m1-garand-m1a-handguard-clip-pliers.html

 

[memphisjim]

not sure about that one
the guy at the cmp used a filed down screw driver and hammer

 

[wayne in boca]

Rope trick is as follows.

Get a short piece of 2 X 4 and drive a nail in it at one end.Attach a piece of wire to the nail and to one of the holes in the clip.Attach another piece of wire to to the other clip hole,long enough to reach the other end of the board,plus about 6-8 inches.Wrap the loose end around a screwdriver at the end of the board and use it as a lever to pull the clip open.Roll the handguard out of the clip.

To remove a handguard from a rifle,use a small punch.Insert it in one of the clip holes and pull the clip out of the barrel groove.Repeat for the other side.Lift handguard out and to the rear (buttstock) of rifle.(I use a broken old 1/16th" punch,think I broke it doing this).

Go on Gunbroker and buy the pliers.I did.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Get the pliers, shop around, they can be had for $15.

 

[30Cal]

It's clumsy at best. Back when handguards cost next to nothing, I'd have gone that route myself.

 

[Orlando]

It works well in a pinch.

 

[az_imuth]

In removing the clip from the hand guard I use a large bench vise. Mine has removable jaws, so I loosen them a bit and slip a 'staple' shaped piece of coat hanger wire behind each jaw and tighten them back down. Open the vise up and slip the hand guard clip up onto the exposed ends of the wire. All you gotta do now is slowly open the vise until the guard is loose enough to remove. No damage and the vise is ready to re-install the clip in the reverse fashion. Takes longer to type this than it does to actually perform the task.

As for removing the hand guard from the rifle, I just slide the guard forward after removing the gas cylinder and upper hand guard. The slots in the barrel are open-ended at the front to allow for this.

 

[Hacker15E]

I just punch out the pin holding the retainer to the bolt, then slip the handguard forward without any trouble at all.