SA M1 5300000 Markings VFW rifle

[FCPDAVE]

Hi,
I'm 'restoring" another M1 for our Honor Guard. SA M1 2097 is getting tricky to load due to wear and tear. This is a high no. M1 and shows fewer marks than some I've done. Faint cartouche is DAS. Under the butt plate is 11, and there is a circle P.

Rec'vr: F6528291 with A 55 C above. Only other stamps are small C,X and M.

BBl.: SA F6585448 then a p over P, 1 54 MD38 and DAS stamp. Capital T and M above SA number.

Rear sight: DRC

Op Rod: F6535382 SA

Trigger hsng.: 6528290SA, safety is MXR, and hammer is SA D55460008

Gas cyl.: plug is marked PO and the cyl. has a 2 on top of the rear ring.

That's it for markings. Our M1's came to the post in the mid 60's I believe. Like most of the others, there is some rust on the op rod tube. The bore isn't bad, but everytime you think it's clean, you can run a bore scrubber through it and start all over again. A gunsmith told me I'll never get them clean agan and he's probably right. I use Butch's Bore Shine - anything better out there? Somehow we have been able to continue using leather slings, some brass and some steel - the guys don't want canvas, though it would be easier on our gloves.

Regards,

Dave

[bubba1]

Take the wood off and drop all the metal parts in a vat of CLP for about a week or two. When you remove everything, stand the rec/barrel assy so it can drain into a pan . You don't have to dissassemble the rear sight or trigger group, just let everything drain for a few days or so then wioe them down. This will help preserve the metal also.

[togor]

JB paste

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Also see if you can get a Dewey muzzle guide for the M1 and use a coated rod.

[lyman]

soak it in a container of kerosene or mineral spirits,
for a few days,

then use a brass brush on the bore and it should clean up as well as the other parts

[Dan Shapiro]

Off the wall:
Soaking as advised above, lets the chemicals do the work for you. Just requires time and patience. Kerosene, mineral spirits, Krol penetrating oil can do the job.

Once 'clean' (since these are VFW rifles, and probably used for firing blanks), I'd finish with Wright's Silver Cream. It's a paste that not only polishes the barrel, but
also cuts down the cleaning time after use.

I first learned of it while at the PD academy. We were carrying the S&W M66. Always got dinged at inspection, because of the 'dirty face' on the cylinder. Used Wright's
and the black disappeared. It also made subsequent cleanup a lot faster.

[togor]

soak it in a container of kerosene or mineral spirits,
for a few days,

then use a brass brush on the bore and it should clean up as well as the other parts

I always wondered what Barrel & Receiver Group--shaped container people used to soak a Garand barreled action & how much liquid was needed to fully immerse it. The "cap the bore & gas port with a rubber glove & a bunch of duct tape and put it muzzle down in a coffee can while filling the barrel with liquid-X" method always seemed more practical if soaking the bore is what one had in mind. Still, that's a lot of liquid for repeated soakings.

[Sunray]

"...getting tricky to load due to wear and tear..." Usually more about a lack of regular maintenance than wear and tear of the parts from, what I've heard on assorted forums. Training blanks usually being corrosively primed and little or no cleaning ever done.
Anyway, put a rubber cork in the muzzle, fill the barrel with regular solvent(Hoppes will do nicely) and leave it there for a couple hours. Then clean as per normal and repeat as required.
The bore really doesn't matter when firing nothing but blanks.
"...a bunch of duct tape..." That'd be eaten by any solvent. The adhesive isn't water proof either.

[lyman]

I always wondered what Barrel & Receiver Group--shaped container people used to soak a Garand barreled action & how much liquid was needed to fully immerse it. The "cap the bore & gas port with a rubber glove & a bunch of duct tape and put it muzzle down in a coffee can while filling the barrel with liquid-X" method always seemed more practical if soaking the bore is what one had in mind. Still, that's a lot of liquid for repeated soakings.


I'm fortunate to have a few tanks leftover from when I used to do a lot of parkerizing,

you can also pick up some small plastic tubs, long narrow planters, at the home depot/lowes type places,

kinda like these

https://www.amazon.com/Pennington-D%C3%A9cor-100507831-England-Pottery/dp/B00IKVKCTK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538069811&sr=8-1&keywords=pennington+window+box+liner

or make your own (stiff cardboard box lined with some plastic sheeting) if needed,


a gallon of mineral spirits will do, and it is not that expensive if you need 2 just flip the action over every so often


when done filter it thru a rag in the funnel it back in the container


btw, your method works, I have used similar in the past for just the bore, (you can also plug the gas port with a sliver of wood and the muzzle as well, then load it up with cleaner)

I mentioned soaking the action simply because the OP mentioned rust on the op rod,
soaking it all would help with that, the gas cyl , and any other crud on the rifle

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I always wondered what Barrel & Receiver Group--shaped container people used to soak a Garand barreled action & how much liquid was needed to fully immerse it. The "cap the bore & gas port with a rubber glove & a bunch of duct tape and put it muzzle down in a coffee can while filling the barrel with liquid-X" method always seemed more practical if soaking the bore is what one had in mind. Still, that's a lot of liquid for repeated soakings.



now that I think about it,

a piece of rubber tubing, one end plugged, and a simple hose clamp would work on the barrel, and be reusable if needed,