Gas Plug Question

[psteinmayer]

I was cleaning my Garand yesterday after a recent match. I disassembled the receiver and cleaned the barrel and action. As I was wiping the muzzle, I noticed the gas cylinder move a hair. So I checked, and my gas plug was loose... like by a 1/4 turn or so! I've never noticed any problem with cycling. I've had this Garand for several years and I always disassemble the rifle and do a good thorough cleaning but I've never removed the gas cylinder before, so I guess it must have been loose for a while and I never noticed. Well, I took it all apart and cleaned the carbon out of the gas cylinder, trap and plug. I put it all back together and now it's nice and tight!

My question is how critical is the tightness of the gas plug, and how often should I really be disassembling the gas system to clean it?

[JimF]

When I clean the M1, (after every outing) I remove the lock screw and lock . . . But leave the cylinder in place!

With the op rod forward, access to piston face is easy, and lock and lock screw can be cleaned easily.

Retract the op rod to clean cylinder bore.

This will ensure the lock screw is always tight, as it is installed and tightened at every cleaning. --Jim

[Dan Shapiro]

To add to what Jim has posted, I mark my gas cylinder plug with a white paint marker: a small line from the side of the cylinder to the face of the plug. While at the range shooting, I can see at a glance if the plug is loosening.

[mhb]

If you have a good M1 (or M1A)...

that's shooting well, and you don't use corrosive ammunition: DON'T take it apart until it shows signs of malfunction or inaccuracy. Clean it properly, lubricate it where needed, apply rust-preventative (lightly), keep everything tight, and don't worry about it.
I've followed this rule for nearly 50 years, and it works well for me. I don't subject my personal rifles to military-style abuse, and don't find it necessary to strip them except at very long intervals. When I was actively shooting Highpower, I didn't normally disassemble my M14 (issued) or M1A at all, and often fired more than 3K rounds per rifle during a season, without any problems whatever.
Every time you strip your rifle, either partially or completely, you loosen the entire assembly, and cannot expect accuracy to remain unaffected - this is especially important in the case of a match-prepped rifle.

mhb - MIke

[psteinmayer]

Thanks very much everyone. I don't consider myself any kind of expert in any way... but I've been shooting Garands for a dozen years now. I disassemble and clean the receiver after every session! I just never disassembled the gas system before (mostly for fear of screwing something up). I'll keep an eye on the plug, but I won't take it apart again unless there's a problem. I don't know why the plug loosened in the first place unless I received it slightly loose (this is a CMP Garand), but I'll make sure it doesn't do it again. FWIW, I load my own and shoot a Nosler 168 gr BTHP Match bullet with 44.0 grains of H-4895 and a CCI #34 Mil-Spec primer. I also occasionally shoot HXP Ball Surplus for practice.

Thanks again

[IditarodJoe]

Not a bad idea to periodically check your front sight for looseness as well, especially if you notice your accuracy suddenly deteriorating. Once it's gone into the tall grass, your chances of finding it again are slim.

[Fred Pillot]

Don McCoy used to recommend to store the rifle muzzle down and put a few drops of Hoppies down the gas cylinder. He said soaking it this way, the next time you shoot the rifle, the carbon would get blown off the op rod piston.