Frustrated Garand owner

[redleg16]

I recently purchased a Rack Grade Plus rifle from the CMP. It looks good overall and I was breaking it down for cleaning on Saturday and the gas tube will not come off. I took off the gas port screw and tried to gently tap it with a rubber mallet, but nothing. My question is how hard do I try and tap this thing to try and get it off, secondly if it will not come off, is it safe to fire, or will firing loosen it? I thought I read that the CMP fires the rifles it rebuilds, but not sure. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you .

 

[Creedmoor]

Get a plastic faced hammer and smack it harder. Its a tight fit so it seals off gas pressure. Did you unscrew the gas cylinder lock? between the the barrel and gas cylinder. #6 on the photo

 

[gabrigger]

After you took off the gas cylinder lock screw, did you remove the gas cylinder lock? It must also be removed to get the gas cylinder to slide on the splines.

 

[redleg16]

After you took off the gas cylinder lock screw, did you remove the gas cylinder lock? It must also be removed to get the gas cylinder to slide on the splines.

Yes I did

 

[Colt556]

Hit it harder…

 

[Destro]

I thought I read that the CMP fires the rifles it rebuilds,

I don't believe CMP rebuilds rack grades, the only ones that are rebuilt are the special grade which is pretty much a "new" rifle.

 

[redleg16]

Hit it harder…

LOL, yes sir!

 

[redleg16]

I don't believe CMP rebuilds rack grades, the only ones that are rebuilt are the special grade which is pretty much a "new" rifle.

Do they test fire them?

 

[Cameramonkey]

It is obvious it’s beyond repair. I’ll do you a favor and take it off your hands for $100. Scrap value.

 

[BigMoose]

Rubber mallet and/or chunk of wood.

There is an old army video online of them beating gas cylinders on... with a wood mallet, they weren't being gentle.

 

[Creedmoor]

Rubber mallet and/or chunk of wood.

There is an old army video online of them beating gas cylinders on... with a wood mallet, they weren't being gentle.

I thought Marines beat them on and soldiers beat them off.

 

[Creedmoor]

I don't believe CMP rebuilds rack grades, the only ones that are rebuilt are the special grade which is pretty much a "new" rifle.

The ones we own were arsenal rebuilds and put in long term storage. Then ended up with Luck of the Draw with The CMP. The two we bought were rebuilt and packed away in 1966, we were the first to see them when sold buy the CMP in the early eightys.
We just bought another one from a ingo member a few days ago, haven't pulled it out of the stock to see when it was rebuilt last.

 

[Orlando8]

Actually garand gas cylinders were pressed on when originally assembled

 

[gabrigger]

I would give it a good whack with a soft faced hammer or use a wooden block to protect the cylinder. It will come off. It probably is locked on there by carbon residue.

 

[BigMoose]

Actually garand gas cylinders were pressed on when originally assembled

Now that you say that, I have seen both methods used, both the mallet and the ram. And the ram isn't gentle at all.

Here is the ram method.

10:07 shows the assembly part

I need to find it, the one with the mallet may have been a video of Garands being re-arsenaled.

 

[indyblue]

Would gently heating the cylinder with a micro torch or heat gun help by expanding the metal a little to ease the tube-cylinder interference fit?

 

[Cameramonkey]

Would gently heating the cylinder with a micro torch or heat gun help by expanding the metal a little to ease the tube-cylinder interference fit?

And to make it even easier, buy some canned air. as soon as you are finished heating the cylinder, turn the can upside down and spray liquid onto the tube and it will freeze the tube and make it shrink.

Careful not to get the liquid on your skin. Instant frostbite.

 

[Creedmoor]

Fourty years with more than a few Garands and never have I used, or know of anyone that used heat to remove a gas cylinder.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Fourty years with more than a few Garands and never have I used, or know of anyone that used heat to remove a gas cylinder.

There is lots of stuff I've never seen in 40 years. Doesnt mean they dont exist.

 

[Creedmoor]

There is lots of stuff I've never seen in 40 years. Doesnt mean they dont exist.

Well,