About 5 months ago, I purchased a 1943 SA Garand from the CMP. It is a great rifle, and lots of fun to shoot...wish I could shoot it more often. Anyway, I have noticed that every time I get home from the range, the gas cylinder plug has worked itself loose, and no matter how much I tighten it, it works its way loose when fired. Any ideas as to what I should look for as the cause of this problem? In the meantime, I thought I'd just wrap teflon tape around the threads of the gas plug and screw it back in place...is there any danger in trying that? Any info you could provide would be helpful.
You need a gas cylinder wrench and 1/4 ratchet to turn plug. You can get the wrench from Fulton Armory. Look at m1 parts and scroll down,it's about $10.00 and will save the splines of your rifle.
The ratchet fits the gas plug and you will be able to tighten the plug tight.
Get a combination tool (M10 or M3A1) from Fulton Armory.
Don't waste $10 for a single funtion tool when for another $10 you can get a mutifucntion tool that will fit into the butt well of your stock.
The M10 requires you to use a cleaning rod section to turn it, the M3A1 has a built-in wrench feature. M10 is cheaper but the M3A1 has a chamber brush which comes in handy.
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Get a combination tool (M10 or M3A1) from Fulton Armory.
Don't waste $10 for a single funtion tool when for another $10 you can get a mutifucntion tool that will fit into the butt well of your stock.
The M10 requires you to use a cleaning rod section to turn it, the M3A1 has a built-in wrench feature. M10 is cheaper but the M3A1 has a chamber brush which comes in handy.
I do thank you for pointing out the proper tools. And while the U.S. government had more money than God for replace/repair. I think that single function tool spoke about. Use of which is to keep M1 splines safe on privately owned rifle.
To get the gas cylinder lock screw really tight and keep from putting a lot of sideways pressure on the barrel splines you need the tool that holds the gas cylinder like the one mentioned that Fulton Armory sells(shop around,FA is usually the highest).The combination tools are OK if you don't have anything else to use but it's hard to exert enough force with them to get the screw really tight,the M3A1 is short and you can't really get enough leverage,the M10 tool you'll end up breaking the rod section off in the handle or bend it trying to get it tight.Whatever you use you need a way of holding the gas cylinder itself while tightening the lock screw to get them tight.They need to be tightened to about 15 lbs torque.
Most information on keeping them tight recommends not lubricating the threads on the screw or lock,install dry for best results in keeping them tight.
I use to keep a spare with me when shooting.They are tough to find in the grass.
If you dont want to spend money on specilized tools here is a cheap easy method.
If you have a 1/4 inch drive ratchet and extension and a pair of vice grips.
Wrap the gas cylinder with a rag or piece of leather etc. Lightly clamp down on it with vicegripsto hold it. Use you ratchet to tighten the gas screw.
I have never found the combo tool to be of any use with the exception of the chamber brush
Make sure the treads of gas cylinder and screw are clean
If you dont want to spend money on specilized tools here is a cheap easy method.
If you have a 1/4 inch drive ratchet and extension and a pair of vice grips.
Wrap the gas cylinder with a rag or piece of leather etc. Lightly clamp down on it with vicegripsto hold it. Use you ratchet to tighten the gas screw.
I have never found the combo tool to be of any use with the exception of the chamber brush
Make sure the treads of gas cylinder and screw are clean
I use the rachet and an aluminum tool that someone had given to me that holds the gas cylinder. I will look to see if it has a name on it.
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The nerds will never understand the awesomeness of it.
We had a steel fixture with a handle in the arms room to hold the gas cylinder and an inftlb torque wrench but we never used it. Just dry threads and the butt stock tool and we never had any problems. These were well/often used M1's issued to the CIDF's and IDF teams in '67 so used an abused or not even looked at and stuck solid but never a gas plug lost. I wish I could remember the spec for the torque, I'm sure it's easy to find. I loved those M1's and tried to get one shifted to me but it was always simpler to just grab something as you went out the door.
Thjanks to everyone for their info and suggestions. As a first time Garand owner who isn't as knowledgable, I appreciate all feedback. I was in Colorado visiting family, and while there I went to a really great gun show, and got all sorts of parts to bring my garand up to the way it was when it rolled out of Springfield Armory (WWII lockbar sight, tho I'm sure it's repro, forged trigger guard, leather sling, and and a new gas plug) I installed all parts and the new gas plug seems to work well, with no backing out. Could be I just had a clunker gas plug.
