Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: scw@ollie.SEAS.UCLA.EDU (Stephen C. Woods) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: The RAPE of an M1A1 - Opinions? Message-ID: <1991Jun25.024211.27214@cbnews.cb.att.com> Date: 25 Jun 91 02:42:11 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.cb.att.com (william.a.thacker) Organization: UCLA School Of Engineering & Applied Science Lines: 65 Approved: military@att.att.com From: scw@ollie.SEAS.UCLA.EDU (Stephen C. Woods) My qualifications: I was an infantrayman (Marines) and a marksmanship instructor (also USMC, at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego [it's actually on MCB Camp Pendelton CA but...]). I was armed with the M-14, and I am fairly familiar with this weapon. In article <1991Jun22.040547.357@cbnews.cb.att.com> you write: >I'm looking for qualified opinions (preferably from some >gunsmiths or armorers in the group) regarding these facts. I >know, of course that leaving sand and chemical residue is >terrible. What I want to know is: > >* Is it considered standard practice to parkerize the bore and chamber > of this weapon? Good grief no, these are supposed to be smooth, and are manifactured to a VERY close set of tollerances. I suspect that you will be unable to chamber a maixmum size round, and I' sure that your weapon wil fail to extract a fired round. >* Is it considered standard practice to sandblast gun parts instead of > bead blasting? Hmm... Sorry, this is a question for gunsmith specialists. personally I wouldn't sand blast ANYTHING. >* Has the gas cylinder been damaged by being sandblasted? DESTROYED. The cas cylinder (and the piston) are assembeled as a unit, I recall the Armorers at Edison range commenting that "well it's supposed to be made with interchangable parts, but we find that you have to fit and fiddle to get a reliable, but tight enough fit." >* Has the bolt been damaged beyond use by the sandblasting and > parkerization? The bolt roller wheel was initially locked by > sand. We managed to work it loose with a brass drift and an > air hose but it is still somewhat gritty. This should be OK, disasmenble (completely) as wash throughly wilt cleaning solvent, eventually all of the grit will wash out. >* I have the standard GI manual on the M1A1 and know the GI maintenance > procedure. It is in anyway conceivable to assemble a gun with > completely dry surfaces and present it as ready to shoot. I recall that there are 3 places on the M-14 that must be lubricated, the all involve the fully automatic mode. Personally I'd say that there weapon should have been at least lightly oiled. >I have the opinion of my gunsmith and I of course, have my opinion as a >competitor[...] >Any help would be appreciated. My baby's been raped and I'm out for >blood! SUE the bastard until he bleeds. We don't need incompentant twits like that destroying our rifles. (I'll be that he got his training from that school that Sally Struthers hypes on TV). -- ----- Stephen C. Woods; UCLA SEASNET; 2567 BH;LA CA 90024; (213)-825-8614 UUCP: ...{ibmsupt,ncar!cepu}!ollie}!scw Internet:scw@SEAS.UCLA.EDU