Sailormilan2 Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 I've been waiting to locate barrel for my JRA M14 receiver #T14024. I got a Win parts kit and a Win bolt, but couldn't decide whether to go with a Criterion barrel or try to find a Gi barrel. As luck would have it, I located an HRA barrel restamped by SAI for a decent price, so I got it. I got it today, and it gauges about .75 at the throat and about .25 at the muzzle, so basically a new barrel . It looks nice. But..........................barrel is chambered more towards the NATO specs, rather than commercial specs. Using the Win bolt with the 308 FIELD gauge, the bolt goes about 2/3s the way down. If I use a commercial SAI bolt, it only closes about half way. So, the SAI bolt is in the gun.I decided to try a wooden handguard, just to see how it looks. I like it, so it will stay on the gun. Right now my dilema is deciding whether to try and locate a TRW bolt, which may shorten the headspace, but whether it will or not is iffy. It probably will, but not enough. Or, get a Criterion barrel and use that, and headspace it to the Win bolt. Since people seem to think that TRW bolts are made of platinum and price the accordingly, I will probably go with a new barrel, which can be had for about 1/2 the cost of a TRW bolt.Since I live on the Left Coast in Kommifornia, I can't have a functioning Flash Supressor, so currently it has a Chinese made fake FS. The finish doesn't match, so sometime in the near future I will fire up the park tank and park the fake FS black. The stock has a couple of dings on the right rear, but it has some nice striping/figure in it, so it will stay. Handguard needs a little work inside to make it fit better. I also did an M25 vent mod to the gas cylinder.But, she's done................sort of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlunity Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 Nice. The M-14 was my first rifle. always had a soft spot for her. Let us know how she shoots. karl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 I kick myself for letting the Chinese M-14's get away when they were dirt cheap. Guess I got caught up in the gun rag propaganda claiming they had soft receivers, bolts and would develop headspace problems. Two friends each got one and still today have not had any problems. Both have put thousands of rds down the bore. US GI, foreign mil-surp and one friend in particular and avid handloader. Neither friend has had any problems I'm aware of. My handloading friend claims the only thing he needed was a small base RCBS sizing die.I haven't seen a Chinese M-14 for under a grand in several years now. A Springfield M-1A or an AR-10 are on my bucket list. If I can ever got motivated to part with the numerous hunting rifles I have and unable to use. I could come up with the no guilt bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 Sailorman from the pictures the rifle appears to be blued. Is it blued instead of the conventional Parkerizing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailormilan2 Posted April 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 It is parked. It is just a very smooth park finish. These receives are very smooth. Much smoother, with almost not macahining marks as compared to a commercial Springfield M1A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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