Aloha all!

I like sharing stories about machines that perform well in adverse conditions.  You all remember my HiPoint Carbine and the broken firing pin, no doubt.  Well, I have another!

At the HDF carbine class yesterday afternoon, I was running my Saginaw M1 carbine.  Towards the very end of the day, it started misbehaving a little, costing me seconds with misfeeds more often than it ought.  I think I impressed the range officers and instructors there with my creative vocabulary as I cleared these malfunctions!  Then, about halfway through the final drill, the slide stuck halfway back and would not go forward.  So I made safe and headed to the side berm for some troubleshooting.

Once I got the furniture off, I could see a couple of pieces rattling around.  They turned out to be the gas piston and gas nut!

So, as I was shooting, the gas nut was unscrewing.  Which is odd because they are typically staked in.  You have to appreciate that the travel on the piston is, at most, half an inch.  The gas nut is about 3/4" in overall length.  So, as it unthreaded, that piston was traveling over twice its specified length, and the op rod was stopping as much as 3/4" shy of being in its fully forward position, yet the gun kept running!  Sure I had a few cycle-related malfunctions, but it kept running right up until it spit the piston and nut out! 

Or, possibly, it was running with NO gas piston or nut, but they rattled into a spot to jam the op rod after a bit.

Although, now that I replay it in my head, I think I felt some blowback on my face on my last shot.  Probably the gas nut turned loose that time, or had turned loose the shot before.

Either way, that's a well-designed system!  And one tough gun!

Aloha all!

I like sharing stories about machines that perform well in adverse conditions.  You all remember my HiPoint Carbine and the broken firing pin, no doubt.  Well, I have another!

At the HDF carbine class yesterday afternoon, I was running my Saginaw M1 carbine.  Towards the very end of the day, it started misbehaving a little, costing me seconds with misfeeds more often than it ought.  I think I impressed the range officers and instructors there with my creative vocabulary as I cleared these malfunctions!  Then, about halfway through the final drill, the slide stuck halfway back and would not go forward.  So I made safe and headed to the side berm for some troubleshooting.

Once I got the furniture off, I could see a couple of pieces rattling around.  They turned out to be the gas piston and gas nut!

So, as I was shooting, the gas nut was unscrewing.  Which is odd because they are typically staked in.  You have to appreciate that the travel on the piston is, at most, half an inch.  The gas nut is about 3/4" in overall length.  So, as it unthreaded, that piston was traveling over twice its specified length, and the op rod was stopping as much as 3/4" shy of being in its fully forward position, yet the gun kept running!  Sure I had a few cycle-related malfunctions, but it kept running right up until it spit the piston and nut out! 

Or, possibly, it was running with NO gas piston or nut, but they rattled into a spot to jam the op rod after a bit.

Although, now that I replay it in my head, I think I felt some blowback on my face on my last shot.  Probably the gas nut turned loose that time, or had turned loose the shot before.

Either way, that's a well-designed system!  And one tough gun!

i was the RSO behind tom_g at the time, and i will note that he kept his head throughout
he cleared the malfs as best he could, and then when it became obvious that he was not able to continue, he calmly let us know and made safe on his own and showed us he was clear
then he took his carbine back to the line and subsequently asked for permission to move to the berm

i commend him for his actions and calm demeanor

i was the RSO behind tom_g at the time, and i will note that he kept his head throughout
he cleared the malfs as best he could, and then when it became obvious that he was not able to continue, he calmly let us know and made safe on his own and showed us he was clear
then he took his carbine back to the line and subsequently asked for permission to move to the berm

i commend him for his actions and calm demeanor

Thanks, mac!  It's hardly the first time I've had a gun go down on me.  Once it becomes apparent to me that a gun needs more than a tug or a bump, I immediately become paranoid about its continued operation and move to make it safe.  I don't know where I developed that, but it really is instinct.