I purchased an adjustable gas cylinder plug for it. The plug normally closes off the front of the gas cylinder, and as issued, it is a solid piece of steel.
There are a few reasons to consider replacing the plug with an adjustable one. First off, for military ammunition, the gas system is set up for very positive cycling, which means that the operating rod (a long machined piece of steel that starts out with a gas piston at one end and locks onto the bolt at the other end) moves with a lot of force. It moves with more force than is really necessary for civilian uses. Second, if you want to make handloads, the adjustable port allows you to tune the gas system for your loads. Third, if you want to hunt with bullets that are heavier than the military ones, you will put a lot more stress on the gas system if you do not use an adjustable port. "Stress", in this case, means that you can bend the operating rod, which is A Bad Thing.This is an adjustable gas port from Midway Arms.
Two vent holes are drilled on either side of the centerline of the plug; the holes are angled in. A central hole is drilled and threaded for a Allen set screw. The more you screw the set screw in, the more you close up the vent holes and the more gas is pushing on the gas piston end of the operating rod. A second set screw (really a ring) is provided so that you can lock the set screw.I adjusted it this way: I started with the set screw cranked out. I loaded and fired a single round, which did not cycle the action. So I pulled the bolt back, ejecting the round and locking the bolt back. Then I used the Allen key to turn the set screw in 1/4 turn. I then loaded and fired another round and repeated the process until upon firing, the round ejected and the blot locked back.
(Caution: It is really important that in this procedure, you only load and fire one round at a time. You really want the bolt back and locked each time, for regardless how careful you are, it is almost impossible to adjust the set screw without having the barrel pointing near your face.)
Once I had it at that point, I started firing to sight in the rifle. At one point, I did get sluggish cycling, so I turned the set screw in another 1/4 turn. That seemed to cure it, so I turned it in another 1/8th of a turn for insurance and then screwed in the locking screw. Of course, if I change the ammunition that I fire to another bullet weight, the procedure has to be repeated.
On another note, it seems from my wholly unscientific and non-random visits to gun shops, that some handgun ammunition is becoming more available. .380 and .45 ACP seems to be in short supply, but 9mm and .40 were readily available.
Ammunition more available now? Maybe the wingnuts are realizing the rumors of the liberal moonbat obamazombie apocalypse were exaggerated after all. Or.... maybe they've just realized is a machete for beheading could be a better option.
ReplyDeleteBTW, since you mention zombies so much in your blogging, I highly recommend reading World War Z if you haven't yet. The plausibility of that book - not the zombie "virus" itself, but the international reaction to them - is chillingly on point. After having seen the reactions to swine flu, bird flu, mad cow disease, and other overblown diseases, the book does a good job of answering the question of how the world react if a really dangerous scourge hit the planet.
I was in a Wally World later on; it had no pistol caliber ammunition, but a good selection of rifle ammunition. Still, at the gunshop I visited, 9mm was $3/box cheaper than it was six weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteGiven the amount of shooting that I do, I have enough rifle ammunition for a good while. Handgun, not so much.