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M1 Garand loose front hand guard

tido4570
I have a Springfield M1 Garand, after field stripping and cleaning everything I reasembled the rifle and the front handguard is loose. There are not enough threads for the gas cylinder lock to screw onto to make the handguard tight. I manufactured a spacer to go between the front handguard and the gas cylinder assembly. I screwed down the gas cylinder lock and it is now solid. Is it normal for that front handguard to be loose? Am I doing a wrong thing by putting that spacer there? Any help. Thanks
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Comments

7 comments

Date Votes
  • nmyers
    It's not a problem for the front handguard to be loose. The gas cylinder lock should not be forced to be tight. Your spacer may cause problems. A loose handguard may be tightened by bending the inner lip of the front ferrule inward.

    You may want to buy a book such as "The M1 Garand Complete Assembly Guide" by Walk Kuleck, an inexpensive paperback. That will also help you with proper lubrication of the M1 rifle.

    Neal
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  • Herschel
    When I was shooting the National Match M1 in military competition from 1958 through late 1960's our rifles had the upper handguard secured to the rifle at the back. I don't recall how it was done but it would not come free of the rifle when the rifle was disassembled. I do know the gas cyl was not pressed down tight against the handguard.
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  • jonk
    I've personally found my M-1s to shoot more accurately if the hand guard has about a 1/16" of play or so.

    If you must tighten it down, observe the splines that the front sight is dovetailed into. If there is more dovetail you can work the sight back by turning the doohicky that the gas plug screws into a bit more aggressively.
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  • givette
    If your question is based solely on whether it's normal to have a loose front handguard, then the answer is yes.

    You can now remove the spacer, and return the gun back to normal!

    I wouldn't want the tolerance tight in the highest heat area of the gun, as the heat-expansion needs somewhere to go.

    Note post further up this string: The front H/G was secured at the rear of the front H/G to eliminate fore-and-aft play. They left the gas cylinder alone. Best, Joe
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  • mark christian
    As both Joe and Neal alreaddy said? a little movement of the front guard is quite normal. Don't crank down the cylinder lock, you'll just end up stripping the threads and doing damage. USGI specs allow for the lock to go as far as the four'o'clock position and then be back off nearly a full turn to allow for the lock screw...the plug...to secure it. I am still in Colombia but I just can't pass up an M1 question no matter where I am on this planet! I'll see you guys back on the boards full time on 26 Feb!
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  • kimi
    Like Mark said, don't crank the gas cylinder lock down too tight, but it does definitely need to be tight. Also, like folks have mentioned here, the front hand guard will be somewhat loose on typical M1's, however, on a good match grade rifle the front hand guard will have no play in it whatsoever.
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  • tido4570
    You guys have been a great wealth of information! How are things down in Columbia Mark? If I am on business I always start looking at gun stuff at night when the business is done for the day. I took the spacer out and will give it a try. I have not shot it yet with the spacer so I should be ok!
    Thanks,
    Steve
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