Garand FTF - Help!

[Vincent Vega]

Hey Gang, I wanted to get your thoughts on an issue I'm having with a Garand I recently put together. I took a Winchester barreled receiver and assembled a rifle with some spare parts that I had from other projects. Prior to firing I checked the headspace (all good there) and lubed the typical friction points.

Last Saturday I took her to the farm and ran several rounds of HXP ammo through it. The first few rounds were fine but every now and then a round would get about 1/4 of the way into the chamber and stop the bolt. The round would get stuck at an angle to the chamber/barrel. A simple pull back and release of the op rod would chamber the round in most cases. The FTF was intermittent. For every clip I put through it, I'd say there were two FTFs. There were no failure to ejects and the spent brass seemed to fly off into the grass as it should. The clip ejected as it should after round number 8.

Any thoughts? Do you think I need to change the op rod spring or try something else?
Thanks in advance

 

[mo mauser]

I'm no expert but will think out loud to you.

What type of lube? If it slides I use grease if it rotates oil.

What springs did you use? Old is old and I've heard not all replacements are equal meaning different lengths.

Lastly make sure the stock isn't in contact with the operating rod thus slowing it down.

You probably knew all that considering you know enough to assemble one so consider this a friendly bump to get the expert's attention.

 

[MILSURP Collector]

Op rod spring seems the first step. If you have another Garand that runs swap springs.

Of course make sure gas plug is tight, grease it up and go for it.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Bent op rod?

 

[10thmountain]

Crappy en blocs?

I would also swap the bullet guide .

check op rod spring .

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

Are there pieces of you jammed in the action?
The last time I had an M1 malfunction this was the problem--I left part of my thumb in there from loading the clip!

(Ok, that was a joke. But on a serious note, have you tried other ammo --more recently produced ammo? Is there a chance that the 1970s Greek ammo you're using could have bent or swollen cases, or maybe a thin layer of corrosion on the surface of the brass?)

 

[alleycat]

I agree with the others...something with the op rod. Spring, gas plag leakage, op rod itself binding or rubbing stock or bent

 

[TheGman]

Easy to check for bent op rod, do a tilt test everything should move (look it up). My guess is op rod spring if not chambering round

 

[Vincent Vega]

I did the tilt test and it passed both bare bones as well as sitting in the stock so the geometry of the op rod seems ok as does the stock channel. I didn't notice it contacting anything when I did the test and it slid freely. I'll try a different spring next and some of the other suggestions you guys made if that doesn't work. Thanks all

 

[palmettomoon]

Start with the cheapest part and that most likely causing the issue. OP rod spring.