M14 Forum

Surveillancemike

I am wondering if its easy to install an already made M14 barrel? I know I will have to head space it, but are the barrels like ARs? It looks like it threads on and maybe has a retention pin/crimp to keep it seated. I have done almost everything on this gun myself, but havent touched the barrel. I want to get a new one. I understand how most guns work, and break down, build, but I just need that extra guidance from the master on this forum. thanks

Phil McGrath

There is no pin or nut the barrel is threaded and the reciever is threaded, the barrel then screws into the reciever.

Draco

I don't know much as I have never tried removing a barrel from an M14/M1A
however I have read both on this forum & various sources that the barrel must be timed.

I believe this is to achieve proper head space. I'm sure a more experienced reader will pipe in

JSimm87

You will need degreaser, grease, barrel vice, action wrench, baker powdered rosin, go and no-go headspace gauges. Personally I would also grab a 1/2" or larger torque wrench to give an exact torque setting.

1. Secure the barrel in the barrel vice. Make sure you have lots of baker powdered rosin on the contact surfaces so the barrel won't slip when torque is applied.
2. Degrease the threads on both the receiver and the barrel.
3. Lubricate the barrel threads with grease to prevent galling and thread the receiver on by hand.
4. Once hand tight secure the action wrench to the receiver and use brass shims to protect the finish.
5. Torque to 100 ft/lbs.
6. With bolt assembled try to chamber the no-go gauge. It should not chamber.
7. Now try the go gauge. If it chambers then the barrel has been installed correctly.

Now this is for any rifle barrel. For the M14 there might be trick to it. I know that Savage rifles have a barrel nut and on Accuracy International sniper rifles you need an action key. But these guidelines are the basics of it.

82nd ABN

That is close with respect to the action wrench and vice after that well I'll explain later. I'm getting ready for work. I have to fly down to pax river today. If when I land the question has nit been answered I'll fill in the blanks.

MemphisMachinists

There are a couple of good books that show this procedure in detail. the timing refered to is the alignment of three things between the barrel and the reciever, front and rear sights, ammo feedramps on barrel, and the gas cyl alignment. the last 10 degrees or so of rotation are forcing the shoulder of the barrel against the face of the reciever, mechanically. This is where the tourque comes in and there is a range of tourqe that is allowable. The position of the forementioned items are machined into the barrel. It is relatively simple except that the shoulder of the barrel may require machining to achieve the proper tourqe. The tourqe is what keeps the barrel tight.

Once the barrel is tight you have to headspace the bolt. I prefer non chromelined barrels so that I can finish ream the chamber, however millions of chromelined barrels have been installed and the headspace adjusted by lapping the bolt.

I strongly suggest getting atleast one book on the subject. There are several pages with lots of pictures explaining this process.

82nd ABN

What MM said except I am from the sect that the only thing that aligns the barrel are the front sight dovetail base and the rear sight deck. Feed ramps are not a good indicator for indexing however they are a good indicator for hand indexing prior to torquing the barrel down. The middle of the feed ramp should be around 16 to 18 degrees prior to the centerline if the action or receiver for that matter.
You have two ways to go with barrels. Chrome lined and non chrome lined. The difference is typically a chrome lined chamber is finished and not cut after installation of the barrel. The barrel is installed and sometimes you have to try several bolts to achieve the desired headspace taking into consideration you will probably have to lap the bolt for contact. The non chrome lined barrels are a different story. You lap the bolt for contact, install the barrel and finish ream what is called a short chamber. A short chambered barrel has material left on the shoulder of the chamber to later be removed to achieve the desired headspace. The process is pretty simple, there are a few techniques to index barrels, I use a badger alignment gague and digital angle finder. Others use the old school method and use precision ground parallel bars.

Reaper6

Has anyone posted a tutorial on installing a barrel? This is something I would like to do eventually, but sure would like to see some pictures and basic instructions first.

Ted Brown

There are several problems associated with barrel installations in the M14.
First, the receivers are almost always not exactly the same. Bolts must be fitted and lapped for proper bearing. The barrels must be screwed into the proper index on the receiver. parallel bars will get alignment close, but rarely perfect.

The difference in barreling an AR is that the barrel extension on an AR is actually the receiver. It's usually factory installed and the barrel head spaced to a spec bolt. This cannot be done with the M14 due to variables in tolerances of commercial receiver. Even GI receivers often required adjustments.

Head space can only be adjusted after the barrel and bolt have been fitted to the M14 receiver. When a home gunsmith assembles all this and it comes out right, he is very lucky indeed.

MemphisMachinists

This post is old enough I'm curious what did you decide?

Surveillancemike

I am actually going to get a krieger barrel this week, and see how hard it is, I did get a book on this subject "the complete assembly guide" vl 2 and if i get in over my head, I know a really good gunsmith that can help me out