u/N0RedDays

Hi all, just wanted to provide an update and most importantly say THANK YOU to everyone who offered advice on how to make my Garand look better after my booboo yesterday.

Essentially, I was torquing the receiver to the barrel and the wrench slipped leaving the big (to me) gash you see on the receiver ring. I am building this rifle at the CMP’s advanced maintenance course here in Alabama this week. I was really tore up about it and you all made me feel so much better about it and actually gave me advice to fix it. I know it will never be 100% perfect but I think it looks much better and several of my classmates agreed. I essentially dressed it with the flat face of a ball peen hammer today and my instructor kindly covered it up with some Cold Blue. The left pictures are basically right after it happened, the right pictures are post-dressing. The last picture isn’t great but shows sort of how it looks after the cold blue.

My rifle is a Reclaimed Springfield Receiver (1.5 Million, May of 1943) and I tried to use as many wartime Springfield parts as I could. It is a .308 using a pre-headspaced Criterion barrel in a CMP stock

It stinks it happened, but I guess it’s a reminder to take my time and do things right and also a reminder that humans and guns aren’t perfect. It’s easy for me to conflate a little mistake into a character flaw, and I know several of you are probably the same way.

Anyway, I appreciate all the help once again and can’t wait to shoot my new rifle tomorrow. I can’t wait to give it to my son or daughter some day and tell them all about it. In the mean time I’ll be hopefully punching holes in the X-ring with it :)

Thanks again and happy shooting/collecting!

I am building a Garand for the first time. Reclaimed receiver, so not like I’ve ruined Audie Murphy’s rifle or anything. Still hurts and makes me feel like a moron. I was torquing the barrel down and the wrench slipped, leaving this gouge on the receiver ring. I know there’s no way to “fix” it, but it it possible to make it look less noticeable without just putting new finish over it? I feel like there must be a way to touch up the metal to make the countour not look so obviously bad. I know I’m an idiot, just looking for advice. Thanks so much.

After cloning the M16A1, I tried to stay in the same vein by using all Colt/USGI parts. The only exceptions to this are the BAD Lower (M16A2 Govt Property Marked) and the Fulton Armory Peel Washer.

This build was unfortunately full of hiccups. The first upper I got ended up being cracked, but I managed to get a refund and bought a better upper which was near perfect (Small-pin, no M4 ramps, Colt Gray and Marked “C M”). Unfortunately I ran into more problems when torquing the barrel nut down. I could not for the life of me get the teeth to line up, so I ended up torquing it to around 90 ft lbs (I know that’s probably stupid but I didn’t have another barrel. I’m hoping because I used it with the Midwest Industries URR I didn’t do any damage to the receiver). Despite all this, it’s all together now and I’m very happy to have it. The M16 series rifles are my favorites, bar none. My next clone project will probably be an M16A4 to round out my collection.

I hope you enjoy seeing this. I can post my parts list below. I got most everything off GAFS and some off WetWorx Outfitters and Gunbroker.

Thanks for everyone’s help in making this dream come true!

I have two Colt A2 uppers. The first one I got with the silver ejection port cover spring has some sort of crack where the barrel extension goes, so I’m essentially using it for parts. The newest one I got (darker spring) also has less “circles” on the forward assist button. What is the difference between these two? Both are marked “CM” though only the one I got today has the colt “C-square” stamp with the arrowhead near the ejection port. Also the upper with the silver spring has an aftermarket/eagle arms rear sight assembly.

I’m just wondering I need to change the dust covers between the two. All the pictures (few) of M16A2 have a silver spring. The darker spring isn’t “black” but more of a dark gray color. Just wanted to see if you guys knew the difference between these two uppers and get your thoughts on which parts should be on the one I intend to build with. I have done my best to photograph the pertinent pieces of the uppers

Thanks so much!!

I got this surplus A2 stock and cleaned it of the tape residue and a lot of the dirt and grime. After this I saw what looks like a “39” rack number on the right side. I hope it’s not too blasphemous, but I traced over it using a Klein Paint Pen to try to “restore” the old rack numbers. I wanted to see what you all thought, or if I should maybe give it another go? Let me know. Thanks so much! Full pics of the A2 clone should be coming soon.

Hi all, I wanted to show off this interesting Colt A2 upper I got in a bundle off Gunbroker. Essentially appears to be a pre-Ban era A2 upper? I asked a couple days ago if you guys thought it was gray and I can confirm it is and it’s beautiful. It lacks M4 Feed Ramps, has mil-spec takedown pins holes, and is simply marked “C M” without the square C stamp near the ejection port. The CH appears original and is similarly gray. Interestingly, I’m not sure about the rear sight or bolt carrier (didn’t come with the actual bolt or cam pin). The Bolt Carrier is marked “SE” inside a hexagon which I believe stands for Smith Engineering. The Rear sight knob is marked “Eagle Arms”. I’m not sure if the remainder of the rear sight is original Colt, maybe someone can help me. Further, it included a Colt Buffer and Spring. Finally It also came with what looks like the original barrel nut, round handguard cap, and FSB. There were some other miscellaneous items like a black dog bolt protector (which I’ve never seen but strikes me as something very 2000s in nature) and a random pair of cheap carbine handguards.

I’m really excited to use it but I’m a little concerned that the takedown pin hole may have been egged out excessively. I wanted to get y’all’s advice and see what you thought. Please see the last picture for this. I have to admit I’m a little bummed/worried but I also have OCD and worry about everything under the sun.

Thanks so much for any help or advice you guys can provide. I can’t thank you all enough for making this such a great community in the sometimes toxic world of guns and cloning. I really enjoy participating here and learn a lot.

I know this is a super dumb question, but I’m not the best with respect to color sense and I don’t have it in front of my yet to look at (shipping). Does this upper look gray or black to you guys? When I bought it I thought 100% it looked black but now when I zoom in it almost looks gray, albeit not as gray as my Colt M16A1 upper. I’d appreciate any help you can provide!

I managed to snag these parts off Gunbroker for around $390. I’m planning to use the upper and everything for an A2 Clone to complement my A1 clone. I believe everything is Colt, but will have to see when I get them. It sounds like everything was taken off a Colt gun. I’m hoping I can use the FSB and everything (except the handguards, may end up using them for a later carbine clone but I’m not a huge fan of the shorter barreled stuff). Just wanted to post and see everyone’s thoughts and if I did okay on these. I’m not super in the loop on pricing but feel like I did okay. Would also love to hear any tips you guys have on doing A2 builds! Thanks so much

Hello,

I’m sorry to post this. I realize this is probably my fault. I recently ordered something off the TikTok shop (a pretty expensive gaming part) and it was somehow delivered to my old apartment address (just across town) despite me updating my address on the TikTok shop. I stopped by today and left a note asking if I could pick it up at their convenience with my text. I then get a text back from her with the image. Do I have any recourse here? I feel like I’m gonna throw up. This was several hundred dollars and this girl just throws it in the trash after opening (allegedly). I can’t report it missing on TikTok because UPS marks it as delivered. I will see if I can reach out to Newegg, who fulfilled it. Am I crazy for thinking a normal person wouldn’t just open and then throw away someone’s package? Especially after just moving into an apartment? I don’t know. I’m sorry for the dumb question.

Hi all,

I unfortunately purchased this M39 Finnish Mosin off of Gunbroker several months ago. I paid more than it is worth, but I was under the assumption the listing was correct. Described by the seller (who I am tempted to name and shame) as “Very Good”. Upon receiving it and getting it home, I noticed the cracks you see in the pictures above.

I am tempted to just take it to a pawn shop and cut my losses, because no one seems interested in buying it due to the stock.

For context, it’s a Sako SA M39 dated 1944 built on a Remington receiver. The stock has a small crack through the wood behind recoil lug, a large crack through the stock “webbing”, and two to three small hairline cracks on the wrist behind the recoil lug and one behind the trigger. Some idiot attempted to repair it by just dropping Titebond into the cracks without even apparently trying to clamp it together, as you can see in some of the pictures (yellow-tan stuff).

How should I approach this? My thought was to “clean out” the cracks with a file or pick and sandpaper to get to bare wood, then flush the hell out of it with acetone to degrease it. Then I was planning to just use CA Glue (Hot Stuff) to fix the small cracks on the wrist vs Acraglass, then use some brass threaded rod and Acraglass to fix the cracks in the action. I don’t know if I need to pin the wrist as well or use a dowel running parallel to the cracks like I have seen some people do.

I really appreciate any help you can provide in my attempts to salvage this situation. It’s a great rifle mechanically. I just really hate wood working and am dreading messing this up or my repair failing again.

Thank you all so much