Help replacing Garand op rod piston

cdhknives

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Apr 12, 2013
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I 'lucked' into a 1942 M1 Garand. Total mixmaster/rebuild, barrel dated 12/53. I am not worried about keeping it original, just getting it to good working order. It is in firing order but in the first hundred or so rounds I have had 2 failures, both appearing to be short stroke type failures. The gas piston measures well undersized, .5215-.522" when reject is anything under .525". This is a pressed in part. Money is a bit short right now and I was hoping to try and bore it out and replace it. I have tried driving it off but anything with major force is going to bend the op rod. Simply 'throwing' a 1/4" solid brass rod down the center (crude inertia driver) is not dislodging it in the least. There is nothing to hold except the hollow rod for a proper pressing out. I can get a replacement piston for $8 at Sarco or turn one myself. Does anyone have a suggestion? I am thinking I would just bore it out with a carbide drill a bit undersize and try to pull the remaining bits...or bore from there.
 
That explains why it didn't drive out. I guess it is time to break out the torches.
 
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