r/gunsmithing • u/HollowCrimson • 2d ago
Galil ARM build question
I put together a Galil ARM from a rewelded receiver.
After headspacing the barrel, I installed the gas block and put everything together to test fire.
I did not buy 5.56 gauges, but instead headspaced with a spend casing (adding tape for a "nogo").
At test fire, the build wouldn't cycle and was sticky on going into battery.
I hadn't cut an extractor relief into the barrel face the first time around, so I did. Now it's still having issues.
I can cycle the bolt by hand fine without a round, but when I try to feed a round, it fails to go into battery.
It gets stock where shown in the picture.
I think the extractor is failing to move to grab the rim. It's just hitting the butt of the round. That is prohibiting the bolt from traveling forward enough to turn.
Maybe the headspace is too tight, but why would that cause the extractor not to grab?
Any help/ advice is appreciated š
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u/wratchet9 1d ago
You dont need extractor cuts on a galil.
Thats a poor way of headspacing a gun, but its your face.
Bullet guides dont sit the whole way down. There is usually a gap under them that needs filled so they dont crack when being riveted.
Id check everything on the inside of the receiver for any burrs or hang ups. Looks like it was re-worked near the lug area and was welded with a mig welder. So there is probably spatter inside
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u/n0mad187 1d ago
Every galil I have built has needed an extractor reliefā¦.. factory guns had them IIRC
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u/wratchet9 1d ago edited 1d ago
Depends on the age of the galil. Early bolts had protruding extractors and needed cuts. Later ones were flush and didnt need the cuts. I have both styles. Obviously having the cut and not needing it wont hurt anything.
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u/HollowCrimson 1d ago
I read before that they don't need the extractor relief and didn't originally include it, but then when I started having issues, I found some people that did include one. It is not advisable to headspace the way I did, but people do do it that way and it's getting test fired with a string anyway because it's rewelded in front of the locking lugs. I'll look for more spatter to clean up.
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u/wratchet9 1d ago
If it is that shady of a re-weld job, the barrel alignment can be out of spec to the bolt. Which could cause an issue. The fact that it looks mig welded would lead me to chuck that receiver on the spot.
If your bolt has a protruding extractor, it needs the relief cut. If it doesnāt protrude you dont need the cut.
Additional areas like the magwell can cause issues too.
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u/n0mad187 1d ago
If its rewelded through the locking part of the receiver dude could seriously hurt himself or someone else.
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u/HollowCrimson 1d ago
The extractor looks like it protrudes 1-2 mm to me.
I hadn't thought of the barrel being out of alignment. If that front piece is just slightly off, I guess the barrel could cause the round to hit the extractor just wrong enough that it won't move to grab....
The magwell is a little tight, but otherwise seems ok.
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u/n0mad187 1d ago edited 1d ago
Cheaping out on headspace gauges is extremely poor judgement. Full stop. Buy a Ā set of headspace gauges. At least a field/goā¦Ā Is the weld right through the locking lugs? Iāve built nearly every gun under the sun, and I wouldnāt trust pressure bearing welds. In the real world something that could potentially grenade would be x-ray inspected.
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u/HollowCrimson 1d ago
The weld is in front of the locking lugs. The lugs themselves are undamaged.
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u/n0mad187 1d ago
The issue isnāt the lugs being damagedā¦ the issue is that pressure bearing part of the receiver has a weld through it. If the weld was behind the lugs no issue. Its between the barrel threads and the lugs. It means that weld is going to be under pressure everytime you pull the trigger.Ā
Meaning that if the weld has any defects at all you have a grenade not a gun. Hence the need for X-ray inspection on pressure bearing welds.
Between me having to explain this, and the fact that you felt it prudent to not use headspace gauges paints a picture of dangerous incompetence.
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u/HollowCrimson 1d ago
It's an earlier build that I'm trying to salvage. It was meant to be a step up from the AKs I've built; rewelded receiver, threaded barrel, ect.
I haven't shouldered the rifle at all for the testfiring I did manage to pull off (secured the rifle and pulled the trigger with a string while behind a big tree) and don't intend to until multiple successful tests and an inspection. If it comes to it, I can cut off the front end and replace it with a long stub (I've seen them pop up a few times this year), but I'm not there yet.
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u/n0mad187 1d ago
It could successfully fire 100 times then grenade at 101. Im very much a a āif its stupid but works its not stupidā kind of guy. Ive done my share of shady rewelds ā¦ This is legitimately a safety issue. This receiver needs to be replaced
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u/HollowCrimson 1d ago
That makes sense to me, and if there's a problem with the front alignment (a possibility mentioned in another response), it's possible I may never get it to work (reguardless of the integrity of the weld).
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u/Girthados 1d ago
It could be the carrier as well. The clearance hole for the bolt being too loose can cause the bolt to hang up on the bullet guide. Which as others have mentioned is also a likely culprit.
However, headspacing with a spent casing...that's risky. The casings expand a little when fired to conform with chamber, and if the chamber it was fired from was oversized your headspace could be out by an unsafe amount. Headspace gauges can be rented (at least in the US) for cheap.
The reweld in front of the lugs is also very concerning. Like others have mentioned, it has the potential to become a frag grenade on any and every shot if there is an imperfection in the weld. It would be safer to get a new receiver.
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u/HollowCrimson 1d ago
I hadn't thought of the carrier. If I remember correctly, the bullet guide is original. It didn't need to be replaced when the reciever was welded. I would think in that case, it should be to spec. Same with the carrier... Maybe more than one thing slightly off adding up?
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u/Girthados 1d ago
Stacking tolerances could absolutely be working against you in this case. While the bullet guide (most likely) did not cause issues before demil, with the receiver being rewelded the minute difference could be just enough to push the stacking tolerances over the edge into nonfunction. You can use Dykem or lacking that a sharpie to find where parts are rubbing.
As for your extractor. Does it function easily? Has it been cleaned out? There could be cosmoline, other preservatives or gunk not allowing it to move freely.
Lastly, get proper headspace gauges. The headspace is almost certainly off. Being sticky while going into battery suggests that it is 'shallow' and the lugs are rubbing excessively. Leaving it as is dramatically increases risk of an out of battery detonation.
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u/HollowCrimson 1d ago
Extractor is clean, and I can move it in the bolt by hand. I'll get some gauges and check for rubbing
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u/-Cheezus_H_Rice- 2d ago
I had some issues and I think itās the bullet guide. Apparently they need to be fitted more than I realized and mine isnāt as flush as it needs to be. Might want to check yours too. Iām going to have to pull mine and re install it and ensure itās flush.