Strongly Considering a Gas Trap Project

[Government Issue]

Yep. I know. I think I'm crazy, too. The allure is just too great, and the build is simply too tempting. I understand that it'll take a lot of time and money to do, but I'm set on doing one. I'm not going for a corrected original with all original parts. I want to "restore" an early M1 in the same manner that CMP member M1riflenut did with SN 3888 using reproduction and original parts when applicable.

I've been reading quite a bit over the last few months on the gas trap forums here and understand that there are members who are correcting gas traps with original parts in their original finishes. That is far more difficult than what I'm aiming for and just seeing those members attempt such a feat, inspired me to want to get the ball rolling on this endeavor. The problem lies in how feasible it is.

I'm looking to do an April '39 and would need to start with a receiver that falls within the 810 that were made that month starting with 9894 to 10703. I understand trying to find a receiver on the loose for sale is a shot in the dark, but I'm determined to do so. The next issue is the barrel and gas assembly. If I were ever able to acquire an April '39 receiver, it'd need a Type 1 Gas assembly/barrel. Ratworx used to make the kit and as I understand only had around 30 of them and they all sold and will never be produced again. However, I can get a gas trap repo barrel from criterion through ammogarand, but the big problem of a repo gas trap type 1 assembly still persists. To be honest, I have no idea where to begin to look for, dare find, a repo type 1 gas assembly as of now. I'm looking for any advice I can be given on this or any direction I can be guided to speak with someone about doing a project like this. There are many knowledgeable people on here and any advice is greatly appreciated!

[JackC1425]

Welcome to the madness and reading your post sort of gives me a sense of deja vu.. At this stage i'm assuming that it will be a labor of love cause it HAD to be for me to even think about it.. You have some tough parameters set but all I can say is give it a try.. As long as you know up front what you are getting into the rest is academic. The gas cylinder assembly is really going to be a tough nut to crack but you never know.. Good luck and welcome to the club!

[Jersey Devil]

Well you landed in the right place. There are a bunch of guys that post here and they have forgotten more than I'll ever know. First question, do you want to be able to shoot the rifle or is it just for display?
Another big hurdle will be the springs. Get a hold of Bubba1 here and get a set of springs from him. That way, if it's a shooter or display the spring set will be functional.
Believe it or not, finding a receiver--even withing that range--will be one of the easier parts to obtain.
Welcome to the madness!!!

[Bubba1]

Hello Joe,

Glad to have you on the forum. That will be a tall project you are wanting to embark upon but do not fear , there are a lot of good people that will help you along the way . Finding a shootable gas cylinder will be the most difficult task at hand right now as I do not have any more of Gene's gas cylinders left and Ratworx is out of cylinders. As far I know no one has any plans to build any more shootable cylinders right now. That may or may not change in the future. We will have to see. There was a gas trap restoration on Gunbroker for sale that has one of Gene's cylinder kits on it.

There are many ways to approach and build your rifle, above all remember this, it's yours.... build it like you want it and enjoy it however you are happiest with . It is easy to upgrade or change directions on a build . The only hiccup is changing a barrel if you do not have the tools to do it yourself.

Good luck in your endeavour, Bubba1

[Government Issue]

Thanks Jack! Your build was one that I followed. She's coming along real nice. You persevered through that project and it's paying off beautifully. The gas assembly is going to be one of the hardest bits to find.

Brian, I definitely want it to shoot. It's an M1. It needs to be able to produce eight pops and a ping. That's good news on the receiver! I've got hope now. You're fueling the fire and creating a monster here! I've got Gastrapitus now. I'm well aware of Gas Trap god bubba and this new convert to the church of the Gas Trap will definitely get in touch with him about this. Any idea about what to do concerning the gas system?

I'm not concerned about timing as I've been working on building an April '43 for the last 6 years now. I haven't got it done yet, but I am getting close. Then I had a nice pick up in August that prompted this whole idea of building a gas trap and gave me an idea of how I want to build my M1 collection out.

I'm glad to know I am in good hands here!

[JackC1425]

GI... Sounds as if you've got your perspectives in the right place and that is awesome to see!! Stay the course and you will have something not many do and don't let anyone tell you differently. As Brian says your in the right place. The knowledge and willingness to help is second to none. You have realized as I have that Gas Traps are an addiction all to their own!!! Never hesitate to reach out along the way....

[Jersey Devil]

Do you have to have a receiver without the 7th-round fix or can it be "fixed"?

[Government Issue]

Do you have to have a receiver without the 7th-round fix or can it be "fixed"?

Doesn't matter to me! Out of curiosity, why did they spot weld on the feed ramps for the follower? Was it reinforcement? If I remember right it was to stop an issue with stoppages.

[Moorem1s]

Look here...

https://www.m1garandforum.com/forum/steel-warriors/gas-trap-garands/568-seventh-round-mod-explained-in-pics

[Government Issue]

Thanks for the link and the info. Much appreciated!

[Jersey Devil]

Have you purchased any parts for this project, yet, or are you still gathering info?
I'm excited to see where this build goes!

[Government Issue]

Have you purchased any parts for this project, yet, or are you still gathering info?
I'm excited to see where this build goes!

I haven't bought anything yet. I've eyeballed a few things here and there, but I'm planning everything out before I go full DEFCON 1 concerning the project. I'll be more enthusiastic once I can get a receiver lined up. That's the heart of the rifle and I always work from the receiver to the backbone (barrel). The barrel should be easy in this case since I'm going with a repro barrel and can get one no problem. Same goes with the stock, as I'll see if I can have someone do some work to get a USGI stock to fit the gas trap mould. The 2 challenges are going to be gathering the small parts and the gas system.

I've been looking over the small parts lists and have this all recorded so far. If anything needs to be corrected or adjusted let me know!

APRIL 1939 Approx S/N 9,894 - 10,703

RECEIVER SMALL PARTS:
O marked accelerator, in the white
O marked clip latch, round front
B-8875 Bullet guide, forged (S/N 1-9999) or B8875 (S/N 10000-35000)
1 marked follower, narrow tail
B 8869 follower arm, double bevel

REAR SIGHT COMPONENTS:
Short pinion / Flush nut
Checkered elevation/ windage knobs (closed or open arrows?)
C46001 base, concentric rings
B-8872 Sight cover, flat
B-8868-1 Aperture

TRIGGER GROUP:
D28290 Housing
C46008 Hammer
C46015-3 Safety
C46020-1 Trigger
C46025 Trigger guard, concentric rings
Winged Plunger
Plunger spring housing, in the white (angle is different from wartime)

ACTION:
D35382 - 0 Operating rod, marked underneath (prefer modified)
D28287 Bolt, relevant heat code
Firing pin, half round (full round correct, but heard unsafe to shoot?)

FURNITURE AND RELEVANT METAL ACCOUTERMENTS:
We'll cross that road once we get there

Also, while working on this, I understand there may be people who need parts for legitimate restorations of gas trap era and early rifles. Therefore, I'll substitute reproduction parts in addition to the gas system, follower rod & spring set, barrel, and stock when applicable. For instance, I may not use a legit USGI flush nut assembly and may go repro. I may end up using USGI knobs and a repro pinion and screw. I definitely don't want to use original drawing number marked rear sight knobs in this as other people need them more than I do. Other parts such as the drawing number ferrules and hand guard clips and subsequent parts may be swapped for later pieces that look exactly the same minus the drawing number. This is all too far ahead in the future to tell what I'll do, but I'm going to remain open minded about it.

The gas system is still up in the air, but I'll figure out what to do when I need it or wait it out when I'm done with everything else. Either way, I'm going to have fun doing this. I'm sure there will be ups and downs in the process of seeing it to fruition, but I'm looking forward to it. One thing to know about me though, is I like taking my time with builds. I'm pretty critical about every little piece that comes together, so this may be a 2 year project or this may be a 10 year project. I honestly don't know, but I hope it will bring as much enjoyment to the board as it will to me. I've greatly appreciated everyone's comments and responses so far.

[JackC1425]

Add another person excited for you and watching it all happen!!

[Bubba1]

Find a receiver and I can pull some original datasheets to give a more accurate parts list for you .

Modifying an old , nothing special, stock or a new fancy stock is not a problem to fit to your shooter. I generally used a reproduction buttplate on a new stock for a shooter . Just a cost factor. Of course that will be your choice for whatever you want or perfer.

[Government Issue]

Thanks fellows! I'll definatley take you up on the datasheets when I find a receiver Paul. Does anyone have a suggestion for how I should go about finding one? I'm considering putting an ad in the GCA. I can go about the route of posting in the appropriate forums, but figured I should ask if there's a better method.