Any hints to reassembling a M14 buttplate assy?

Try this:

You'll need a 2" C clamp. turn the backplate up on it's side in your left had with the trap door toward the palm of your hand. put the spring in the hole and place the ball bearing on the spring. take the C clamp and compress the ball and spring until the C clamp is just about tight. you'll need to keep it from getting too tight as you will be sliding the C clamp off as you slide the flipper on. After compressing the ball bearing and spring, place the flipper above the top of the backplate and slide it down in place pushing the C clamp off at the same time. Once in place you can put the pin back in with a tack hammer. It's real easy once ya get used to doing several things at a time.

ATTA BOY Hawkster ... :wink:

Sounds harder than the proceedure ...

Watch that spring and ball bearing ... :lol:

Six

mmmm nice butts.

What did you spray those with ? If you dont'mind me asking? Does the finish mimick the original?Thanks Mike

there should be enough clearance for the C clamp to be slid out without scuffing up the surface.

mikebaker1129: I used Brownell's spray-on baking lacquer. "Parkerizing Gray" for the flip-up plate & "Matte Black" for the butt plate. I think I'll use the "Dark Parkerizing Gray" for the next batch as these flip-up plates are a bit too light. They do look pretty good though.

Hawk: I just got done getting them re-assembled. They're looking pretty good I think. I don't have a C clamp, so I used an old dull paring knife with a VERY thin steel blade to compress the ball bearing while I slid the flip-up plate over the butt plate and the blade. Once I had it on I turned the assembly over so the spring side was against the carpet (in case the ball bearing popped back out) & pulled the blade out. Easy-peasy.

It took me @ 20 mins to get all 9 of them re-assembled & another 20 to get the roll pins back in.

how many ball bearings and springs did ya lose? :roll: that's about the same way I used to do it before I had a middle of the night brain storm

haha, I know what you mean. The ball bearing shot out on me a few times with the first butt plate I assembled, but I was able to find it each time it went flying.

I didn't have any problems after the 1st one.

I'm gonna get a C clamp & give your method a try next time. Doing it my way I know I'll loose a ball bearing sooner or later.