It's a great shooting rifle when it works.

May I suggest you do an ammo check as well? I had the exact same problems you do with some Indian(bad,really bad) ammo.

Best Regards and Happy Shooting MCORPS1

BIG +1 on the Otis kit... its all i use on my M1 garand and will use on my m14's when i get them.. If i went with a rod it would be a one piece such as a dewey or tipton rod that is coated and has a ball being handle (i have two 1 in .30 caliber and in .22 (for my AR-15's) along with bore guides... to me the usgi stuff is for emergencies only.. true the above rods will cost you 30.00 a swat but they are worth it.. the Otis can be had in many configurations... the most popular with M14 types being the DMR kit which is about 45.00 CMP has a real basic one for 30.00..

I don't know what extractor you have but I would replace it and the spring with new USGI parts. The mags can effect extraction also.
CP

flip180, you might want to check out this thread:

http://www.m-14forum.com/showthread.php?t=17874

philjimpot,

I've kept a close eye on that thread. I have a strong suspicion that the problem is in the chamber. I took a fired case and placed it in the chamber last night and closed the bolt. I litterally had to kick the bolt open again. I had to push the case into the chamber with my thumb to get it to seat prior to closing the bolt. It's hard for me to see deep in the chamber but, I think I might see some crud deep inside. We'll see. I figure the extractor is ok if it holds while kicking the chamber open. I have a .308 OTIS cleaning kit on the way along with a .308 chamber brush. I've had similar problems with my M249 SAW and various M-16A2's in the army and it is either an ammo issue or a dirty chamber issue. The charging handles on those have seen my boot a number of times. That's where I'll start. I noticed the extractor change in your thead didn't resolve the problem so, I'll look esle where for a solution and go from there.

Thanks, Flip.