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Bm59 Receiver Repair Or Replace?


Obiegoat
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I purchased a 60's SA BM59 kit yesterday. It is a cut and welded SA receiver that has been goobered. In addtion there are areas where the welding has small voids and areas where prior work went to far. Can this receiver be salvaged? I have a local fab/weld/machine shop that would do the repair and correctly machine for about $150-200. Due to the cost of another BM59 receiver, I am thinking I am going to let them do the repair and rework, but I do not want receiver exploding when I shoot it.

 

What are the risks to the integrity of the receiver if this is done?

 

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Is the machinist also a gunsmith, experienced with M1's ?. It's true some Garand halves were rejoined by "adventurers" in the post war years. Some may have hung together. They would not likely make it through a proof round testing. It's no way to make a safe rifle though.

 

There are so many things you will never be sure about. The alignment and geometry of the bolt-ways will need to be perfect. Not only in travel but in length. If the receiver bridge is not in a precise position, the bolt will be rotating "out of time" and not allow the safe alignment of hammer and firing pin at the right time. This is not to be understated. If the person who welded it back together made any errors you will not know until it either wont work or has an out of battery detonation. This is a separate problem from the welds just plain failing. One will exacerbate the other though.

 

How many ways can this fail? I'll let someones else count them.

 

It's possible you can get this working. But you will never know for how long.

 

Whats the story behind the story here? Is this a de-milled Italian BM59 built on an SA receiver? Do you know who did the welding. In that shape it should have been at a salvage price with no actual value attached to the receiver. Just a parts kit.

 

If you are looking for buy in on this repair, not many who know M1's or BM59's will likely say it is a good idea.

 

JR

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JR, This is a 1960's Springfield Armory (SA) re-welded Garand receiver. Based upon the history of the SA BM59 rifles, in those days almost all the commercially avialable BM59's were built up from the cut & re-welded Garand receivers. There does not seem to be any concern of failure on the SA BM59's or the similar units from Golden State Arms / Santa Fe. These rifles were mostly made with re-welded receivers.

 

I am sure that if it was necessary, the SA factory re-welds were heat treated or whatever. During the 60's some of these SA factory re-welds receivers found there way into BM59 rilfe kits. Many of these kits were build by somewhat amateur gunsmiths and the quality of these gun may vary quite a bit, but I do not fine stories of the receivers failing.

 

I do not see any alignment issues, but of course that will be check when the receiver is setup to have the welding removed from the bolt channels and track. In the area that the factory welding is done I really do not see a stress issue, My concerned is that if I have some additional welding done to the receiver, so I may machine the bolt catch releaf properly, that I will change the metal properties in that area. Should I be concerned? What can be done to prevent this possible problem?

 

 

Yes money is the issue, If I can repair this receiver I can save $400 to $500. I intend to visit a gunsmith that is also a machinist for his opinion.

 

Roger

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Roger I'm familiar with the history of the Golden State BM59s. You may find that the welded receiver ones are not widely regarded as "safe". Though you could say they were made by machinists experienced with M1's.

 

If you don't know the expertise and process followed by the welder who did the job a lot is in doubt. You say there are visible voids in the weld. I offer that there are probably voids that are not visible too.

 

Proceed with caution.

 

JR

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  • 1 month later...

This receiver *could* have been saved before the exploratory grinding. Pits can be easily repaired by re-cutting and re-welding with the proper process and filler metals, or by milling out just the pitted portions, but big patches of missing metal contaminated by silica and alumimum will always bubble and pit. I'd start over.

 

FWIW-- TIG welded Garand receivers are usually safe and accurate. The locking lug recesses are not heat affected and they take the same pressures as any other Garand. The rear of the receiver is only a guide for the bolt and a place to mount the rear sight.

Check the hardness of the recesses with a needle file, if soft enough to 'bite', have the receiver re-heat-treated BEFORE shooting and check headspace after HT.

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