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POL
Posted: 5/23/2025 8:17:44 AM EDT
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Hello everyone, first time poster here :) I have recently purchased an original Colt AR-15 mod. 613 from Malaysian surplus (yes, it has the "proper" amount of pins - where I live there is no NFA and it's legal for us to own semiautomatic conversions). It's in a tip-top mechanical condition, I just came back from a range-trip where I zeroed the rifle and I was able to shoot 1,5" groups at 100m, which is typical of most ARs I've seen. Externally, it's pretty beat up - it's been through 50 years of malaysian service. Now, to the topic at hand - the magwell is very slightly, but visibly bent around the pivot pin - someone most likely went to town on that pin with a hammer. Any advice on fixing it? It's not a big deal, it's just that some of my aluminium mags do not drop free. And you can forget about using the polymer ones, they have to be forcefully pulled out of the rifle. Only the very top of the magwell is bent. Once the mag body clears the bent part it drops free. Apart from that the pivot pin is pretty hard to remove - you have to give it a smack with a rubber mallet to get it going. I thought about getting some lapping paste and trying to polish the front of the magwell until the mags drop free, but maybe someone knows a clever way to straighten it out. Any suggestions are welcome :) I've also ordered a new pivot pin and it's retaining pin. The pivot pin looks worn and the retaining pin seems broken in half. I'll soon find out if the replacement is going to be easier to manipulate. Here are some pictures of the rifle:    
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I'm not lazy, I just really enjoy doing nothing.
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Attached File IMHO I wouldn't try to straighten it back out. You run the risk of cracking it. Unless you are planning to operate operationally I would leave it alone and deal with it. At the risk of being flogged 87 times, if you want the mags to drop free, I would use a fine file and just take down the high spot until the mags drop free. Maybe hit it with some aluminum black to help with future corrosion. Lapping compound will take forever. Is that the original Colt gray or did it have another finish applied at some point. |
I can explain it to you but I can't understand it for you.
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POL
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Thanks for the reply :) You're right - I think I'll go with the file and then give it a good polish. Bending it back to place might be risky. It's a rifle for special occasions, normally I run a PWS gas-op AR. As for the finish - it's original, but heavily worn. Some surfaces are buffed to a shine from carrying it around and on some surfaces bare aluminum is showing up. The original finish is visible on the iside of the recievers - it's grayish-black. Much darker than the worn finish on the outside. Here's a pic: 
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I can be corrected, but chance making it worse with the heat needed to get it corrected, if smith is clueless on what need to be done. Hence aluminum has to be heated up to make it more pliable, isntead of just trying to bend it while cold, which is going to cause the aluminum to crack. So for front pins, need to make jig to get the ears back tram, and on the mag well, petty much the same. As for why the receiver is bent, too many bayonet trainings with it by Newbies, that has caused the receiver to be bent in the first place. Hence you just want to jab and slash on the way back out, and not try to drive the bayonet and barrel through someone like its a spear. |
Posted By PlaymoreMinds:
'Twas not the <cough> sweet and innocent <cough> PlaymoreMinds...
<---skips away in frilly skirts to Candyland, leaving gutters and snorkels FAR behind.
'Twas not the <cough> sweet and innocent <cough> PlaymoreMinds...
<---skips away in frilly skirts to Candyland, leaving gutters and snorkels FAR behind.
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