I sold my ICS Garand last April, why? .....I don’t know, but now I haven’t got one ....I want one. The price has gone up now on new ones, around £400, and used ones still hold their price well, so I thought I’d do a retro modification.
Taiwangun have been selling M14 wood alike model for £107, just gone up to £111 I think. These are CYMA, and are very accurate out of the box, and the mod is not too hard to get close to looking like an M1 Garand.
So to start with, so done mossberg 500 shotgun mags to fit flush in the stock, and started on top hand guard wood.
The pic with the three mags, shows a new one, one has been “adjusted “ to fit, the last one nearly finished, fits in fires, gives around 11 shots, this I think is good for this mod.
I will make up a little front piece but there will still have to be a gap, as the mag has to tip forward, to remove.
A few more pics showing mag modification
how did you add the step for the mag catch paddle, is that glued on?
That’s where I went a bit too low with the dremel bit, trying to find a comfortable catch line. So built it back up with epoxy.
Used the dremel to put in slant in the back of the mag, you can see on the other one, that went OK when I found the right height. I wrapped plasticard round the mag to take up side gap, superglued on. Then cut out a piece on the front too, to catch spring clip in the mag well.
They actually have less movement than than original mags!
Done a bit more to top wood, all fits nice, but will have to be shortened, when I get to do the barrel end as the Garand top wood from receiver to sling band is where it ends, ( marked in pic) but seeing as I want to use this gun in an up coming skirmish for test purposes on the mags I’m going to leave it for now and continue in a week or so.
Stage one, done! Might get another mag mod done before the game,
Good work 
What stain did you use to get what looks like a good match to the stock. I have tried loads but to no avail on my G43
Hi Lord Elpus,
You may already be aware of thsese (and I'm not sure what route you're taking with the front end) but this chap has created some 3D print files for an M14 to M1 conversion:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2224973/comments
I think the gas tube/muzzle work out at about $70 dollars if you use Shapeways and PA12 plastic (detailed).
The stain used is Colton, Georgian medium oak, one coat, a couple extra “end” coats as it draws in quick, left to dry then a coat of beeswax, not forgetting I used softwood to make the hand grip, different types of wood different colours produced. It’s not an exact match but near enough, when I have the time I will make a stock, as the shape is not quite right for the M1 around the mag well.
As for the 3D printer parts, yes I was aware of them being made, but this is a skinflint conversion, other than the cost of the gun, and a few mossberg mags everything else will come from what’s kicking around( and believe me, I’ve got some old crap laying around!) plus I want to make the parts from steel/aluminium, more robust and weathering capabilities.
Cut down the spring, doing 336 fps and has not effected the range or accuracy, and I know I’ve said it before, but these are really accurate for no upgrade/ fettling at all. Seeing as these M14’s are used a lot in ww2 games, they do make sense as a cheap option to modify.
Here’s a pic of M14 to G43 I’m doing as well.
Try again, pic didn’t appear,
That’s COLRON Georgian medium oak stain, god I really f#*@£ ing hate predictive text!
I use the Wicks medium oak ,its a really nice colour as well , that last picture looks like a g43 or am I imagining it ?
armoury
m1a1 Thompson,sten mk2,mp40,stg44,sterling,mk2 bren gun,lee Enfield no4 mk1,Mauser Kar98, Walther ppk,smith and Weston m10 and Mauser m712
Give me a big enough hammer and a place to stand and I could fix the world.
i'll kill a man in a fair fight or if i think he's going to start a fair fight or over a woman or.......
a problem shared is a problem halved ,but an advantage shared is no advantage at all
if a job's not worth doing then its certainly not worth doing well
That is one I prepared earlier......now collecting bits to make the top receiver look like a G43.
No worries!
As for fabricating the gas tube/front sight assembly, what would you suggest? I only have very basic tools that don't lend well to metal work...
I will probably make front end from steel, possibly Aluminium, the plan is( which may change!) the main outer barrel to be replaced full length in 16mm steel tube, sleeve inside to suit inner barrel, the lower gas tube, could well be done in aluminium and its easier to work with.
I don’t have an aluminium welding set up that’s the reason for using steel, plus it’s a lot stronger, the main barrel on the G34 conversion is aluminium with fabricated steel sight and hood, made from CO2 capsules ( I use these a lot, no money involved ) and after cleaning off the thin coating weld up nice on low power, if you’ve no access to weld equipment your best bet is aluminium or even copper tubing , using a good quality epoxy glue, such as K2 metal bond found this stuff on eBay and it knocks the spots off jbweld in my opinion, sets quick, files, cuts, drills cleanly.
I shall be getting on with this after the 13th of this month, I’ll make a couple of front sight sections, you are welcome to one.
Andy
That's a really kind offer Andy, I may take you up on it. My original plan was to get the 3D prinrted parts and real stacking swivel/front sight with the intention of eventually getting the gas cylinder machined (using the 3D printed bits as a template). Either that or having the 3d parts printed in steel (but that would cost upwards of $200).
I've seen people use real M1 gas cylinders but they must be in the states...
It’s easy to get carried away and spend money and time on something, I’ve done it a few times on projects and while I enjoy making these things sometimes I’ve spent way to much in the pursuit of exactness and accuracy, might as well just buy the made item from a shop.
I like to do things to a budget and near enough is good enough in my book, these guns are not works of art just implements to use in game. Sometimes they work out to be better items than the factories turn out, or just making something that the airsoft manufacturing companies don’t make. There’s nothing wrong with 3D printed parts, just doesn’t work out that cheap sometimes, and strength of said items can be an issue on stress parts.
I’ll only buy parts if they’re cheap or I can’t make them myself, so if I can help you out, I will, I’d like to see more guys having a go at conversions and scratch builds, brings out a different aspect to the game.
Andy
Took this M14 as is, to a game yesterday, mainly to try distance and accuracy, remembering that the hop unit is “ from the box” as it were, the only work I’ve done is lower FPS.
At 339 FPS according to site chrono, it’s bang on accurate at 50 metres with .28’s going through, it will do 70 metres but fluctuates a bit some pellets maybe 65 metres not so accurate, target size was approx twice size of the one at 50 metres, which was a plastic builders tub/ trug type of affair.
So overall quite pleased with this, so might leave it alone when doing the rest of the conversion, really tempted to put maple leaf hop rubber and nub in, which worked really well on my short version, which would probably pass as a WW2 weapon anyway.
Finally got around to doing something on this, so checked length to cut to sling hanger, it’s going to be a little more difficult than I first thought, if I cut where I want to, it leaves the return spring butt end, ( for cocking bar) hanging out, my first look at this I thought it might run flush, no such luck! Now I can sleeve it out, block the end so it racks as usual, but this will be a bigger diameter than I wanted to use.
If I don’t cut it, the job will be real easy, but that means the front hand guard wood section will be about three and a half inch shorter than it should be. I don’t think I can live with that, a few small discrepancies when doing these conversions is ok, but it’s got to look somewhere close.
I think it’s scratch my bonce, and stroke the my beard time, a large coat of “looking at” is required.
Procrastination over, when in doubt, ........put the hacksaw to it!
