M14/M1A receivers

[DougS]

Unless I'm mistaken, Bula does not offer installation of a customers barrel. So, basically if you want their receiver, you need to take their barrel and bolt as well. Not saying that there is anything generally wrong with their barrels and bolts, but presents an issue if you have a parts kit with a GI barrel, or even a Criterion barrel, you're limited in choices.
And in response to DueceGuy - no offense, but Bula has its fair share of issues too, which can not be blamed on some customer Bubba.

[Deuceguy]

Doug,
It doesn't make sense for a manufacturer to offer any warranty on old used parts. That's work for a gunsmith. Bula didn't want to take the chance. Along with the problems, the bubba jobs wanting warranty work made it worse. After that, bare receivers stopped getting sold to just anyone.
No offense taken. I'm surprised that you haven't heard that I don't work for Bula any longer.

[6.5x68]

Bubba sucks, we have established this. Signing a disclaimer may be an option. All I keep hearing is that if you want a stripped receiver, Fulton is the only one capable of providing it.

[Ma Deuce]

Aahh sounds like good sound advice,let me ask you this,if kits are $1,000 to $1,300 and if there is no barrel or bolt with it id figure what another $400.00 for those parts then you still have to buy a receiver and i'm not sure what a good one costs but ill guess $800.00? most people would just buy a completed rifle some where instead of a kit and all the other stuff and avoid any fitting issues and get a warranty too,unless they really wanted a rifle as close to a GI rifle as they could get.

I also saw where you all were talking about putting GI heels on other new receivers is that expensive to do that sounds like a real cool idea but is it safe and legal? I would love to one day find me a GI kit for $350.00to $400.00 that would be cool and I bet all the parts would already be worn together if off the same rifle and eliminate lots of fitting issues.

One day if I am lucky enough to find a kit for that price,I will try to build me one all GI except the receiver then id like to find someone who would put a heel on there for me too.Is it expensive to pay some one to weld one on?

[Deuceguy]

If you have any intention to have a M14 platform built with either GI parts or commercial parts, buy them. Don't wait. It is easier and more cost effective to buy a complete rifle regardless of what parts it has.
Unless you are a known builder, you won't get stripped receivers from any manufacturer except Fulton. As I understood it and still understand it, there will never be disclaimers.
Also, the GI heeled commercial receivers are now unicorns. They will not be manufactured by JRA again.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by DougS

My $.02 is that based on building Springfield, Armscorp, Fulton and Bula, Fulton has given me the least issues.
The most recent of the manufacturers had given me issues with their bolts not fitting the receiver, and with a barreled receiver having a barrel so far off it was shot 15" or more at 100 yards, i.e. off a standard 100 yard target paper. This same barreled receiver went back to them twice, the first for headspace and the second for this barrel cant issue.
I will say they made everything right, and the latest had no issues whatsoever.

So, as said previously, they all have had growing pains to work thru, and based on who is left, some have not survived the market place because of their recurring quality issues.

Sounds like SA Inc.

[DougS]

Originally Posted by Danny

Sounds like SA Inc.

Nope - a forged receiver manufacturer west of New York. They started test firing their builds around the time of the second barrel issue, and I know this situation there was not unique to my barreled receiver.
I'm not meaning to complain- just stating a fact. They corrected every issue found, and none of them had to do with the fit of GI or other manufacturer parts.

[nf1e]

Gave a fellow a hand putting a rifle together this morning using his Bula stripped receiver, bula bolt and a FA stainless 1-10 barrel. Went together like a dream as the 4 dozen others I have in the herd did.
I have been using Bula receivers, bolts and barrels since they started up making them.
Only problems I have seen were created by folks that were used to ARs and thought they could build an M14.
I have rifles built on Bulas with every mfg usgi barrels, Criterions, Kreigers and Chinese. All have gone together great.

New rifle's owner function firing for the first time.



First two rnds from new build. Sights set at center front and rear and elevation up 6 in shop.



First shot at 100yds. This is the 3rd shot from new build with original sight settings.



The grin on this young fellow's face says it all. Bula makes great stuff if you know how to work with it.

[gjungle56]

Nice build, where would one acquire one of these Bula receivers? Would like to build one for myself. Putting on the barrel is'nt any different than correctly putting one on a garand providing that the receiver is properly machined. I would have to think that it would be (with cnc machines replacing the dedicated operations that were used when the originals would have been made) easier to duplicate to closer tolerances. Just out of curiosity, does anyone actually know how the locking lugs on garands and 14s were originally cut. Being that they are actually portions of a 5tpi 90 degree thread I think they might have been put in with some kind of lead screw arrangement. The tool marks visible in the lugs may suggest this but I'm just surmising