Dear Corporal Y. M.,
 Maybe you do... and then again maybe you don't have trouble.
 One thing is sure with an M14 series rifle. When the barrel and receiver group
is out of the stock you can have some misalinement between the operating rod
and piston. And that can make you wonder about the guide. But the misaline-
ment all but disappears when you put the whole works back together.

 TRY THIS QUICK TEST

 TAKE OUT... THEN WITH
 THE ROD
 ATTACHED
 SPRING GUIDE AND THE SPRING TO THE
 BOLT, TILT
 7 _THE RIFLE
 END-FOR-
 S.- END. IF
 THE ROD
 GOES BACK
 AND FORTH,
 THE GUIDE'S
 NOT TOO LOOSE
 IF THE ROD
 DOESN'T
 MOVE, SEE
 YOUR
 ARMORER.
 One reason the guide loosens ... the way some guys make with the muscles
as they pull and twist the operating rod out of the guide in disassembling the rifle.
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