I am almost finished the BM-1 Build. This Garand/BM-59 hybrid is looking good but..... problems with the oprod spring and Garand follower rod. I have trimmed back the spring quite a bit but with the Garand follower rod it bottoms out in the op rod and the bolt does not get to the end of its ejection stroke. Is this a 'trial and error' fit? How short should the spring be to operate properly? Can I make a custom follower rod by moving the spring forward on the rod? Would fusing a stub from the Garand rod to the BM-59 rod work better? The two piece BM guide may be an option with some clever trimming and such. WWTD? (what would Tim do?)

Any and all ideas and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.