sounds like a gas problem. double check to make sure your gas system is free on oil and carbon. you piston looks too clean to have been used also. i would wonder about that piston (hmmmm). it seems the owner before you made some NM modifications for "hot" match loads maybe. my guess is he was using it to shoot heavy grain bullets out 500 yds......reason the sights are too low maybe?. i am wondering if maybe he modified the gas system to protect the gun from heavy loads. i bet if you ran some 168 grain ammo in there it would cycle. once again, this is a guess. springfields are well made and should shoot any kind of ammo.....so i am guessing the gas system as well as the sights have been altered for long range blasting. i wud get a gunsmiths advise before investing in parts.