Are these gas key screws properly staked?

**26 Inf** · 09-27-17, 23:41

Originally Posted by heavygunner8

I keep looking at it, and it honest doesn't look like the metal is touching the screws at all. The gap between the screw and the bolt carrier metal is very obvious. Unless you mean the metal that does touch the screw is so deep down that I can't see it?

Get a picture from the side if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to see it. It looks like they are using a press of some type. ETA: Just read your reply above, I'd try different lighting additionally.

I read over on TxGunTalk that they want you to send back the whole rifle. I'd suggest that if you opt to send it back you shoot it first to see how it does.

Quiet frankly, I'd not bother sending it back unless something else was amiss. It is easy enough to do it yourself, even without the MOACKS tool. Much easier to do it yourself than to package, take down to drop off. If it's a gun and it goes UPS you have to go to the distribution center, not the local UPS Store, don't know about FedEx. Then there is the wait.

But that's just me.

**pinzgauer** · 09-27-17, 23:44

Originally Posted by heavygunner8

I am the OP, what picture angle do you need to see if's properly stacked in this case? From the side of the bolt? I took a horizontal pic and a vertical one.

From the side, not the top like the 1st two.

Hand/moacks staking deforms the corner downwards at an angle. The machine staking is pretty much all horizontal and leaves no vertical deformation on the top face, only down in the pocket where it's harder to see.

I don't know if it's good enough or not... Just that it since it appears to be machine done it's most likely deeper/less obvious, and if so is probably ok.

**pinzgauer** · 09-27-17, 23:58

Just an observation: many are now over staking. TM sez vertical displacement can't be more than 0.025". Lotta examples appear to be that or more.

**heavygunner8** · 09-28-17, 00:08

Originally Posted by pinzgauer

From the side, not the top like the 1st two.

Hand/moacks staking deforms the corner downwards at an angle. The machine staking is pretty much all horizontal and leaves no vertical deformation on the top face, only down in the pocket where it's harder to see.

I don't know if it's good enough or not... Just that it since it appears to be machine done it's most likely deeper/less obvious, and if so is probably ok.

I took a few more pics. Let me know if you can tell from any of these:

**pinzgauer** · 09-28-17, 00:19

Definitely machine staked (my read). As such very little metal of the key or screw is deformed upwards. The force is nearly all horizontal, as is the deformation normally. (But can't see on yours). And the deformation is much deeper in the pocket.

The LMT staking was a bit lower, but similar. It is possible for the LMT type staking to put more of a resistive force on the screw than traditional.

Not defending Ruger here, just pointing out there is another method of staking surfacing.

**heavygunner8** · 09-28-17, 00:22

Originally Posted by pinzgauer

Definitely machine staked (my read). As such very little metal of the key or screw is deformed upwards. The force is nearly all horizontal, as is the deformation normally. (But can't see on yours). And the deformation is much deeper in the pocket.

The LMT staking was a bit lower, but similar. It is possible for the LMT type staking to put more of a resistive force on the screw than traditional.

Not defending Ruger here, just pointing out there is another method of staking surfacing.

If you look at the first couple of pictures I just posted, how do you explain the gap between the metal and the screw though? I'm not an expert and really just beginning my AR-15 shooting/collecting hobby, but the gap is very obvious. Could it be the machine attempted to "squish" the metal so that it touches the screw, thereby staking it, but didn't do it with enough force to make it actually touch the screw?

**heavygunner8** · 09-28-17, 00:29

Upon closer inspection, I notice you're correct. A tiny bit of the metal from the BCG is touching the screws. But this is only true for 1 side of the screw and not both. You can see the difference from 1 side to the other in the 3rd and 4th pictures above. One side is dented such that it's pointed inward, while the 4th picture shows the dent, but it's not as deep, therefore creating a gaping between the screw and the BCG metal on ONE side.

I assume this is still proper staking from the machine method you mentioned?

**Iraqgunz** · 09-28-17, 07:04

Save your time. They won't do anything about it. Their opinion is they are fine. If you put a bit driver on it, they will most likely pop loose with little effort just like the last 15 or so I have seen.

Originally Posted by heavygunner8

Sigh.. Guess I need to call Ruger in the morning. You'd expect a reputable major firearm manufacturer to properly produce a rifle...

**heavygunner8** · 09-28-17, 07:44

Originally Posted by Iraqgunz

Save your time. They won't do anything about it. Their opinion is they are fine. If you put a bit driver on it, they will most likely pop loose with little effort just like the last 15 or so I have seen.

If the guy above is correct, then these should be fine. I'll wait and see what Ruger's reply is today.