Seekins rail install gone possibly wrong

[ScreaminSS01]

Good afternoon M4C. I have done a lot of reading but not much posting. I think I may be in trouble though. I know you guys are going to shake your head at this one a little though and I may regretfully earn a spot in the gunsmithing wall of shame thread.

I received a Seekins rail for Christmas from my lovely wife. I went to install the rail today and didn't read the instructions before today. I didn't know I needed an 1 1/8' crows foot for the new barrel nut so needless to say I ordered one today. Now to the part I may have screwed up. I looked at a few youtube videos and found it was possible to disassemble the upper without the vise block so I started. The A2 sight on the Colt came off easy. Now to the barrel nut. I put the upper in a vise with a 2x4 of wood on either side of the upper. The barrel nut came off and everything was fine. I called around and couldn't source a crows foot locally so I decided to put the BCG back in with the charging handle. The charging handle seems to take a little more effort to pull back. I am wondering if it is possible if I bent the upper in the vise. If so I am ashamed at myself being a mechanic and constantly using the mantra "the right tool for the job" many times in my wrenching career. Being its a Colt, I doubt ther specs are readily available but is this info anywhere so I can mic the upper to see if its out of spec? I did not reinstall the gas block or tube. Would that make a difference in the effort it takes to pull back? I wouldn't think so since I'm only fighting the spring and buffer. Or am I simply over thinking it since its the first time I had an AR apart? I ordered a crows foot and the upper and lower block but I probably won't have the time to reassemble till the weekend. I assume the only thing that can happen is the bcg to not fully seat after a round is fired. It does seat when charging the handle too.

Thanks in advance and I wish my first posted thread wasn't so shameful. So go ahead and post your memes and SMH because I have shaked my head and beat myself up for it already. Hopefully you guys can put my mind at ease.

Thanks,
Brett

[GH41]

My mother taught me not to so I won't.

[Leaveammoforme]

Delete

[Failure2Stop]

Don't worry about it. An AR upper can take a very high amount of torque without damage.

[ScreaminSS01]

GH41 thanks for your restraint. I will definitely have the right tools in a few days.



I'd imagine you are OK. You would have to crank down the vise pretty good to cause major damage. Being a mechanic I'm sure you have a feeling for snug enough versus using a cheater pipe on the vise.

If all functions are normal and you can cycle by hand with just "a little more effort" you probably just tightened the old girl up some. Run BCG nice and wet and it will make whatever additional clearance it needs.

I regret to inform you, but you are hereby grounded from your rifle for a week. What's that? You want to make it two? :)

I grounded myself already but and I accept your punishment. Thanks for the some what positive news and I hope you're right. A BCM upper is not that expensive but it's a cost I could've avoided totally if it needs replaced. I do have a SBR I'm trying to build and I don't need any set backs.

I only tightened it enough to where the receiver didn't move when I was loosening the barrel nut and flash hider off. I expected it both to be tough but it wasn't that tight. All the roll pins came out with a few taps also.

I will definitely be generous on the lube for the bcg and will probably fire the first couple rounds on a bench to stay away from the rifle.

[ScottsBad]

I'm not the expert these other guys are, but I would lube the BCG and slide it back and forth in the upper without the lower. It should glide very smoothly back and forth aside from the bolt engaging.

It's probably OK, but if you did damage it don't worry too much upper receivers are pretty cheap.

I cracked one once because I was in too big a hurry and tried to wiggle the barrel out of a tight upper instead of heating it a little. Oops! So don't kick yourself too hard.

[Slvr Surfr]

OP,

Try to avoid clamping the upper itself to install/uninstall the flash hider. Clamp the barrel instead with your vice. You can wrap the barrel in leather first to avoid marring it. Brownells also sells barrel vice that work with the same purpose as the leather.

[ScreaminSS01]

Update. I decided to replace the upper receiver since I found a great deal on a lightly used BCM. The gun functions 100% like new and I like the rail. I gained a ton of knowledge about the platform and feel comfortable doing any modifications or repairs. I have all the right tools needed so I guess it's time for another build. Lesson learned. Thanks for all the tips and well deserved ribbing.

[markm]

Don't worry about it. An AR upper can take a very high amount of torque without damage.

I have to agree. Especially with wood blocks in the vise. Christ.... there'd have had to be a tremendous amount of force to tweak the upper in any way.

[ScreaminSS01]

It did not break. It just tightened it up a bit. I was in a hurry and also excited to put the rail on. I know now to take my time and carefully install each component.

I had it to the range and it would function if it was run extremely wet. It may have clearances itself after more rounds down range but it's my only functioning AR at this point. Once my Form 1 is approved I'll be able to mate my upper to the other lower I have. For the price I got the BCM for it was a no brainer.

[ouchonyee]

Did you clamp the upper on the sides, or top and bottom? And when you put the bcg in, was the barrel installed? I'm curious as to how it happened. Sounds like it would not run at the range when dry?

[ScreaminSS01]

When the upper was clamped the barrel was on and when I put in the bcg after it came out of the vise. I haven't tried the bcg in thee old Colt upper since I took off the barrel. I did clamp it side to side. Had I clamped it top to bottom it probably wouldn't bend. If I used the right tools, I wouldn't have made my first post on M4C.

[Cashflow]

Mr. Iraqgunz has worked on lots of these rifles. Ask him if he ever made a mistake. Don't be too hard on yourself, we've all screwed up at one time or another.

[ScreaminSS01]

Thanks for the positive comment. I don't feel bad about it anymore. I know have a greater understanding of the entire firearm which I didn't have before I attempted the install. The replacement upper receiver does not fit as snug as the Colt though. I'm planning a 11.5 or 12.5 built next using the Colt lower and will likely put the 6920 upper on a Sionics lower.

[Cashflow]

SS, I use the white plastic blocks, one slips over the picatinny portion of the upper and the other plastic piece has two pins that hold it to the bottom side of the upper. I then clamp the upper sideways in the vise. So far this has worked well for me and I have had no issues over tightening things. Good luck and have fun. The fun part being the main thing.