Take nothing for granted

[TWR]

I was shooting a few guns yesterday and got to my M4 upper which I bought from a guy who had it "built" at a gun show. It's a Colt 14.5" M4 barrel on a keyhole upper with a phantom permantly attached. I wanted to take it apart and check things out for myself after I got it but couldn't get the gas tube out so I held off since it worked fine. Yesterday my first shot went a few inches to the left, then back on target but had several flyers that drove me nuts. After checking my mounts and sights I finally found the barrel was loose in the upper.

I got it apart last night and found the barrel nut just ran hand tight so the gas tube would pass through. I tried tightening the nut but wound up breaking off a couple of teeth on the nut so I just cut off the phantom and started over, new barrel nut and I am going to use my Vortex going back.

This is my second upper to find only hand tight so from now on I will check out every upper I get. Why people put things together like this I can't imagine but I will double check everything from now on.

[Mark LaRue]

TWR,

Did you get to walk the Big Tulsa Show ? If so, what is it like ?

ML

[Nitrox]

............

[Robb Jensen]

This is why I assemble my own ARs.

[TWR]

Mark LaRue, no sir I didn't get to go this time. As to how it is, well it's 7 covered acres of guns and parts of all makes and prices. If you want it it's there, finding it and affording it is all that's required.

They did have another "accidental" discharge, I believe it was a dealers .410 that hit the floor then 2 people. The dealer won't be back. A couple of years ago I think an off duty officer had an AD so you might want to bring body armor and comfortable shoes.

Nitrox, how do you think I broke a few teeth off? I have assembled a dozen or so uppers and never seen one that just wouldn't go far enough to clear the gas tube until this one. A new barrel nut not only will look better but different threads should line up in a different spot. And yes I tried backing it off and tightening it for about an hour. I've had the Vortex for a while now anyway, it was time to install it.

[Robb Jensen]

Nitrox, how do you think I broke a few teeth off? I have assembled a dozen or so uppers and never seen one that just wouldn't go far enough to clear the gas tube until this one. A new barrel nut not only will look better but different threads should line up in a different spot. And yes I tried backing it off and tightening it for about an hour. I've had the Vortex for a while now anyway, it was time to install it.

I'm not Nitrox,
but Randall Rausch of AR15barrels.com makes some barrel indexing shims for those barrels that won't time correctly under 80ft lbs. They're $10 for 3 (http://www.ar15barrels.com/prices.shtml)

I need to get some as occasionally I have a barrels that just doesn't want to work.

[TWR]

I'm not Nitrox,
but Randall Rausch of AR15barrels.com makes some barrel indexing shims for those barrels that won't time correctly under 80ft lbs. They're $10 for 3 (http://www.ar15barrels.com/prices.shtml)

I need to get some as occasionally I have a barrels that just doesn't want to work.

$10.00 for 3 of them would be money well spent. Thanks for the info.

[Impact]

$10.00 for 3 of them would be money well spent. Thanks for the info.

that is pretty cool..never heard of that before.