Many thanks to Ned Christiansen

[120mm]

I'm a PMC in Afghanistan, and my company issued me a Bushmaster M4gery with a basically unstaked gas key. When I bitched, the armorer let me choose the gun I wanted, and every single one had either poor staking or unstaked gas keys.

Now, our company has firefights nearly every week. Asking around, I found that gas keys were failing regularly, and the only "fix" was to ask the company for a new bolt, which they'd issue after yours failed. A bit too late, if you ask me. And, obtw, the new bolt would also have an unstaked gas key.

Seeing that I'd screwed the pooch by not buying my own BCG, or a MOACKS before I deployed, I asked my wife to send Ned a check and I sent him a heads-up e-mail that the check was on the way, and the address to send the MOACKS to.

Well, Ned sent me back an e-mail telling me he was sending the P-MOACKS I'd ask for, without the check even arriving. He also advised me to get a chamber reamer, which I might just order, later today.

There is customer service, and then there is Customer-Freaking Service! Ned Christiansen is The Man, as far as I'm concerned....

[M4tographer]

Outstanding. :)

[Rider79]

You should talk to Iraqgunz on here, he's an armorer with a PMC in Iraq. He has plenty of experience with the issues you've described with Bushmasters.

[g5m]

Fine guy. Good tools.

[An Undocumented Worker]

What I have to wonder though is, what exactly is wrong with using a properly sized punch or other similarly shaped instrument and a hammer to stake the gas key with? All kinds of parts have to be staked on the automobiles I work on everyday. With a properly sized punch or chisel and a well placed blow with a hammer by a calibrated elbow doing the job nicely. And while using a properly designed tool when applicable is always prefered, I doubt manufacturers such as colt use a moaks.

I guess basically what I'm saying is a little ingenuity with equipment available would probably do the job just fine especially when access to proper equipment might be spotty at best.

[Iraqgunz]

UDW,

There is nothing wrong with using a punch. I used one quite frequently. Since I received the MOACKS from Ned I have been able to stake the carriers much faster and with little effort. I am glad that the powers to be let me purchase it. I also have a chamber reamer and it too was worth every penny.

[Iraqgunz]

120MM,

We have the exact same issues and then some with our Bushies. Out of curiousity does your armorer not recognize the problem or he just doesn't know how to fix it? One thing I have discovered is that there has to be an aggressive maintainence and inspection program. I check the weapon anytime they come in for regular rotation storage, as well as when a weapon goes out. If it's not clean I won't accept it either. Let me know if you need some TM's or other info and I will shoot you what I have. Take care and be safe.


I'm a PMC in Afghanistan, and my company issued me a Bushmaster M4gery with a basically unstaked gas key. When I bitched, the armorer let me choose the gun I wanted, and every single one had either poor staking or unstaked gas keys.

Now, our company has firefights nearly every week. Asking around, I found that gas keys were failing regularly, and the only "fix" was to ask the company for a new bolt, which they'd issue after yours failed. A bit too late, if you ask me. And, obtw, the new bolt would also have an unstaked gas key.

Seeing that I'd screwed the pooch by not buying my own BCG, or a MOACKS before I deployed, I asked my wife to send Ned a check and I sent him a heads-up e-mail that the check was on the way, and the address to send the MOACKS to.

Well, Ned sent me back an e-mail telling me he was sending the P-MOACKS I'd ask for, without the check even arriving. He also advised me to get a chamber reamer, which I might just order, later today.

There is customer service, and then there is Customer-Freaking Service! Ned Christiansen is The Man, as far as I'm concerned....