View Full Version : What is an accuwedge for?
Bread is People
06-13-09, 15:21
What exactly is an accuwedge for and why would I want one? Somebody at work today asked me this very question and I didn't know what to tell him. Thoughts?
An Accuwedge is a piece of plastic that fits inside your lower receiver behind the rear takedown pin. The intended purpose is to reduce slop between the upper and lower receivers when the weapon is assembled.
They are controversial, since receiver fit is not considered to affect accuracy.
lazythekid
06-13-09, 16:18
An Accuwedge is a piece of plastic that fits inside your lower receiver behind the rear takedown pin. The intended purpose is to reduce slop between the upper and lower receivers when the weapon is assembled.
They are controversial, since receiver fit is not considered to affect accuracy.
I might submit that for a wikipedia entry. :D
What is an accuwedge for?
Increasing the chance that your weapon will fail.
Increasing the chance that your weapon will fail.
How so?
They are made of a fairly soft material so they can compress. It is possible (rare but not unheard of) for them to come apart and get wedged in the actual workings of the weapon.
Perhaps.
Lighting strikes happen too. Apply common sense and there is nothing to fear. Routine visual inspection when pulling PM.
And if the piece isn't sloppy loose, there isn't really a need for one anyway.
geminidglocker
06-13-09, 16:57
I bought one for the heck of it once, I had it in the gun for a year, shot all the time back then. But does it do anything for accuracy????Probably not. I could hit the 300m pop-up with my open sighted colt M16-A2 at least half of the time when I was in the Army. I must admit that I bought the accu-wedge for my first "civilian" AR. I don't think I would have needed or even bothered with such a thing when I was in Iraq. It does make a "loose" gun feel "solid" but I've owned a couple other AR's since my first one and found no reason to add one. They're like 4 buks or something like that, if you don't like or need it, just throw it away.
Somebody at work today asked me this very question and I didn't know what to tell him. Thoughts?
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=what+is+an+accuwedge+for%3F&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
i've actually seen a bunch of examples of accuwedges un-wedging and getting caught up in the FCG, and then everywhere else. there's been a number of posts here, in fact.
they're a problem, not a solution. doesn't "fix" anything, and can hang you up at the worst moment.
i've actually seen a bunch of examples of accuwedges un-wedging and getting caught up in the FCG, and then everywhere else. there's been a number of posts here, in fact.
they're a problem, not a solution. doesn't "fix" anything, and can hang you up at the worst moment.
One also caused one of my rifles not to cycle properly. That was the first and last accu-wedge I ever bought, years ago.
MisterWilson
06-13-09, 18:19
Increasing the chance that your weapon will fail.
OCD Treatment.
CleverNickname
06-13-09, 18:38
This is the only type of Accuwedge anyone should ever buy.
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/777/p1020438r.jpg
This is the only type of Accuwedge anyone should ever buy.
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/777/p1020438r.jpg
Saw one of those break once and render a rifle ooc too. The owner almost cried. Guess it was a bit more than $4.
Saw one of those break once and render a rifle ooc too. The owner almost cried. Guess it was a bit more than $4.
If mine broke, you could leave "almost" out of that statement.
CaptainDooley
06-13-09, 22:16
What exactly is an accuwedge for?
Separating a fool and his money...
Bread is People
06-13-09, 23:42
Ok, I get the point; steer clear of them.
The reason why I was asked in the first place was that a customer was worried because his upper and lower did not fit together perfectly, meaning that you could see daylight through the gap between them, but that's all I know about his situation. He just wanted to know if an accuwedge would solve the problem.
CarlosDJackal
06-13-09, 23:48
An Accuwedge is used to give nerds more accurate wedgies. :D
you can see daylight through basically every upper and lower on earth.. even my MUR/aeroprecision, which is as perfect (not tight, just perfect) and snug a fit as i've ever seen in my life, would show daylight if i held it just right.
tell him with confidence: it's a non-issue
I'm sorry but I've never seen a single issue with one. Even Colt used to send them in some of their rifles and it's still a Colt stocked part. Does anyone have a pic of how it might have went south? I mean it's locked in by the pin and then the lug sits on top of it, how could it cause problems?
If you let one get old and fall apart, that's a maintinence issue I would think. I also don't think there's a need for one to begin with other than to eliminate slop if that bothers you. I've never even seen one look like it could come apart. I would just like to see some proof rather than hear all these stories on the net.
Being that is serves nothing, does nothing, and is pointless as tits on a bull.... instead of wasting $5 on that, I wish each customer would in stead mail me $2.50. They would save money and I would be rich!
AccuWedge - For every product, there is someone who will buy it. Are you that someone?
I'm sorry but I've never seen a single issue with one. Even Colt used to send them in some of their rifles and it's still a Colt stocked part. Does anyone have a pic of how it might have went south? I mean it's locked in by the pin and then the lug sits on top of it, how could it cause problems?
If you let one get old and fall apart, that's a maintinence issue I would think. I also don't think there's a need for one to begin with other than to eliminate slop if that bothers you. I've never even seen one look like it could come apart. I would just like to see some proof rather than hear all these stories on the net.
Exactly.
They are probably misnamed as its pretty doubtful that slop between upper and lower does much to accuracy except in perhaps the most precision of precision rifles.
A better name: "Slop Reducer Wedge" - SRW
ps...it also does nothing to reduce the "aperture" of light between the upper and lower.
Its all about "feel". If you dig slop, great. If yours doesn't have slop, great. If you dislike slop and want to reduce it, great - use the "SRW".
It's a widget manufactured to satisfy the portion of the market that has a compulsory need for the fit of their upper and lower to be tight, else it isn't "right."
Yes, they can degrade and come apart. Observed. There have been photos and accounts posted various places.
The folks most likely to use them will be those least likely to run the guns hard enough to matter anyway. A failure of the wedge for them will just be an annoyance.
So far, I keep "hearing" errornet rumors generally of guys that haven't run them. No pics, no cites, no proof.
Lots of "emotional overinvestment" from some haters of a widget in a hobby/lifestyle full of widgets and gadgets...interesting.
So for now:
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/LWMcVay/Imcallingbullshit-2.jpg
In the meantime, I think I'll run one during my next trip to the 'box and I'll post pics after the deal is done.
So far, I keep "hearing" errornet rumors generally of guys that haven't run them. No pics, no cites, no proof.
When you're running your rifle in a class, there usually isn't time to stop and document every failure with multimedia presentation.
I've personally witnessed several stoppages due to Accuwedges at various classes. One of them failed during the first day of training with less than 500 rounds fired and completely locked up the FCG. It was fixed quickly by popping the takedown pin and pulling out the pieces, but that's not really relevant. It still took the rifle out of action.
Bottom line: They are completely unnecessary. They provide no useful benefit. They can and do fail...and those failures can disable the rifle.
Call it bullshit if you want but I don't think anyone here has anything to gain by lying about Accuwedges.
Some of the target shooters bed their uppers to their lowers and claim it does benefit accuracy (removing slop) but these are guys who shoot 600 and beyond. I am not in that league of shooters nor am I a door kicker but I have shot enough rounds to trust my equipment. I just think some get carried away with "the sky is falling" and need to learn to check their equipment once in a while.
MIL excluded their circumstances are different than ours.
Anyway, Randall from ar15barrels was the first to tell me about them locking up a gun, I still have seen no evidence of such but my "has to go bang gun" does not wear one. My hunting guns with scopes do and one is several years old. Still solid and even difficult to remove, I just don't see the fuss.
Blankwaffe
06-14-09, 19:55
Some of the target shooters bed their uppers to their lowers and claim it does benefit accuracy (removing slop) but these are guys who shoot 600 and beyond. I am not in that league of shooters nor am I a door kicker but I have shot enough rounds to trust my equipment. I just think some get carried away with "the sky is falling" and need to learn to check their equipment once in a while.
MIL excluded their circumstances are different than ours.
Anyway, Randall from ar15barrels was the first to tell me about them locking up a gun, I still have seen no evidence of such but my "has to go bang gun" does not wear one. My hunting guns with scopes do and one is several years old. Still solid and even difficult to remove, I just don't see the fuss.
+1
Pretty much my experience.
Ive run trimmed down accuwedge's in my wannabe SPR's and A2 rifles since about 1999 and no issues to report.My M15A2NM has a custom bed made from aluminum by an old retired USMC gunny I knew who was frequently seen at Camp Perry for years.
Tightening up the receivers does not improve the accuracy of the weapon per se,but it sure helps retain a good sight picture when the upper is not rocking around on the lower.Thats the only reason I use any of the tightening techniques on the receivers.
My LMT,BCM and most recent Noveske N4 upper do not need them.Totally different defined purpose of the weapons though.So yeah its not something that every shooter will want or even need.
billybronco
06-14-09, 20:06
because it's brilliant in theory; however, not in reality.
the thing bounces around inside your lower and can and has jammed up the fire control group, hammer springs, etc.
it doesn't do a damn thing, is dirt cheap so some folks are completing their order online and say, "what the hell, i've 'heard about these things".
you want my .02 cents?
leave the bubble gum on the rack.
failurewedges do come loose. its a fact.
there's a better option- get a thin o-ring or rubber washer from your hardware store and wrap it around your takedown lug. it'll be even tighter than the failurewedge but has zero chance of coming loose and stopping you up.
Actualy the o-ring is no better according to someone the last time this was discussed the report was it could break and get where it ain't supposed to be easier than the accuwedge.
I guess since I don't have one in my "has to go bang gun" I'm not very trusting of them but after many thousands of rounds in several rifles, maybe my friends and I have just have been lucky.
Oh well, I'd still like to see some proof that would determine what caused the malfunction and I would bet it would be either shaved too much for a loose fit or softened by cleaner or something. Maybe even installed backwards so it's not captured by the pin and lower.
Maybe the sole purpose is something we can discuss every 2-3 years:D
well then we need specs. somebody find out the exact hight an accuwedge needs to be above the shelf, and when these threads pop up we'll be able to say more than "they're gay!" and "no they're not!"
instead we'll say "they're gay, but if you trim it to 1.____", they're less gay."
Blankwaffe
06-15-09, 01:54
well then we need specs. somebody find out the exact hight an accuwedge needs to be above the shelf, and when these threads pop up we'll be able to say more than "they're gay!" and "no they're not!"
instead we'll say "they're gay, but if you trim it to 1.____", they're less gay."
The o-ring technique drew alot of negative print here sometime back.markm has a hatred for anything o-ring and Im kinda shocked that he has not sounded off on the subject.But if I remember correctly the orings were failing and contaminating the lower.If I also remember correctly the oring was being placed on the pivot /front lug and it still made its way to the FCG.Maybe be a bit off due to CRS correctly.
As far as the accuwedge,like I said I only use them on my wannabe SPR rifles that rarely see any use other than target and varmint work....slow rates of fire and rarely used hard other than being dragged through the Tennessee woods,weather and soaked in sweat.
Like I said taking the rocking action out of the upper does improve sighting with highpower optics or irons especially on small moving targets at long range.Been using them in that type of application for many years and never had one fail.But there again I clean and inspect my weapons after every use,so if one was starting to get weak I'd catch it anyway.
The carbines do not get the wedges as I don't think the wedge is appropriate for a hard use weapon.
As far as thickness of the trimmed wedge base...it varies somewhat depending on the uppers lug depth and the height of the shelf.In my Armalite and LMT lowers(both brands have a high shelf) I'd say somewhere in the .050"-.055" thick,just enough to barely feel when the uppers are closed.Acts more like a buffer than anything else.The top of the wedge also has to be trimmed down about 1/8" due to the higher shelf.
geminidglocker
06-15-09, 02:12
Heres a fail proof solution, just pay a Gunsmith or qualified Machinist to drill the lower receiver for a set screw. Some manufaturers do this as standard. That way you can have your tight lock up that you so desire, without rubber or polymer products involved, and obviously no red Loc-tite, as the depth and length of the threaded surfaces involved would make removal of the set screw difficult, if not impossible.
Funny, the above post made me realize how rediculous it is to try and remove the wobble anyway.
Smuckatelli
06-15-09, 08:29
I was just talking to an armorer about increasing a rifle's accuracy on Friday. He told me that the only area that they adjust is the barrel/upper receiver. They pull the compensator off, crown the barrel, widen the compensator, ditch the washer, put a peelable washer on instead, hand tighten the compensator and use locktight (sp). After that they ditch the gas tube, replace it and switch out the gaskey if needed. The only thing that they monkey around with on the lower receiver is the trigger, they either bend the trigger spring to lighten the pull or replace the trigger.
They test fire all of the accurized (my word, not his) upper receivers/barrels on two different non-modified test lower receivers that they keep for that purpose. Accuwedges aren't used because when you are going for precision shooting, the rifle is locked in via the sling and shooter.
What exactly is an accuwedge for and why would I want one? Somebody at work today asked me this very question and I didn't know what to tell him. Thoughts?
They serve no purpose and are not recommended.
C4
Iraq Ninja
06-15-09, 10:12
Why introduce something to increase your chances of failure? No big deal on the range, but not good in real life situations. Some people used them over here back in 2004 and most went bad after a while. Biggest problem was people not installing them correctly, or opening their weapon in low light situations and having the thing fall out of place.
I once talked to a graduate of the Army's Designated Marksman course and he mentioned that they were taught to use a foil "wad" to take the play up...
I had an instructor tell us one time during a class that if anyone had a 1911 that didn't rattle he wouldn't allow it on the range because it was sure to malfunction. I guess the same could be true for the M4 platform. I don't think I have handled one AR15 or M4 that didn't have just a tad of play between the lower and upper.
failurewedges do come loose. its a fact.
there's a better option- get a thin o-ring or rubber washer from your hardware store and wrap it around your takedown lug. it'll be even tighter than the failurewedge but has zero chance of coming loose and stopping you up.
What exactly is the take down lug? Are you putting the o-ring on the piece that protrudes from the upper that the take down pin goes through so the o-ring is laying horizontally wedged between the upper and lower?
excuse my ignorance, but what is this thing?
This is the only type of Accuwedge anyone should ever buy.
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/777/p1020438r.jpg
excuse my ignorance, but what is this thing?
That is the most important part of the happy fun switch. In other words it is an Auto Sear.
excuse my ignorance, but what is this thing?
That is the most important part of the happy fun switch. In other words it is an Auto Sear.
indeed- and a drop-in auto sear, to be specific
What exactly is the take down lug? Are you putting the o-ring on the piece that protrudes from the upper that the take down pin goes through so the o-ring is laying horizontally wedged between the upper and lower?
I don't do any such thing- it's just an option, if you simply cannot stand slop. but yes, that's how it's done.
keep in mind, however, that that's silly... the gun should be run without o-ring or accuwedge
So far, I keep "hearing" errornet rumors generally of guys that haven't run them. No pics, no cites, no proof.
Lots of "emotional overinvestment" from some haters of a widget in a hobby/lifestyle full of widgets and gadgets...interesting.
So for now:
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/LWMcVay/Imcallingbullshit-2.jpg
In the meantime, I think I'll run one during my next trip to the 'box and I'll post pics after the deal is done.
Call it whatever you like, my very first AR was a ban-era Bushmaster "M4" with the bastard mini-y compensator on it. I bought the Accu-wedge because I believed the cock sucker behind the counter who I later learned didn't know jack shit (RRA is the best and Colt lost the military contract because they suck). Anyway, before the Accu-wedge my rifle ran fine. Add Accu-wedge, rifle starts malfunctioning. Remove Accu-wedge and rifle functions fine again. We call that a clue.
RogerinTPA
08-12-09, 23:25
Separating a fool and his money...
Exactly. FYI, there is no daylight in any of my uppers, but if your's does, it is a non issue. And it absolutely does not make your weapon shoot any more accurately.
What exactly is an accuwedge for and why would I want one? Somebody at work today asked me this very question and I didn't know what to tell him. Thoughts?
Making money off people who know no better.
An Accuwedge is used to give nerds more accurate wedgies. :D
For $4.00! LMAO!
So far, I keep "hearing" errornet rumors generally of guys that haven't run them. No pics, no cites, no proof.
Lots of "emotional overinvestment" from some haters of a widget in a hobby/lifestyle full of widgets and gadgets...interesting.
So for now:
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f268/LWMcVay/Imcallingbullshit-2.jpg
In the meantime, I think I'll run one during my next trip to the 'box and I'll post pics after the deal is done.
Does this meet your requirements for "proof"? Look at the upper left-hand side near the hammer pin.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn176/Dr_Wolfenstein/ARs/accu_sm.jpg
Please note that this is my range rifle, hence the lightweight springs and modded hammer.
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