Removing Flash Hider

[m4shooter1]

In preparing for my purchase of a 5.56 suppressor, I plan on removing the existing flash hiders on my ARs and replacing them with the proper mounts for the suppressor. How big of a deal is the removal of the existing flash hiders likely to be? The closest thing I have done is remove castle nuts from a couple lowers, and those were major PITA due to the loctite applied by the manufacturers.

Is it enough to simply place an assembled upper in an upper receiver vise block and and remove hider with an armorer's tool? Or do I need to remove the barrel completely from the receiver and place in a barrel vise before attempting to remove the flash hider?

[Evil1969SS>LS6]

You can just use the upper vise but, I usually take a propane torch and add some heat to the joint where the barrel an hider connect...then use your tool and give it a few quick impact hits using a copper or brass hammer to break it loose.

[markm]

I've never had to do anything besides clamp the FSB in a vice and wrench it off.

Even with Rocksett mounts.... just wrench them off. Unless some retard put the FH on the barrel, it should NOT be torqued on super tight.

[ucrt]

.

Not intending to be insulting but... your FH isn't permanently attached, is it?

.

[aveisone]

If it is pinned on its going to require some drilling to get it off. If it is silver soldered a nice hot torch will do the trick. If not just stop down to your local hardware store and pick up a can of elbo grease. It will be all you need to remove your muzzle device. Dont be shy with the grease.

[m4shooter1]

No, the FH is not pinned.

I'm just trying to determine what tools I need to do this job without jacking up the upper. My concern is that KAC and BCM loctite their FH on -- thus requiring a blowtorch to get them off.

[aveisone]

My BCM wasnt loctited on, or not very well at least. I removed mine just like you are considering. Upper vise block, vise, and AR tool. Came right off.

I mean no disrespect when I say go and try it, report back if you have an issue.

[markm]

Neither of those companies would put loc tite on a flash hider. Just clamp on the FSB so you don't torque the barrel in the upper.

[Axcelea]

When I took off the A2 flash hider on mine all I did was put the butt on the ground, held the barrel (pointy off into air/ceiling and all that general safety practices), and took it off with a crescent wrench. Just had a crush washer.

Putting on the compensator was a pain though, couldn't get it to align right with peel washers or the crush washer alone so have this Frankenstein combination that I am sure isn't the best option for mounting it, and to top it off every wrench I tried seemed to fat to work as it would close over the barrel so I needed to dig up a thinner one. In the end it works.

So my take is getting it off is easy, putting on the new thing might be a bitch and half.

[Clint]

Just clamp the FSB / barrel in a vice block and unscrew the FH.

A 3/4" combination wrench will work for most devices.

If you don't clamp the barrel and use the reciever for leverage, you run the risk of unscrewing the barrel from the extension or shearing off the barrel indexing pin, and then you're... Screwed.

Indexing new devices can be a pain.

Crush washers from different mfgs crush differently, some are too hard.

Having several washers to try and use of grease may help.

If you don't want to mess with it, consider a device that does not require indexing.

[J-Dub]

Neither of those companies would put loc tite on a flash hider. Just clamp on the FSB so you don't torque the barrel in the upper.

this^^

I just wrapped mine in a towel (so as not to scratch it up) and put it in a vise, wrench it off and put on my BC.

[gew98]

I had occasion to hep a buddy whom was doing some work on M4A1's... and we found two barrels that had fired so much on full auto that the copper fouling actually flowed into the threads !!. They were a booger to remove and then we had to run a die on the threads and toss the FH's in the garbage !.