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epic fail at the range. had to shoot my ar like it was a bolt action. bought a new forearm so i had to get a new gas block since the forearm wouldn't fit with the a2 sight. guy from rock river arms said " this one will work perfect". get home, put it on, guess what didn't work. i need an extended low pro gas block for the bushmaster carbine barrel. now i need to find one. :mad:
cut the front site off your old gas block, then shave it down with a dremel to fit under the rail. Spray with black header paint or alumahide, and yer done.
GeorgiaBoy
08-21-11, 14:11
Sorry to here that.
Quiet-Matt
08-21-11, 14:15
cut the front site off your old gas block, then shave it down with a dremel to fit under the rail. Spray with black header paint or alumahide, and yer done.
Yup, that's the ticket right there.
I assume that when you say "forearm" you mean a rail system? You were essentially trying to fit a "gas block" under the rail, correct?
If so, I will echo what others said. Reinstall it, cut it and shave it and then you will be back in business.
epic fail at the range. had to shoot my ar like it was a bolt action. bought a new forearm so i had to get a new gas block since the forearm wouldn't fit with the a2 sight. guy from rock river arms said " this one will work perfect". get home, put it on, guess what didn't work. i need an extended low pro gas block for the bushmaster carbine barrel. now i need to find one. :mad:
What makes you think it's the gas block and not the installation of it that is the problem?
cut the front site off your old gas block, then shave it down with a dremel to fit under the rail. Spray with black header paint or alumahide, and yer done.
Actually Birchwood Casey's Aluminum black is better for that. Just a chemical reaction.
http://www.tacomaworld.com/gallery/data/500/medium/002227.JPG (http://www.tacomaworld.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/149718/cat/500)
http://www.tacomaworld.com/gallery/data/500/medium/001258.JPG (http://www.tacomaworld.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/149579/cat/500)
http://www.tacomaworld.com/gallery/data/500/medium/001259.JPG (http://www.tacomaworld.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/149717/cat/500)
What makes you think it's the gas block and not the installation of it that is the problem?
+1. Most companies' parts seem to be pretty compatible, for the most part. Does the block not slide far enough back to line up the ports in both the barrel and the block? That's definitely one of those things you want to test before assembling other parts over it.
yes that was the problem, the ports didn't line up. about 3/4" to far out. what do you recommend for cutting the original sight? seems to be rather strong.
I use a hack-saw and a lot of elbo grease. You will need to remove the FS and most likely, the bayonet lug, if it has one. You could also use a dremel, but be prepared to replace several cutting wheels.
thanks for the info. will give it a shot.
Actually Birchwood Casey's Aluminum black is better for that. Just a chemical reaction.
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Aluminum Black may work but the FSB isn't aluminum. I'd think you'd a better chemical reaction with some other cold blue...something made for iron??
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Leonidas24
08-21-11, 17:24
yes that was the problem, the ports didn't line up. about 3/4" to far out. what do you recommend for cutting the original sight? seems to be rather strong.
Not to insult your intelligence or mechanical abilities, but are you sure you had the gas block facing the correct direction?
If you decide to cut down the front sight block here is a video on YouTube showing how to do it. This video was made by Surf, who is one of our members here.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ssdsurf#p/search/0/I5rPPyYdFUs
Quiet-Matt
08-21-11, 17:54
Never mind, SteveL beat me to it.
no the block wasn't on backwards. got the sight all cut down and reassembled to make sure it worked. it did. no to disassemble and find some product for color.
Quiet-Matt
08-21-11, 19:29
The best results I have had on a gas block came from using Brownells Teflon/Molly oven cure finish. The dark park gray is a close match to the original finish.
Link (http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1145/Product/TEFLON_MOLY_OVEN_CURE__GUN_FINISH)
I've got several with FSB's I cut down to install a longer rail. When i do, as it's covered by tube, I just use flat black header paint.
I watched the video on youtube, while the end result worked ok, wouldn't a bandsaw and belt sander have given a better finish with more control on where the cut are made?
I watched the video on youtube, while the end result worked ok, wouldn't a bandsaw and belt sander have given a better finish with more control on where the cut are made?
There are many ways to skin a cat. As long as the end result is a skinless cat, it's all good.
Sometimes you are limited to the tools at hand.
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Aluminum Black may work but the FSB isn't aluminum. I'd think you'd a better chemical reaction with some other cold blue...something made for iron??
.
Those are my pics and pics don't lie. ;) I also used it on my my LMT barrels where it was unfinished under the FSB and now it looks perfectly uniform. Works great.
Can we leave the "epic", "win", and "fail" euphemisms to the other gun forums. :rolleyes:
There are many ways to skin a cat. As long as the end result is a skinless cat, it's all good.
Not from my point of view.
:D
Quiet-Matt
08-22-11, 14:58
Well, I just experimented with the remains of an old front sight that I chopped. I know it's made from forged steel, but I got the same results with both Aluminum Black and Perma Blue.:blink: Whodathunkit?
Perhaps you should pay the money to have a professional fix your rifle.
Those are my pics and pics don't lie. ;) I also used it on my my LMT barrels where it was unfinished under the FSB and now it looks perfectly uniform. Works great.
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Good to know...Thanks!
I wonder if BC's regular cold blue will darken aluminum? ...or brass?
Thanks again!
.
A metal bandsaw would be ideal to make the main cuts. If you don;t have that then perhaps a Jigsaw with the hacksaw type blade, or sawzall. Or one of those oscillating multi tools with a bimetal blade. A Dremel could be used but it seems the cutoff disks wear through quickly, unless they make a diamond grit disk, or is the metal too thick for the Dremel disks to get all the way through?
A fixed belt sander would be perfect for the final shaping and smoothing, ut a Dremel or multi tool would do as well.
I'd like to see pics of the 'epic fail'. Did the OP remove the front handguard cap then push the low-pro gas block all the way back (epic fail)? Is it a pinned or set screw gas block? If this is your first gas block install, your problem may not be hardware related.
I have used a Dremel for all of my cut and grind jobs and if you get the right discs then you will only use 2-3 at most. I buy all of my discs and accessories in bulk so in the end the cost is minimal.
Once I have finished the main cutting and grinding I simply use some sandpaper and do the final smooting and polishing. Takes me around 45 minutes or so for a gas block.
A metal bandsaw would be ideal to make the main cuts. If you don;t have that then perhaps a Jigsaw with the hacksaw type blade, or sawzall. Or one of those oscillating multi tools with a bimetal blade. A Dremel could be used but it seems the cutoff disks wear through quickly, unless they make a diamond grit disk, or is the metal too thick for the Dremel disks to get all the way through?
A fixed belt sander would be perfect for the final shaping and smoothing, ut a Dremel or multi tool would do as well.
I used the reinforced cutting wheel on my Dremel for the main cuts. Then one of the grinding stones to smooth it out and finally the sandpaper wheel to smooth it more.
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Good to know...Thanks!
I wonder if BC's regular cold blue will darken aluminum? ...or brass?
Thanks again!
.
No problem.:cool:
I used the reinforced cutting wheel on my Dremel for the main cuts. Then one of the grinding stones to smooth it out and finally the sandpaper wheel to smooth it more.
Sounds like the least expensive route unless you have a bandsaw already. Main limitation I have run into in general cutting is the small diameter of the disk limits depth of cuts. But anything thicker than the wheel radius is too big for that motor anyway. Sure are handy tools.
i just used a hack saw and it took maybe 7-10 minutes. tedious part was cleaning up the angles with the dremel. came out nice, and on a poor mans budget. :D
Used a die grinder with a cutoff wheel, gives a cut depth of about 1.5 inches.
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