MK18 gas block attachment method?

[ASH556]

Hey DD, I just disassembled an upper last night that is probably a 2 year old (in terms of MFR date) factory MK18. The gas block was pinned on the top of the barrel, but after removal of the taper pin, the gas block still wouldn't budge. There was what appeared to be a buildup of some sort of sealant around the edges (I assumed it was locktite) so I heated it with a propane torch and was finally able to tap it free. It seems if it was just carbon buildup, once broken loose it would move freely, but this almost acted gooey or sticky as it was coming off (again leading me to believe there was some kind of adhesive or sealant used). The upper only had 800 rounds through it and I didn't experience anything similar when I disassembled my 16" factory upper.

So, does/did DD have a practice of using Locktite on gas blocks?

Thanks!

[Marler5811]

We hold the tolerances pretty tight in regards to gas block fitment. the tighter the better as we want to eliminate the possibility of gas leaks. we don't use any type of loctite or sealing compound. What you have experienced is probably just a combination of carbon build up and lubrication. Probably just got caked up making the gas block a little difficult to remove. I'd recommend cleaning the mating surfaces really good and putting it back together. If you have any issues, please let me know.

S/F

Joe.