Gas Block Alignment Pins

[jpmuscle]

Jig Schmig. Just mark the barrel, punch it, and dimple it with a hand drill.

(Sorry if that's offensive to anyone)

I’m offended at the poverty of this sentiment


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[trauma]

Stick weld the block to the barrel with a 6011 rod

When you need to remove block just bust out a thermic lance

[markm]

And run some flex seal on that mofo for gas leak control!

[26 Inf]

Jig Schmig. Just mark the barrel, punch it, and dimple it with a hand drill.

(Sorry if that's offensive to anyone)

Not offended, just sad that you aren't a member of the tool of the month club.

[pezboy]

Complete waste of money. This is what I posted on TOS:

"On an M4 barrel (.062" gas port), the gas block can be off 4.8° and the gas port will still be aligned. On an M16A2 barrel (.092" gas port), the gas block can be off 2.5° and the gas port will still be aligned. That is all those alignment pins will guarantee. You're telling me you can't line the gas block up by eye better than 2.5°? That far off and it would be leaning nearly 1/16" closer to one side of the handguard than the other. 4.8° off and the gas tube would be binding (if it even fit under the rail that far off).

The only way this could possibly be an issue is if you have a 16" barrel with rifle length gas system with a huge gas port. Even then, it is still off more than 1° and is nearly 1/32" closer to one side of the hand guard than the other. That alignment set probably doesn't have pins that large anyway."

[jpmuscle]

Complete waste of money. This is what I posted on TOS:

"On an M4 barrel (.062" gas port), the gas block can be off 4.8° and the gas port will still be aligned. On an M16A2 barrel (.092" gas port), the gas block can be off 2.5° and the gas port will still be aligned. That is all those alignment pins will guarantee. You're telling me you can't line the gas block up by eye better than 2.5°? That far off and it would be leaning nearly 1/16" closer to one side of the handguard than the other. 4.8° off and the gas tube would be binding (if it even fit under the rail that far off).

The only way this could possibly be an issue is if you have a 16" barrel with rifle length gas system with a huge gas port. Even then, it is still off more than 1° and is nearly 1/32" closer to one side of the hand guard than the other. That alignment set probably doesn't have pins that large anyway."

Did you know my SLR jig indexes off of the center of the gas port so the underside dimple is 0* BDC?


Science


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[Clint]

That's the whole point.

The dimple and coned tip set screw do a far better job of accurately locating the gas block than jamming toothpicks into the gas port.

[JeffM.]

Complete waste of money...

You’re assuming that all gas blocks are the same size and all hand guards have the same clearance. Or that it’s not worth the minimal extra effort to save wear on the gas tube/gas key interface due to slight misalignment.

Regardless, the various tools available (definitely prefer a jig - I have had a BRDE jig for 4-5 years and dimpled probably a dozen barrels with it) are relatively inexpensive. We waste greater amounts of money all the time on worse. Sometimes “doing it right” has value in and of itself.

[tehpwnag3]

That's not the point. The illustration is meant to show how much deviation can be had and still have alignment.

As for tube/key alignment, this always needs to be checked (and adjusted, if needed) after a build or tube replacement.

You’re assuming that all gas blocks are the same size and all hand guards have the same clearance. Or that it’s not worth the minimal extra effort to save wear on the gas tube/gas key interface due to slight misalignment.

Regardless, the various tools available (definitely prefer a jig - I have had a BRDE jig for 4-5 years and dimpled probably a dozen barrels with it) are relatively inexpensive. We waste greater amounts of money all the time on worse. Sometimes “doing it right” has value in and of itself.

[DD_USMC]

Jig Schmig. Just mark the barrel, punch it, and dimple it with a hand drill.

(Sorry if that's offensive to anyone)

That gets the job done, but doesn't mean it is done right.

With over 22 years experience in my building/maintaining/repair of military and LE my opinion is based on training and experience. You need to VERIFY the gas block is directly above and CENTERED on the barrel gas port hole (which also needs drilled to be the correct size). Just assemble it might work for a play firearm, but I build my stuff like lives depend on it....which it did. (Sorry if that's offensive to anyone)