Today I learned...

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  • gunz4me

    Target Shooter
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Sep 14, 2006
    842
    18
    Lafayette
    Today I learned that if you are swapping stocks on an AR-15 that you did not build, the more you try to save the rear takedown detent and spring, the greater the risk of losing both by launching them across the room. My issues were compounded by the fact that whoever assembled this was overzealous with their use of Loctite, which caked up between the threads and the looped back plate for a single point sling. It wouldn't budge, wouldn't budge, then wham, everything went flying.

    I have extras, so no big deal. I just thought it was funny and felt like sharing.

    EDIT: I found the detent, but the spring is gone... I have no idea where it could have flown to.
     
    Last edited:

    machinedrummer

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Apr 5, 2010
    3,685
    113
    Kingwood, Tx
    Gotta love the receivers with the 4-40 set screw. No longer using a towel as a tent while installing. My son found a detent on top of our kitchen cabinet. Good young eyes. Always keep extras around.
     

    Grosbec

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Mar 25, 2022
    54
    18
    White Castle
    Today I learned that if you are swapping stocks on an AR-15 that you did not build, the more you try to save the rear takedown detent and spring, the greater the risk of losing both by launching them across the room. My issues were compounded by the fact that whoever assembled this was overzealous with their use of Loctite, which caked up between the threads and the looped back plate for a single point sling. It wouldn't budge, wouldn't budge, then wham, everything went flying.

    I have extras, so no big deal. I just thought it was funny and felt like sharing.

    EDIT: I found the detent, but the spring is gone... I have no idea where it could have flown to.
    Yeah that’s the pros and cons of AR’s. There are simple to work on but because they are simple people don’t pay attention to the little details and just throw it together.
     

    Grosbec

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Mar 25, 2022
    54
    18
    White Castle
    I always hate going behind other people's builds...
    A friend wanted me to simply change his muzzle device last month. I ended up having to carefully cut it so I could break the muzzle device in half. A guy he knows put that device on so freaking tight I could not budge it. Then I noticed the free float handguard seemed loose. I was able easily loosen all the screws with a hex bit in my finger tips. Same with his scope mounts. I degreased all the screws and screw holes then added blue loctite and torqued everything to recommended specs.
     

    gmoore

    Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 8, 2023
    15
    3
    Plaquemine, LA
    Your spring probably flew into my shop. I'll find it next year under something, along with the little Browning A5 lock screw I lost last week.
     

    twinin

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    23   0   0
    May 5, 2017
    954
    43
    Houma
    If you don't want the headache and don't mind the price, look at the PWS Enhanced Buffer tube with Ratcheting Castle Nut and End Plate
     

    Magdump

    Don’t troll me bro!
    Rating - 100%
    163   0   0
    Dec 31, 2013
    9,396
    113
    Hammond, Louisiana
    Anti seize. If you properly torque it, it will never move. Stake the castle nut for good measure.
    This. There is no need to loc-tite anything on the rear of the lower. Get a good center punch and learn to properly stake a castle nut and make sure the notches are facing the end plate and not the stock (I have seen them on backwards) You need to punch into the edge of the end plate to stake the nut. I have actually seen some Chinese castle nuts that are lacking the staking notches but I just wouldn’t use one before I’d resort to loc-tite. Outside of using red loc-tite on gas block set screws, perhaps where a screw is used instead of a roll pin like on some Aero lowers (blue) and maybe some blue on free float hand guard hardware or add ons and maybe optics mounts, the base build does not need loc-tite.
    Aero grease is my go to for barrel nuts. You can get an entire grease gun tube for about $35.
     
    Last edited:

    jdindadell

    Not Banned!!!
    Rating - 100%
    267   0   1
    Feb 14, 2010
    4,200
    63
    Slidell
    Never heard of anyone using loctite on a receiver extension / buffer tube thread... Did they put it on the castle nut threads, or on the receiver threads? Usually these large threads are so loose that a ton of thread lock would be needed to fill the gaps and perform... That is why it is staked in place, at least IMO.

    My technique when removing the extension / tube is to loosen the castle nut fully, then slide the stop plate back, this will expose some of the detent spring. Then carefully tighten the tube/ extension into the lower receiver by about 5 to 10 degrees. This will allow the detent spring to be removed, as the strop plate will rotate clockwise out of the way. Important and do this slowly as the plate may try to take the spring with it. Then use a thumb to hold the buffer detent down and remove the tube without launching the buffer detent and spring into the next galaxy. installation is reverse, I leave the cross pin, detent, and spring out until I get the buffer tube, buffer detent and spring installed, then with the stop plate 5 to 10 degrees clockwise past lined up, i install the pin, detent and spring, line the plate back up and hold it down while snugging up the castle nut.

    I can post pics if needed to make this clearer, it is really easy to do, and makes launching things much less likely. I have launched the buffer detent out many a time, and this helps me prevent that foolishness.
     

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