And which specific models would that be?

Your top covers look pretty cool and they seem to be well accepted.

You guys should think about putting together a mounting system that enables folks to mount just the top cover and use regular lower hand guards.

I don't like too many rails on my guns, so if I could mount just the top cover, I could use a regular poly or wood lower hand guard.

I'd definitely purchase the top covers for the AKs I own.

Sounds good. I just started shooting my AKs regularly, so I can't wait to see what you bring out.

I have received no emails or phone calls . We are very busy with Christmas next month. As far as you question what is the diameter of your barrel? is your ndm a heavy barrel larger than .750??? if it is larger than that it will not work.
Thanks
TROY
MI

i got one with the primary arms rds. LOVE IT!

Last weekend I had a problem with my MI universal handguard with an Aimpoint T1 micro red dot sight and upper handguard: it suddenly shook loose after about 100 to 120 rounds of rapid fire. The handguard and Aimpoint had been installed a couple of months prior and probably had 500 to 600 rounds through it prior to coming loose. I disassembled the handguard and found some greasy loctite residue on the inside of the handguard and some around the screws (this was the loctite supplied with the handguard kit).

Although the screws were held fast by the loctite, they had obviously backed out since they had been installed, which caused the whole handguard to shake loose (i.e. the 4 screws holding the barrel clamp. Also, the screws holding the Aimpoint on the top cover were a couple of turns loose from when they had been installed. The instructions made no mention of using locktite on these mounting screws, so I am wondering if I should use any (hopefully better) loctite to secure the Aimpoint to the top cover. I am assuming the loctite supplied with the kit was no good, as I followed the installation instructions to the T. It appears to me that the locktite simply melted under rapid fire and allowed the screws to back out, then after the rifle cooled, the loctite held fast again, but the handguard itself had shaken loose (throwing the Aimpoint sight way off).

Getting ready to reimstall the handguard & Aimpoint on the rifle: the original barrel mount screws are too crudded up with loctite to reuse, so got some new (longer) stainless steel ones at Home Depot. However, I am wondering if I should use lock washers for this, and/or stronger or different grade loctite. However, I don't want such strong loctite that I can never get the handguard off again.

Also, it would be helpful to have torque specs (i.e. for the four barrel clamp screws).

Any help would be appreciated.

Use Rocksett on the handguard screws and never worry about it again.

when i replaced my handguard with the optics mount handguard i cussed for an hour trying to get the screws to break loose. "really bites" is an understatement

no idea on torque spec i snugged them tight with blue locktight on every thing. mine hasn't been a problem. honestly i don't know anyone that would use a torque driver/wrench installing a handguard.

This Rocksett has some really impressive temperature specs (-350 to +2,150 F) but I'd be afraid I'd never get it off again without a lot of hassle or ruining the threads on the barrel mount. Is that medium or high strength?

I think what I'm going to do is use some industrial grade Loctite 2422 blue, which is medium strength, but good to up to 650*F. Regular Loctite 242 blue (which I assume is similar to what MI supplies with their kits) is only good to 300*F, which seems kind of low to use on a rifle barrel. Only problem is you normally have to order 2422 from an industrial supply house –– you can't just walk into Auto Zone for it, like the run of the mill 242.

Thanks!

I guess oil contamination is possible, although I didn't notice any and surely would have done something about it if I had noticed any oil –– it was a brand new kit that I just took out of the plastic package and installed per the instructions, with the supplied tube of blue thread locker. I suspect the threadlocker was bad, as loctite has a shelf life of 2 years, but for whatever reason it failed under rapid semi auto fire, I assume because it couldn't handle the heat.

I'm going to try it again with new stainless steel screws and Loctite blue high temp 2422 PLUS lockwashers for good measure, torqued to 40 in. lbs.

It's only slightly stronger than the blue Loctite and nowhere near the strength of the red. Ignorance of the product is what often causes people to be afraid of it.

Interesting stuff, this Rocksett. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot of info on it (i.e.: the breakloose torque, etc.). Apparently, Flexbar is the manufacturer, but they don't give all the info useful for the MI barrel mount application, which I assume is going to need a happy balance of vibration and temperature resistence:

"Cured Properties of Rocksett
Tensile Strength 1.5 N/mm2 or MPa (230 psi)
Shear strength 3.0 N/mm2 or MPa (460 psi)
Temperature Range -180 + 1100°c
Gap filling >.15mm
Electrical insulation up to 20 radio MHz"


Unfortunately, tensile and shear strength don't really compute with breakloose torque, so it's difficult to compare with Loctite or Permatex threadlockers in that respect.

Searching the web, I see bits of anectdotal info. According to some, it has a breakloose torque something less than Loctite blue, others say it's impossible to get off unless you soak or boil the parts in water (supposedly is water soluble). Apparently, people use it to threadlock muzzle devices...

It would be good to know what temperature to expect for an AK barrel fired sustained rapid (or full auto) fire, but there's not much info on that. The only thing I could find was a wikipedia temperature of 400*C (@ 750*F) for a 1914 Hotchkiss machine gun fired for a thousand rounds at 120 rounds per minute ("The barrel could attain a temperature of about 400 °C, at which temperature it would be dark red in color. At this point the barrel dissipated heat as fast as it was generated. This only occurred after long continuous firing in a combat emergency situation.") Well, I doubt I could get my semi auto AK THAT hot before I went bankrupt!