I am wrapping up my first built. I want to "properly" stake the castle nut, but the thing is, my castle nut doesn't have the notches that I see on some others. I believe this is a CMT castle nut (I guess parts aint parts ).

In other words, the castle nut is completely flat on the side against the reciever (see pics).

Should I proceed and just punch (stake) the reciever end plate as is?

Should I first notch the castle nut in a manner similar to those I see on LMT's castle nut and then stake it (punch reciever plate into small notch on castle nut)?

Or other?

I understand that Quib has used blue loctite with success (success in it holding and being removable), and if it's good enough for him, than by golly it's good enough for me. That said, while I am willing to use the blue loctite, I prefer to stake **shrug**.

Here are pics of my reciever end plate and castle nut. Not the lack of a notch for staking.








For comparison's sake, here is a shot of the LMT castle nut that GhostRing posted some time ago.

Either replace it, or hack it up with a dremel. I've seen the latter done with a KAC endplate.

Looks like the nut in question has the "castle" type wrech notches and the holes for the old style spanner wrench.  Could you reverse it, use the spanner wrench and stake it at the castle notches?

Quoted: Looks like the nut in question has the "castle" type wrech notches and the holes for the old style spanner wrench.  Could you reverse it, use the spanner wrench and stake it at the castle notches?

Good idea.

I thought about that actually, but

a.   that would look wierd, and
b.   I don't think my wrench is narrow enough to fully tighten the castle nut down if the nothes are reversed. I have the brownells castle nut wrench that engages the notches.

It looks like there is a hole on the bottom of your castle nut.  Is this threaded for a hex head screw?

Oh, the Blue Loctite solution is a good one, but staking would be 'more correct'.

Quoted: It looks like there is a hole on the bottom of your castle nut.  Is this threaded for a hex head screw? Oh, the Blue Loctite solution is a good one, but staking would be 'more correct'.

No, it appears to be intended to be used by a spanner wrench of some antiquity. It is not threaded, and is not machined through and through.

Quoted: It looks like there is a hole on the bottom of your castle nut.  Is this threaded for a hex head screw? Oh, the Blue Loctite solution is a good one, but staking would be 'more correct'.

More than once I have seen loctited nuts spin.

Quoted: No, it appears to be intended to be used by a spanner wrench of some antiquity. It is not threaded, and is not machined through and through.

That sucks.

Oh, well.  A correct castle nut costs around $4.00.

castel nut's are cheap get a new one ,or locktight the one you have .

I haven't staked any of the ones on my ARs.  No issues.  Crank 'er down tight - as tight as you can with that 3-pronged wrench.

Mine are so tight that I actually broke a stock wrench trying to get one loose, and I ended up having to replace the nut anyway once I got it off because I had rounded out most of the notches.

The correct way, as per the TM, is to stake it, however.  In that case, see above - castle nut = ~$4, or you can file a slot in the top of it that doesn't contact the threads of the nut or that does if you clean the threads up.