Hi everybody.  I have a question for you guys. I am a bit of a noob...I have been an AR owner for a little over a year. Have added some things in that time and I insist on learning and doing all the work myself.  Yesterday I changed the muzzle device. Thought I did all the research and did a great job...until today.  I followed the instructions and watched the install video.  It's a surefire warcomp. Torqued it to 20 ft lbs using rocksett.  I think I made a mistake doing this using a lower mag vise block. How badly did I F up here?  It's a BCM pistol lower with BCM 11.5 upper. The original flash hider came off really easy. I didn't feel anything loosening or any funny sounds while I did it.  Should I be inspecting any parts for damage? Or should I quit being a puss and go shoot it?  Thanks in advance.

So the whole rifle was in the lower receiver vise block when you torqued on the Warcomp? So when you introduce that rotational force on the muzzle device, so of that will go into the barrel against the extension and some may go into the upper receiver acting against the lower. I'd bet money you didn't introduce enough torque to damage anything. If you did you likely would have felt (and heard) something pop. Any new, large amount of rattle between the upper and lower or the upper receiver and the barrel? Unless there is a large amount, you should be fine. As I said, I'd put money down you didn't hurt it any.

I understand your caution but 99% chance it’s fine.

Do some function checks and go make the barrel smoke.

And welcome to ARF!

Muzzle devices are the part I hate about putting an AR together.
But this video helped.

Why is it you think you screwed it up? Are there any signs of it? Or are you just going off some article on the internet that said you shouldn’t do it that way and now you are worried?

Like the others, I doubt you did any damage. Look to see of your pivot pin holes are egged out any. Look to see if your mag well is warped or cracked. Aluminum versus steel are the areas you want to check.

If you didn’t hear anything happen, you can’t see anything amiss and a magazine goes in and locks in as it should, dry fire it a few times. If all of that goes fine, then take it to the range.

What you did is not optimal. So don’t do it that way again if you can avoid it. But I doubt you did any damage at 20’ pounds.

For as many AR’s as you are now doomed to build/mod/tinker with, getting a few of the right tools to competently work on them is money well spent.

Thanks for the replies guys. The thing is solid as a rock, no rattles. Functions normally, mag goes in and out, etc. Nothing to indicate any damage. Just wanted a little reassurance. I have been investing in lots of tools lately so my collection is growing. Ordered the Midwest Ind upper receiver rod already.

As you buy tools and install things on any gun, just understand the forces you are imparting and where that force is going.

If installing a muzzle device, then you should support the barrel. If installing a barrel, then you should support the receiver, etc…

Holding fixtures like reaction rods, receiver clamps, etc, are designed and intended to provide support for limited, specific types of work and become basically third-hand tools for everything else. Be careful how you use them.

It's fucked. Send it to me for disposal

Good advice.  Executive summary:  Always grip as close as possible to where you are applying force.  

For muzzle devices grip the barrel and do the gripping as close to the muzzle as possible.  A simple short strip of leather around the barrel, gripped hard in a strong vise is very effective and safe.

It’s likely fine. I would not sweat it.

I have intentionally over torqued muzzle devices to see if I could get a drop in accuracy (as has been urban legend on this site) and not found any. I have also torqued them off and on with devices holding the reciever or the locking lugs at over 20 foot pounds without issue... ever.

That said, you should use a soft barrel vice for muzzle devices... but 20 ft/lb or under with a decent 7075 or stronger upper and a propper barrel extension should not cause an issue. Now, if you try to remove said muzzle device in over a year, I would not support it by the reciever. It can require more force to remove than to install and THAT could be an issue, but you would see it when your index pin crushes into the channel in the upper once the barrel is removed.