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@maleante
So I got a Steyr 1.5x optic and plan to remove the rail and throw the 1.5 on it as I like the classic look and I am not a fan of the SFP Viper I have on it now (don't care for SFP optics, prefer FFP or FP).
How hard is it to remove the rail and add the optic? I saw one guy on YouTube say this is an armorers job because you can easily screw the receiver up doing this and that the screws on the receiver that hold the rail/optic use blue loctite and you need to heat to loosen them.
But after that I saw a bunch of people online saying it is simple to do. And in my own experience with stuff having blue loctite it is not hard to remove the screws, so this seems way simpler than the guy on YT was making it sound. I'm not sure if the guy in question above was just confusing blue loctite with red or what was going on. Just wanted to check with you since you know your stuff before I proceed with this and just see if there's anything I need to be careful of.
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Not hard at all, just exercise some caution because the bolts thread directly into the aluminum rail or optic housing (no steel inserts/bushings).
For perspective, anyone can be an AUG armorer for the low price of $600. You don't need to have a certificate to perform any of the maintenance tasks that the armorers course covers if you are mechanically inclined and have common sense. The below is a page from a much more detailed manual than what the new armorers course gives out... you'll note that the procedure includes heating up the bolts and applying blue loctite on the reinstall. From experience, Steyr in Alabama does not always use loctite on the bolts holding the attachments to the receiver and the thread locking compound that is sometimes used is very weak and can be loosened with light to moderate force. You'll also note that there is no torque spec. I asked Herbert, who is Alabama's AUG gunsmith and worked for Steyr in Austria prior to that, if there is a torque spec because it isn't listed in the manual. His response, "gutentite" i.e. tighten the bolts but don't go crazy on it.
My method is the following:
Remove the three bolts from the underside of the gun. Most commonly they are 4mm hex, with very recent guns using T30 torx instead. I like to use a socket and wrench to loosen and tighten, rather than a T handle or L key.
Remove the rail or optic housing.
Clean the threads.
Attach the rail or optic housing.
Apply a small amount of blue loctite to the bolts.
Thread in the bolts.
Use the socket and wrench to tighten until contact. Then while gripping the mechanism head of the wrench (to limit force) I will give it a 1/8 - 1/4 turn twist (with my wrist only, not arm strength) to tighten everything up but not overdo it. Do the same to all three bolts.
Don't go crazy on it.I've done the above on many AUGs and have not had any issues with stripping out threads, bolts loosening under use, or subsequent removal with the blue loctite applied. In the past I did use a torch to heat the bolts, but after removing a few and finding little or no loctite compound, I don't recommend or do so any longer.