AR Sponsor
Posted: 1/20/2007 9:42:43 AM EDT
|
I have been doing alot of upgrages and changes to my DPMS carbine and I wanted to get some feed back from the AR people. I have had 2 different fore arms changed out and the barrel needed removed and put back both times. My question is, does changing out the barrel and barrel nut have a bad effect on the reciever? Can you change out barrels and forearms as much as you like? I also am thinking on get the carbine coated with the ceramic coating. I'm thinking on doing more upgrades to my carbine, but I wanted to get some feed back from more AR people!! Thanks for looking and for your help!! BLACK RIFLES RULE!!!headbang.gif RLeeMays |
Not really. The software aluminum threads are not made to be torqued and retorqued dozens of times. As long as you arent getting into situations where you are constantly overtorquing, a receiver should last for many, many barrel changes. They are not designed to last "forever" though.
See above.
Not sure what a ceramic coating is.... unless you are talking gunkote type stuff. That wont have any effect on changing the barrel of course. Properly done, I wouldnt have a problem changing a barrel 10-15 times, or more. However, what really matters is simply inspecting the condition of the threads each time to ensure they arent showing signs of damage or stress. |
|
Does anyone else have some input about my barrel changing question? Thanks for your input!! headbang.gifhail2.gif Thanks again!! RLeeMays |
Why would you want to continually change out barrels?  If done correctly, regardless of how often, you shouldn’t have problems. But swapping out barrels is not something AR owners do on a continual basis. |
|
The reason for changing barrels is because I'm switching forearms and getting the recievers coated with a ceramic coating that is alot tougher than mil spec coating. You have to take the gun apart to do so! I have had the rifle taken down twice now. I was just asking a question to see if anyone else had done the same thing and to see if anyone had experienced any problems doing so. Hoping to draw from experience of the forum to get some helpful answers, not to get why the hell are you doing it answers! Sorry, but I just want to make a better functioning rifle and thought that I could get some good feed back from the forum. I did not mean to inconvenience anyone. Next time I ask for help, I'll know better. RLeeMays |
| Shouldnt be a problem as long as theres no damage to the threads...just use the right grease for the threads so barrels can be taken off easily..if you dont use grease its way harder and puts wear on the threads.Look at some of the 30+ year old M16s the israelis are running im sure some of those rifles have had multiple barrel changes over the last 3 1/2 decades of service. |
|
When I first came to ARFCOM I asked a question. I had a few off the wall replies, and actual answers to my question. After I re-read a few of the off the wall answers, I realised they were correct answers to my question, I just didn't understand. Some answers were in the form of a question, as in "why would you do that?" but the poster meant no ill when he posted it. Anytime you ask something here, you will get a few smart ass replies, but by in large, most everyone is trying, and more than willing to help you. Sometimes you may have to wait a bit for the factual answer to be posted. You will notice there is alot of cutting up, and horsing around here, don't let it get to you. The wealth of knowledge and info on this site is incredible, and so are the people. Welcome aboard!  Treeman |
In your post you make it seem (to me anyways) like your constantly swapping out barrels. Hence the question as to why. And I am VERY familiar with the procedures for changing out barrels. You received a good answer from one well known member but didn’t seem satisfied with that so I thought I would answer as well. As far as asking for and receiving help on this board, I doubt you’ll find anyone here who will dispute my willingness to help others out. Sorry you feel the way you do. Quib |
|
If you're gonna be swapping barrels out on a constant basis, check into getting the MGI QCB upper. www.mgimilitary.com send an IM to member twl he's the factory rep. Name's Tom. He's a good guy. |
I wouldn't ceramic coat anything that could possibly be dropped. Although ceramic is hard, it's extremely brittle. I had a ceramic coated piston, head and pipe on a quad once. It worked great, very little heat build up on the pipe. You could ride the quad for an hour and still touch the pipe with your bare hands. But as far as guns go, I wouldn't do it. Like I said the ceramic is hard, but the aluminum underneath is still soft. If something were to impact on it, there would be a nice chip taken off of it. |
|
ANYTIME you stress metal you weaken it to a small extent. When you torque the barrel nut to spec you are streching the threads. Continually streching them will weaken the upper receiver. How many times can you do it before you have a problem? I have no idea. I am sure in some dark military armory, someone has figured it out. I wouldn't sweat it a couple of times, but if you are getting into 10-15 times I think I would be very careful. On the flip side, A3/4 uppers are not THAT expensive. If you bugger the threads up, garbage can it and get a new stripped upper. On the Ceramic Coating, make sure the manufacturer has rated it for impact resistance, otherwise it is going to look like crap pretty quickly. I am only familiar with automotive ceramics, and smacking a header with a wrench will jack the coating up fast. |
|
Before I bought my MGI CQB for test firing barrels, I probably installed somewhere in the neighborhood of 80-100 barrels on ONE specific test-fire upper receiver. The threads were kept greased and they did not wear out. I did not even see the anodizing getting worn through. The most I ever did in one shooting session was about 15 barrels.  The other shooters at the range sure do look at you funny when you show up with one upper and proceed to install 15 different barrels while only firing 5 rounds through each one... 
|
I think that ought to cover it. 
|
AR Sponsor