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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Garrison 633/DOE Builds (Page 1 of 4)
Posted: 4/21/2008 9:46:27 AM EDT
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Got my Garrison sights today, and the handguards earlier this week. I can't say I'm disappointed, because I'm not, but I sort of expected them to include the handguard retaining ring. I don't have the technology to stamp one, so I'll probably machine one out of aluminum with the vertical mill and rotary table. I can't turn it, since I don't have the pulleys and drive belt for my lathe setup yet. 1.740" ID, right? At least I won't have to sleeve it, the ID of the hole is exactly .625", for some reason I thought it would be .750". I will have to fab a sleeve, or stop, for the handguard retaining ring, since my barrel is light behind the sight assembly. Alternatively, maybe the handguards pressing against it will be enough. The handguards look pretty good. They're not as fragile feeling as I anticipated. I've been thinking about doing a run of them in fiberglass to shoot with, since I don't think I'm going to see another original set anytime soon. I'm also going to have to figure out how to pin it, I've never drilled and pinned an FSB before, not to mention cutting, beveling and crowning... Please excuse the crappy pic; my wife reclaimed her digital camera... 
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VAAR - You can find a steel freeze plug at your local NAPA auto parts shop that can be adapted...  Here's two I picked up for my projects...  They're listed as "cup style expansion plugs", but we used to just call them "freeze plugs"...The one on the left is probably pretty close for your DOE handguards; it's 1 7/8" OD x .090" wall, and mikes at ~1.690" ID...Turn the ID to 1.740", thin the flat part where your 5/8" hole will be to ~.030", and it should work... 
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Did you try emailing Garrison and asking for one? Just tell them that you received the front sight assembly and did not receive the handguard endcap. Ask if it was an oversight and could they just drop you one in the mail. What could it hurt? Mine arrived today, too. 
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Yeah, but I bought the front sight assembly and the barrel from them at the same time. They already have the assembly jigs for pinning the barrel into place so I had them assemble it, too. All I had to do was screw it into the receiver and install the handguards. 
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That is NICE! Those handguards were most certainly worth the extra you paid for NIW. I'll drop Garrison a line, their customer service has been great so far! |
How easily did the handguards go on? Say, on a scale from A1 on the easy end to 607 on the hard end? I normally don't care, but after looking for these for so long, and as fragile as they are supposed to be... |
If they don't have one, it's easy enough to make...  I'll toss the spare one in my junk box...Never know when you might need a DOE front handguard cap...  (Edited to add - The second one is for VAAR!) 
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This is actually a 5.56 receiver that I threw the upper on until I can get a 9mm receiver and get it SBR'ed. (And get a bolt assembly and mag well assembly and magazines, etc...). But it gives you the idea of the compactness. Will try to get some more pics outside tomorrow. |
uxb, is that an orignal? |
Wow, I'm trying to cut back; also slowly building a PVS-14, otherwise would have picked that up.
Somewhere in New York, there is a big-block Chevy missing some freeze plugs... 
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Here's a drawing from critical-mass...and VAAR says the "lip" on the front of the handguards (where they tuck under the front cap) is .225"...  VAAR is using a 5/8" barrel...but caps in both sizes might sell...
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UXB - What did they pin the FSB on with??? Roll pin, straight pin, taper pin, other???
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Do they answer emails? I sent one asking about a DOE barrel assy. and have heard nothing back. |
Nothing in the spam box, I already checked. I'll give it a couple more days before I cross them off my list. If you don't answer my emails, I won't send you my money.
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I put in a CC order to them on 04/21 for "some parts" , and got an online "Print this page as your receipt", but never got an email confirmation, or any email about shipping status...  I've put in a status request, using both their online "Contact Us" form and their email address...Hopefully, someone will see one of them... What city/state are they in anyway??? |
use a vacuum gun to bleed it. crack the bleeder on the slave and hook the the line to the bleeder. |
Tried that; didn't work. New cylinders; 3 qts of DOT 3 fluid...bled over 70 times...still has air... The freeze plugs for front caps work quite well...NAPA has a large selection of sizes...I just got in a piece of 2" OD x 1/4" wall aluminum tubing; I may try a 608 handguard & cap...
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Just a bit bigger, but it packs a bigger punch  19" folded. Probably 18" or so without the flashider.  ETA: Bet mine is louder 
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 That's cool. And yep, it looks Chinese to me. At least the FSB is
Sweet.
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I finally got a reply from Garrison to my email about my CC order - "We have been out of the shop all week and just got back. We have received your order. The lead time on [some parts] is 2 weeks from the placement of the order so we hope to ship yours late next week. If you have any other questions feel free to contact us. Thank you Garrison Mfg. Inc." So...I guess they have to take the Keebler elves off the cookie making and put them on the lathes...  BTW: I had asked them if the front handguard cap was included with the DOE front sight - their reply = "The hand guard cap is not included with the DOE front sight. The DOE front hand guard cap is $15." So...There ya go! 
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I followed uxb's advice and sent them an e-mail about the front cap a few days ago, this is the response I got. He is referring to them first getting ready for Knob Creek, then having a tooling failure:
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You can't gripe about that! |
From pics I have seen it looks like the M261 port firing weapon uses the same HGs. I would bet there's a more than a few of them sitting on a shelf SOMEWHERE. I know it wouldn't be quite correct, but I'd like to build one of these as a pistol to avoid the SBR tax. I'm guessing you could cut down some carbine HGs and make them work, but it just wouldn't look right... |
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They are the same as the M231 handguards. The main problem is they are very thin and made from a fragile composite. Most you see are chipped, cracked, broken, or splintered. When you find ones that are like new, you end up paying a premium. My NIW set were $225 delivered.
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I'm afraid to touch mine now. I might make some to shoot with, and save the originals... |
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Jeez! They don't LOOK gold-plated... Seriously though, if you have the money, and that's what you want, then have at it. I have a friend who always said: "If you don't treat yourself nice, nobody else will." In the great scheme of things it's really not that much. Of course, in my world, when I'm working 3 days a week and trying to scratch up enough for my NDS receiver... Seriously though, I love seeing pics like this, of guys building things I can't right now but want to. I wish to God I had a milling machine, MIG, and full shop like I used to. I'm not a gunsmith, but I'm a damn good fabricator. What I REALLY envy is your ability to go out in the shop, turn on the radio, crack a beer, and fool around. It's just pure envy really. I truly admire what you guys are accomplishing - if I had the shop and a little more disposable income (working on that) I'd be doing what you are doing, and I wouldn't sneeze at a set of $225 HGs when a rail system goes for as much or more. I mean, what the hell? Oh, and I meant M231 not M261 - I was on my 3rd beer when I typed that. Keep it up guys - these threads of 'strange' builds are my favorites.
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That's what my wife says, then reaches for the credit card.
Yeah, me too. I'm working one night a week now. Five years ago, I was pulling down six figures, and having a blast. Didn't appreciate it then.
That is EXACTLY what I think, but wasn't able to articulate. I'm not even a good fabricator, but I love going own into the basement and fooling around with this stuff. I'm tagging your post in case I forget, Morg. Thanks! |
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There was a time when I lived in a tent at a State Park, my pager was my alarm clock, I would go to the shower in the park and go to work. When I came home, Mr's uxb would throw some chicken on the charcoal grill. Yeah, I spend a lot on retro stuff, and $225 may seem like a bunch for a set of handguards. But the cool thing is I can guarantee you that I could put them on Sturmgewehr.com and make a profit in 24 hours. This stuff is not in danger of tanking out as far as investments go. Did I mention we need some NDS lowers marked 9mm-NATO??? 
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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Garrison 633/DOE Builds (Page 1 of 4)
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