AR Sponsor
Posted: 12/6/2009 11:53:31 AM EDT
| I'm about to install a Magpul ASAP Plate.....Does anyone have any tips for me? Any help is appreciated. |
|
I've done a couple of them. Found myself wishing I had a third hand both times. The tricky part is holding the take-down spring in place with the plate while fussing around with the extension. Doable, but really a two person job –– which would be my recommendation to you.
I was unsuccessful at getting the big key into place on milspec tubes and resorted to using the small key. It held the tube well enough to tighten the castle nut. I called it good. |
| Having your rear takedown pin detent tapped and screwed down really helps. I've been able to get the longer key in for both of the ones I've installed, but it takes a lot of patience and you have to hold it exactly right for it to fit. Five minutes, a pair of fine needlenoses, good light and copious choice language seems to do it. |
| Two person job? Don't insert the spring until your buffer tube is screwed in and where it needs to be over the buffer retainer. Then screw it in just a tad more until the hole for the detent spring reappears. Insert spring & turn the buffer tube back to where it needs to be so the end plate covers it. |
|
Just installed mine. Very easy. The anti-rotation bin was the most difficult part. This Youtube vid is helpful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZiH68SMvmY |
I must be dreaming. I installed another ASAP last night and the key fit into the slot on the first try! I almost took it back out so I could have the complete ASAP installation experience. 
Seriously, I've found having the extension rotated exactly correctly is crucial - line it up using a flashlight and save yourself some grief. Even being off rotationally by a degree will make it a bitch to install that key. |
| Installed mine a few months ago and ended up using the small pin for a mil spec tube, tried and tried with the larger one, but to no avail. I think it depends on who makes your buffer tube and how in/out spec it is. Biggest problem I had was my pliers would be slighlty magnetic and I would get the pin in place and release it and it would follow my pliers and get sideways, extremely annoying when you are doing it with one hand while your other ond is holding down the plate. Good Luck! My only complaints about the asap is that it is a bit noisy dangling around, but that dangling is what makes the asap so versatile, also, the ring sometimes gets in the way of fully collapsing the butt stock. |
|
Two items of advice (have installed three now/ two commercial and one .mil):
1. Try the pin/keyway that is supposed to work with your buffer tube, but realize that the the other one might work better. (esp. with the commerical tubes some on them are off enough that the .mil is a better fit) 2. Stake your plate into the recesses on the castle nut. |
|
Quoted:
Installed mine a few months ago and ended up using the small pin for a mil spec tube, tried and tried with the larger one, but to no avail. I think it depends on who makes your buffer tube and how in/out spec it is. Biggest problem I had was my pliers would be slighlty magnetic and I would get the pin in place and release it and it would follow my pliers and get sideways, extremely annoying when you are doing it with one hand while your other ond is holding down the plate. Good Luck! My only complaints about the asap is that it is a bit noisy dangling around, but that dangling is what makes the asap so versatile, also, the ring sometimes gets in the way of fully collapsing the butt stock. I think the small pin is the one you want for mil-spec. I dont have my instructions infront of me, but I'm pretty sure you got the right one in there. As far as magnetic tools. Generally speaking a good smack or two against something hard will kill the magnetic properties. |
|
Quoted:
I got one of these also but I don't have the AR M4 tool for removing the castle lug so I can't put it on.  I have been using the CAR stock wrench that came on my DPMS Armors' wrench, but have found on castle nuts that are really on there (like my LMT) that the wrench is pretty poor and tends to mar the nut really bad. Went to a shop out here that is known for its amount of AR stuff and picked up a RRA wrench (can be used for both CAR and regular full length stocks). It is very nice and was only $5.99. You do not have to toast too many castle nuts with a poor wrench to have paid for this one. |
|
Quoted: I got the tapco wrench and I can't get the castle nut off. It won't budge at all. Quoted: I got one of these also but I don't have the AR M4 tool for removing the castle lug so I can't put it on. I have been using the CAR stock wrench that came on my DPMS Armors' wrench, but have found on castle nuts that are really on there (like my LMT) that the wrench is pretty poor and tends to mar the nut really bad. Went to a shop out here that is known for its amount of AR stuff and picked up a RRA wrench (can be used for both CAR and regular full length stocks). It is very nice and was only $5.99. You do not have to toast too many castle nuts with a poor wrench to have paid for this one. Edit: The tapco wrench looks almost the same as the wrench you speak of. Edit2: I got it but now my castle nut and threads on the buffer tube are all dinged up.  |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
I got the tapco wrench and I can't get the castle nut off. It won't budge at all.
Quoted:
I got one of these also but I don't have the AR M4 tool for removing the castle lug so I can't put it on. I have been using the CAR stock wrench that came on my DPMS Armors' wrench, but have found on castle nuts that are really on there (like my LMT) that the wrench is pretty poor and tends to mar the nut really bad. Went to a shop out here that is known for its amount of AR stuff and picked up a RRA wrench (can be used for both CAR and regular full length stocks). It is very nice and was only $5.99. You do not have to toast too many castle nuts with a poor wrench to have paid for this one. Edit: The tapco wrench looks almost the same as the wrench you speak of. Edit2: I got it but now my castle nut and threads on the buffer tube are all dinged up.
The tube thread will probably be alright but a new castle nut might in-order. $8-$12 part. |
| Okay, I just installed my ASAP plate. Here's a simple trick... once you get your tube threaded back over the buffer spring detent, slip to zip ties together (about 5" each.) Slip it through the plate ring and loop it around back behind the trigger. Depress the ASAP plate into position... hold... then cinch the zip ties tight to hold it in its depressed mounted state against the spring. That frees up you hands to mess with the key installation. It took me less than two minutes to get the key in once I did this. |
AR Sponsor