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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - $900.00 oops! (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 9/8/2007 4:28:13 PM EDT
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I recently purchased a colt 6920. I decided to put a Troy MRF-C rail on the gun. I read up on how the process is done, bought the tools (instead of cutting the delta ring off) and I cracked the upper. I was attempting to remove the barrel nut and I over torqued it, cracking the housing right below the ejection port. Here's the best part, the gun is new (never been fired).  So now here are a few things I've learned. 1. It is waaay cheaper to send it to a gunsmith and have the rail installed for $40.00. 2. When removing the barrel nut keep pressure off the housing near the ejection port. 3. If you are going to do it at home, just cut the damn ring. Right now I need suggestions on the best way to fix the problem. I was thinking of trying to contact colt and purchase an extra upper housing. I have all of the other parts so I don't need the entire upper. or Purchase another upper for around $800.00-$900.00 and sell the current upper as parts. Any suggestions? Ill post pics tomorrow. |
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JEEZ, You cracked the upper trying to remove the barrel nut?? I have had barrel nuts that required heating with a torch & using of a 36in pipe wrench to remove & never cracked an upper. I can't wait for the photos! Just purchase a new stripped Colt upper off of the equipment exchange & assemble the barrel to it. |
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Ouch that i$ going to hurt. Were you using the proper tools for the job? I have broken a model 1 sales upper that way. Hell it broke the teeth off the wrench and crushed several holes in the FFT nut when we were trying to get it off. Should have see it . Never in m life have I seen one like that. Sorry for your loss. Make sure you install the next correctly using the proper Moly paste. |
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I used a clam shell block (hard nylon plastic) which I purchased at a gun show. I attempted to turn the nut via standard requirements. I have a Computer Science degree so direction and common sense isn't an issue. In-fact the directions I used are posted in this very forum. I had no problems removing the gas system. Ill post the pics when I wake up, but yes I cracked the upper in the area below the ejection port (where the material is thin). When I say I made a $900.00 oops, I intend to use a factory colt upper. Many individuals have warned me about Colts customer service to civilians; thus I am concerned I might not be able to source the factory correct parts. Ive built AK's, FAL's, and a 1919a4, so I am thinking this should be plug and play. Ha...right only plug and play on the wallet. I was using the wrench design from bushmaster, which I also purchased at a gunshow. |
I'd contact Colt and see if there's anything they're willing to do to help you out. It's worth a shot. I recently broke one of the trigger guard tabs off of a pre-ban PWA Commando lower. I just dropped it off at my 'smith to have it rewelded. It's probably going to cost me $200 to fix a problem that I created trying to install a Magpul Enhanced Trigger Guard myself. |
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you don't replace the ENTIRE upper for this, just the reciever. and that is not 900 dollars. and next time you use a clamshell put more than just the upper in it.I test fit to see how it moves when things are assembled in a jig prior to actually torquing things.and when I did I found that the upper alone will twist. using a DPMS type block it does also twist but much less. using a clamshell it would be safer to put the whole thing in it. and always use a little heat and grease when tightening or loosening.getting the metal to expand helps. of course I am assuming so if that is not how it happened faggedda bout it. but yeah when I did this I made a block from delrin and made it so that part of it goes up into the area where the charging handle would ride to prevent twisting of the upper. I was suprised that I had not broken one before. seeing one twist is unusual. upper $100 complete upper $900 |
Did the clam shell come with an insert that takes the place of the bolt carrier group, to fill the receiver while it was in the block? This helps provide support inside and out. Otherwise it sounds as if the threads may have been galled and that no assembly lube or anti-seize compound was used. As others have said check with Colt. Good luck as a civilian. But the upper receivers usually aren't unobtainable if they won't help you out. Still should be far less than $900. At least it wasn't a lower which would require more paperwork and fees. |
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I just finished my latest build on my old rifle. I could not remove the old free float barrel nut. I used moly-grease during the original build and had to torque down to 78 lbs. I planned on just removing the barrel nut. I cranked down with a breaker bar and started to worry about cracking. The freaking barrel nut would not move. I became frustrated and heated up and still nothing. I then cut some ridges in the barrel nut and got a very broad flathead screw driver and thought a few good hits would loosen it up. I seen this done before on this site, After, a few good hits nothing. I became really frustrated and put a bigger bar on the wrench. I broke through the walls of the free float barrel nut. The pins of the barrel nut wrench were digging into the barrel nut holes and crushing the walls and ripping through to the other holes on the barrel nut! How is this possible I was thinking to myself. It's freaking aluminum and I am using a 15 inch torque wrench. This nut should just come right off. The only thing I could thing of was I must have crossed threaded the upper receiver. I then though I had nothing to loose and got my cut off wheel out and attacked the barrel nut. I cut through one side very easy and stopped before going through. I then started on the other side and very slightly nicked my upper receiver and it went through the barrel nut really fast. I just touched the threads on the upper receiver. I then took a screw driver and twisted in the cuts I made and the barrel nut popped off! I cleaned the threads on the upper receiver and only had a small cut in the threads of the upper receiver, but the threads looked really good, no cross threading. The threads were still deep and defined. I took the new barrel nut and hand tightened down on the upper receiver. I had use the barrel wrench to get it off! That was just from hand tighten! I then had to meet a friend to help me finish it up. During the build we tighten three times before a final tighten. We had to use a to 15 inch torque wrench to loosen it up each time. The barrel sat in very nice and I took it out the next day for some firing. I don't ever plan on removing the barrel nut ever again on that upper. It's amazing how a small easy little thing like removing a free float barrel nut turned into a mager project. |
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Well here are the pics of the receiver. I tried to get the damn thing off again this morning. It flat out wont budge. I have tried heating it, using a hammer, and a breaker bar. The barrel nut is not moving. I figure ill give Colt a call and see what they can do. The factory barrel nut should not be so tight that you can't break it free with a pipe over the armors wrench, right? Oh an just to make sure I was turning it the correct way, I removed the flash hider (I've been correctly turning it since day one). Before buying my 6920 I read up online about it. I have read a number of articles saying that Colts quality isn't as good since they started making uppers in Canada. Maybe there is something to that after all. I was looking online to see if I could find replacement parts. Is the following upper the same as on the 6920? That is assuming I can get the damn thing apart. Link Thanks again.    
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Computer Science degree - Ok - go to the tool bar and press "Edit" select "Undo" and presto! your upper is no longer cracked. Hit "File" then choose "Save As" and type in Colt AR15 - new- now hit the Save button and call it a day. 
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hahaha jerk  i'd call colt though. im sure they would replace it. well, i have no experience with their customer service, so i dont know. |
Huh!? I was under the impression that Colt fancied itself as "above" the civilian market and wouldn't give it the time of day. Tag for outcome due to bewilderment.... _MaH |
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After what everyone has been saying about Colts customer service I was kind of shocked as well. I did have to wait on the phone for about 5-10 min before a I got a rep. She was nice, I told her what happened and she said send it in. Said it would be a 35 day turn around time. Additionally, they would send me a quote in the mail if it was not warranty work. Ill let everyone know what happens. Maybe Colt is trying to create a better image, there is a lot of money to be earned in the Civilian market. |
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Link Original Colt M4 marked upper receiver: Part #SP63970 $225.00 |
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I'm kind of wonder how he magically equates a "Computer Science Degree" with "Common Sense". Honestly, in my experience, I'm convinced that these two things are 100% mutually exclusive. Maybe you needed to invest in an AAS in mechanics at your local community college, instead.... |
yeah.....fuck you. BS in Comp. Sci. |
Actually, I agree with CAV -- and I'm a CS major myself. CSDegree != CommonSense; They are indeed mutually exclusive and share no relationship between them. This means, though, that there can be CS majors out there who are plenty bloody brilliant and with an abundance of common sense. This is actually the case with all the CS majors I know, but since I don't know all CS majors, I can't say that with 100% certainty about 100% of CS majors. Hey, I majored in CS, not Statistics _MaH |
Simply amazing, isn't it? |
I got this as an e-mail
Oh yea, I want to see what Colt does too... It must be some Summer Intern that didn't know the rules.... 
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Slightly modified, I claim one of the above as my new sig line! _MaH |
Slightly modified, I claim one of the above as my new sig line! _MaH Great mod on the sigline! OP - I feel for you, man  I hope your 6920 gets well soon. Keep us informed of the Colt CS status - I'm very interested to hear how this works out.
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I never tried that with an AR, but it sure helps loosen up stubborn handgun sights. Put in padded vice, whack with hammer and drift punch. Then search for the sight that went flying across the room. MJD
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| Or if you don't want to wait overnight with your item in the freezer, use the canned air upside down. Repeated shots of the liquid that comes out will cool an object to below minus 40* F. I say below because that is as low as my digital thermometer will go before it errors out. The spray works well to kill bugs and isolate overheating problems on electronic forklift control panels. |
Curious fact -- -40*F and -40*C are the exact same temperature  [/nerd] _MaH |
Some questions; Is a clamshell better than a upper block with pins securing via the pivot pin holes, regarding barrel removal? Once the gas tube was removed, couldn't the actual bolt carrier be used for support with a clamshell? If it is better to use a synthetic receiver insert to take the place of a BC; if so, who sells one? Please suggest a good moly grease and who sells it? |
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - $900.00 oops! (Page 1 of 2)
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