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10/20/2007 7:46:02 AM EDT
I'm assembling my first build and I'm having a good bit of an issue getting the barrel nut aligned with the gas tube hole in the receiver.  The issue is I have about 340° rotation left to tighten and my armorer's tool constantly slips off the barrel nut as it's already on really tight.  I'm at about 30 ft lbs of torque per my torque wrench and I really can't move it much further.  If I back the nut up to where the gas tube holes line up it's just barely past hand tightening the nut down.  Here's what I'm looking at now:



As you can see I'm not all that far, is there some trick to barreling an upper that I'm missing?  Am I just not putting enough into it / any tips for keeping the armorer's wrench from slipping off the barrel nut?  Any help and advise is much appreciated, thank you.
10/20/2007 7:59:14 AM EDT
[#1]
which tool are you using? the crappy usgi tool or an armorers wrench?

the pressure from the deltra ring spring will push against the tool and cause it to slip if you don't hold pressure against the wrench.

if you still have 340 degree to go it should still be loose.

hand tighten all the way down. then torque to align the gas tube hole.
10/20/2007 8:00:34 AM EDT
[#2]
by the way you are aligning the hole IN THE NUT, NOT the rigns on the delta ring. you can use a punch to slide the rings around to align them.
10/20/2007 8:01:20 AM EDT
[#3]
1 - Re-read the instructions.  The spec calls for going as high as 80 on the torque wrench, though I personally have gone above that.  If the teeth on the barrel nut aren't bending then you're not going too tight.  If your wrench is slipping off then either your wrench is crap or you're not holding it right.

2 - What do you mean when you say you need to go 340 degrees?  You don't think you have to turn it until the clip at the rear is aligned, do you?  All you need to do is align one of the notches in the barrel nut and then use something like a small screwdriver or a punch to slide the clip into place.
10/20/2007 8:23:51 AM EDT
[#4]
HAHA @ me - Hoplophile, thank you for your point number two, I just realized the "ridge" on the rear of the barrel nut I was trying to index with the gas tube hole is the handguard snap ring.  Awesome, I'm going to go crank her down and be done with the barrel installation in 15 seconds.  Thank you for answering my total newbie question so quickly.
10/20/2007 8:51:01 AM EDT
[#5]
The_Beer_Slayer and Hoplophile thank you for the help, I just wrapped up my first full AR build.  A Colt Model 604 rifle (with all Colt parts nix the Bushmaster lower) has been born.  Thank you once again !
10/20/2007 11:58:59 AM EDT
[#6]

Quoted:
Thank you for answering my total newbie question so quickly.

Everybody needs to ask questions.  What proves you're a newbie is that you haven't posted any pics of the new build yet.  
10/20/2007 2:30:04 PM EDT
[#7]
So what do you do if you really cant get the holes to line up? Are there shims to be bought? Or made?
10/20/2007 8:38:10 PM EDT
[#8]

Quoted:
So what do you do if you really cant get the holes to line up? Are there shims to be bought? Or made?

ar15barrels.com has shims.
10/20/2007 8:38:37 PM EDT
[#9]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Thank you for answering my total newbie question so quickly.

Everybody needs to ask questions.  What proves you're a newbie is that you haven't posted any pics of the new build yet.  

And we're still waiting for some pics of the new build.  
10/27/2007 8:39:11 PM EDT
[#10]
Sorry, I dropped off the face of the earth there (well not really, but wouldn't that be cool?)...here's the long awaited pics of a Colt Model 603 made with all Colt parts except the stripped lower, pre-duracoating the upper and lower to match color:





Thank you very much for the help.
10/28/2007 6:16:31 PM EDT
[#11]
Nice!
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