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Posted: 5/22/2009 6:15:22 AM EDT
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How hard is it to install a gas block on a barrel?
I was looking at this one. Would I need a gunsmith to install it, or could I do it myself. Thanks |
| Easy if your break isn't pinned or soldered on. Just use a punch to pop the pins on the front sight out. There are 2 holding the sight and 1 holding the gas tube. Take off your break, slide the sight off. Do the reverse process to install your new gas block. If your break is soldered or pinned in you can do it its just a much longer and tougher process than the 5 minute deal the aforementioned one is. |
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Is it a taper-pin gas block, or does it use set screws? I've had some experiences with the taper-pinned gas blocks, and none of them were good. None of the pre-drilled holes lined up (since so many different manufacturers use different templates for drilling taper pin holes). If the taper pin holes don't line up with the ones already drilled in the barrel, then send it to a gunsmith who has a suitable drill press & brackets. If you can't find anyone to do this for you, contact Dwayne at DEZ Arms; he's done several barrels for me, including some stripped used barrels I picked up for free & had him install extensions & alignment pins, as well as drill new gas port holes for me. He's got a great shop setup, is very competitively priced, and like I said earlier, he has done OUTSTANDING work for me. If it uses set screws, it's a piece of cake. One thing I like to do though, as I've found out the hard way, when using set screws I temporarily install the gas block (properly distanced from the shoulder), install the set screws to mark where they will be screwing down onto the barrel; then, using these marks, I drill a very slight countersinks for the set screws to nest in, so that the gas block won't eventually rotate. Once I had to remove a gas tube from a gas block I had installed, and boy was it fun trying to keep the gas block from not rotating while removing the gas tube roll pin (yes, even when using the proper template mount, it moved slightly). So now I drill a slight countersink for the set screws to nestle in, and haven't had any problems since. |
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