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Posted: 1/28/2012 8:23:11 AM EDT
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I've built up a bunch of lowers over the past few years, but never done ANY work on an upper. The company I want to order an upper from doesn't stock the parts I want, so I'm wondering exactly how hard it is to install a freefloat rail system? I've never removed a gas tube, FSB, or barrel. The youtube videos make it seem pretty easy, but I never see anybody checking the alignment of the receiver rails with the railed handguard. How hard is it to get everything lined up correctly? Is putting the gas block back on difficult to do correctly?
How much of a challenge do I face here? Thanks. |
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Alignment is easy, especially if you have a mount you can bridge the gap with. Installing a gas block correctly is also pretty easy. You'll need a vice for sure, with a block for the upper receiver for removing/torquing the barrel nut and a barrel block for removing/installing a flash hider.
Removing the gas block could potentially be the hardest part, and may require a dremel. Some rails interfere with some upper receiver blocks (LaRue), so make sure you get a good block if you don't want to modify it. |
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Definitely get a upper vise block or even just a mag vise block to do what your looking to do.
The gas block is pretty easy to line up, even if your a little off the wholes are a little oversized so it wont matter(you wont need digital calipers to align it, just eyeball it) Depending on the FF rail it can be very easy, or semi difficult(from what I've read) My only experience is with DD lite rail installs and those are VERY easy to do. What you'll need is torque wrench or if your good with turning wrenches, just a breaker bar and you can figure out the torque you need yourself. that will be how you get the barrel nut on and off. Your gas tube could be kinda stuck in the upper from all the carbon build up so soak that in CLP for a little while and it should loosen up. Reading through your post again....are you talking about putting the FSB back on? or a new lo pro gas block? |
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With the right tools... vise, receiver block, punches, wrenches, etc., it's fairly easy. Just take your time and think your way through it. It's just like the first time you built a lower. You are cautious at first, but then realize it's no big deal.
Just Do It. 
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Quoted:
Definitely get a upper vise block or even just a mag vise block to do what your looking to do. The gas block is pretty easy to line up, even if your a little off the wholes are a little oversized so it wont matter(you wont need digital calipers to align it, just eyeball it) Depending on the FF rail it can be very easy, or semi difficult(from what I've read) My only experience is with DD lite rail installs and those are VERY easy to do. What you'll need is torque wrench or if your good with turning wrenches, just a breaker bar and you can figure out the torque you need yourself. that will be how you get the barrel nut on and off. Your gas tube could be kinda stuck in the upper from all the carbon build up so soak that in CLP for a little while and it should loosen up. Reading through your post again....are you talking about putting the FSB back on? or a new lo pro gas block? New lowpro gas block. I want to replace carbine length handguards with a rifle-length rail system. It'll be coming from the factory, so there shouldn't be any carbon buildup. Is it necessary to get wrenches with weight measurements or can I gauge the necessary force by myself? Thanks all. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Definitely get a upper vise block or even just a mag vise block to do what your looking to do. The gas block is pretty easy to line up, even if your a little off the wholes are a little oversized so it wont matter(you wont need digital calipers to align it, just eyeball it) Depending on the FF rail it can be very easy, or semi difficult(from what I've read) My only experience is with DD lite rail installs and those are VERY easy to do. What you'll need is torque wrench or if your good with turning wrenches, just a breaker bar and you can figure out the torque you need yourself. that will be how you get the barrel nut on and off. Your gas tube could be kinda stuck in the upper from all the carbon build up so soak that in CLP for a little while and it should loosen up. Reading through your post again....are you talking about putting the FSB back on? or a new lo pro gas block? New lowpro gas block. I want to replace carbine length handguards with a rifle-length rail system. It'll be coming from the factory, so there shouldn't be any carbon buildup. Is it necessary to get wrenches with weight measurements or can I gauge the necessary force by myself? Thanks all. Well you'll probably need a standard barrel nut wrench to remove the standard barrel nut and delta ring. Then you'll probably need the wrench for the barrel nut that comes with your rifle length rail. But that wrench you'll attach to a breaker bar or torque wrench to tighten the barrel nut down. Most people would probably say to use a torque wrench to get the pounds right, but when I built my first upper I just used a breaker bar and did it by feel. So I'd say if your used to using wrenches, etc. Its not a big deal.........Tighten the hell out of it, but not to the point of breaking it lol. The gas tube is really easy....use something like a nail....just tap that into the roll pin in the FSB and it'll come out easy.....this is the very small gas tube roll pin. then you'll easily push the gas tube into the upper receiver(with the BCG out) until its clear out of the FSB and then pull it all the way out of the upper receiver towards the FSB. Thats it |
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