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6/25/2012 3:49:26 AM EDT
Yesterday at the range my gun quit cycling and the front BUIS kept flipping up on its own. After a few manual cycles, fire, and then a click I noticed that a hole had been blown through the top of my gas block.

I recently installed a H2 buffer and a BC 1.0 compensator. I believe the H2 buffer caused it but not quite sure. Any opinions on a cause, or has anyone seen this before?
6/25/2012 11:02:20 AM EDT
[#1]
I seriously doubt a change in buffer weight is the reason behind your hole.

How old is this gas block? If it has LOTS of rounds through it it's possible that it has eroded to the point of failure.

Who makes this gas block? Could have been a manufacturing defect, i.e. the port hole was drilled to the point that it started through the outer wall.
6/25/2012 5:39:37 PM EDT
[#2]
To shoot out a gas block would require thousands of rounds, many thousands of rounds under otherwise normal conditions.
Was this a used gas block, home made or from unknown origins?
6/25/2012 5:51:46 PM EDT
[#3]
Quoted:
To shoot out a gas block would require thousands of rounds, many thousands of rounds under otherwise normal conditions.
Was this a used gas block, home made or from unknown origins?


OR a horribly out-of-spec gas block, which is more likely.
6/25/2012 8:56:48 PM EDT
[#4]
I really doubt the buffer or comp caused anything.  Who is the gas block made by?  How about the barrel?  Got any pics of the block.

Maybe the metal in the gas block wasn't heat treated right or when the holes were drill, they went way too deep.
6/26/2012 3:52:48 AM EDT
[#5]
Quoted:
Quoted:
To shoot out a gas block would require thousands of rounds, many thousands of rounds under otherwise normal conditions.
Was this a used gas block, home made or from unknown origins?


OR a horribly out-of-spec gas block, which is more likely.


I have about 1,000 rounds through it. It was new upper. I believe the gas block is a UTG Quad Rail. Which is a fairly cheap aluminum gas block. I am replacing it with a YHM steel gas block.

6/26/2012 4:17:29 AM EDT
[#6]
The Quad Rail shouldn't have anything to do with the gas block, unless you're saying it came with it.
Yea, dump for a proper steel one. Never underestimate the cutting power of hot gases.

Would still like to see a picture of the bad one if you don't mind sharing.
6/26/2012 5:58:00 AM EDT
[#7]
Back when I turned 21, Karl Sokol at Chestnut Mountain Sports built me a custom 3" S&W M65. I was young and stupid and felt that every round I reloaded had to be a max .357 mag load. I shot tens of thousands of rounds through it. It was the only handgun I shot for many years. I ended up shooting it very loose and it had major flame cutting on the topstrap and face of the cylinder. Now that's SS with handgun ammo. Using a gas block made of aluminum that's hammered with concentrated gasses from rifle ammo is just asking for a failure.

Your plan to go with a YHM replacement is a good one.
6/26/2012 5:58:20 AM EDT
[#8]
Quoted:
The Quad Rail shouldn't have anything to do with the gas block, unless you're saying it came with it.
Yea, dump for a proper steel one. Never underestimate the cutting power of hot gases.

Would still like to see a picture of the bad one if you don't mind sharing.


Its a quad rail aluminum gas block. Will try and take a picture later. It has about a 1/8" hole on top of it just above where the gas tube enters it.
6/26/2012 6:50:48 AM EDT
[#9]
I think your first problem was it's a UTG block, and the second is that it's aluminum.

Chunk that UTG crap in the dumpster and get a good steel block.
6/27/2012 9:13:16 AM EDT
[#10]
Aluminum is not an appropriate material for a gas block, it really needs to be heat treated steel.  Leapers/UTG could easily be using ungraded aluminum.
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