I bought a Phantom Flash hider and the directions said to use either a crush washer or a "Peel" washer. Well, the Flash hider came with what I am assuming to be a "peel" washer. The washer is a cup shaped washer with no cut in it, but is made of a hard metal, not soft like a wave washer.  Is there any special technique to using this type of washer? The flash hider doesn't quite line up right with the peel washer, and too loose when lined up straight with the crush washer.

Can anyone help clue me in?

Thanks,

E

Thanks for the reply Brou.

I tired tightening down this washer so it would flatten out like you said, but this washer is SOLID. It isn't bending in the slightest. The washer is thick too.

There's decent tension on the Phantom right now with the regular crush washer that I was using with the old birdcage flash hider, but not as tight as I would like.

I tried using the new crush washer with the old one (stacked) but took it off knowing that it shouldn't be that way.

Anyway, thank you very much for the info. Maybe I'll go look for a peel washer tomorrow in town.

E

E,

If the washer is conical in shape (one side concave, the other convex), then it is a crush type and has no delaminable layers.  Peel washers look identical to a plain washer (very similar to an oil drain plug washer on your vehicle's oil pan).  If you are looking for "cuts"....they are very difficult to see, if at all.   I believe each layer in a peel washer is 0.001" (seems like I read somewhere that each 0.001" layer will "time" a FH/MB 10 degrees).  If you have a peel washer you can use a razor blade to help split the washer and find layers (rather tedious...oh, yeah--AND BE CAREFUL!); page 3-44 step 14 of the Army's -23 technical manual has a note that says you can use heat to help seperate the layers too.  The same step instructs you to add thin sections of a peel washer to the rear during assembly (put them on first).  Be careful with the layers...they are easy to damage/destroy.  If you do go the "peel" route, you have to get the thickness pretty much exactly right in order to get your flash hider to line up the way you want.  If you are using a crush washer, the technical manual directs you to put the small (convex) side to the rear, with the large concave side towards the muzzle.   Once you get the FH on hand tight with a crush washer, you are supposed to tighten it 90 degrees AT A MINIMUM.  If you are lined up at that point (unlikely), then congratulations!  If not, you can continue to tighten up to an additional 370 degrees until the FH is lined up (for a MAXIMUM OF 460 DEGREES ROTATION per the TM).  

Hope this helps!  Mike

No real layers...there are what look like machine marks though. I just measured the washer, and the band itself is 3/32" thick, (not including the "twisted" part). Total thickness of the washer is 1/8" measured from the bottom outside edge to the inner inside edge.

Any ideas?

If the washer you have is NOT conical, then you'll have to assume that it's a peel type.  That or you have a crush washer that was already used and won't do you any good anyhow.

Mike

Thank you VERY much for the help guys, I really appreciate it. Well, I done gave up on that washer that came with the FH. I beat on it, attacked it with a razor, tried the old "tighten-loosen-tighten-loosen" method all to no avail. LOL!

Im back to using the regular crush washer and tried tightening it like you suggested Mike. OK, like this it seems that the closest to tight I can get it is 180 degrees off. This is a 5 hole Phantom FH. It didn't come with any type of instruction so I looked at the picture from the Bushmaster site and I am ASSUMING that the majority of the holes should be facing up with the widest "strap" or gap between the holes facing down. (Like the picture) I can ALMOST tighten it 180 degrees off from this setting.

Which brings up the obvious question....Is it supposed to be hole facing down?

Thanks again,

Edwin

You want the slots/holes in the flash hider to be facing up, not down. If they are down, gas will be directed towards the ground; if you are in prone position, this can make quite a cloud of dust/loose dirt when you fire the gun. This is one reason the military discarded the old style flash suppressors, as they had slots all the way around, and adopted the one with only slots facing upwards.

Thanks my friend! I positioned it like you yold me to and shot the gun. To say the least I am very pleased with how if fires.