Locking a YHM tube

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Posted: 2/2/2006 3:31:42 AM EDT

I have an upper that I bought a YHM mid tube for. Is there a way to lock this tube onto the upper? It's a Oly 40 cal and there isn't a gas tube to keep the barrel nut from spinning.

Posted: 2/2/2006 3:34:20 AM EDT

[#1]

What keeps the barrel nut from spinning now, with the original setup?

Posted: 2/2/2006 3:40:13 AM EDT

[#2]

A lot of torque! With the tube, I might add a forward pistol grip and I'm not sure if the extra pressure on it will start twisting it off.

Quoted:
What keeps the barrel nut from spinning now, with the original setup?

Thinking about your question for a minute, I guess I should really ask if it's necessary to try and lock it.

Posted: 2/2/2006 4:46:32 AM EDT

[#3]

You might be able to put a gas tube in it anyway. That help stop the nut from spinning if it came loose.

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:58:05 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
A lot of torque! With the tube, I might add a forward pistol grip and I'm not sure if the extra pressure on it will start twisting it off.

Quoted:
What keeps the barrel nut from spinning now, with the original setup?

Thinking about your question for a minute, I guess I should really ask if it's necessary to try and lock it.

I don't think it's your gas-tube that keeps the barrel nut from spinning, if that was the case, all tubes would wobble. Mine doesn't, so I guess if torqued correctly....should be OK

Posted: 2/2/2006 8:40:57 AM EDT

[#5]

~~blue loctite.~~

NM, I thought you were talking about the tube itself, not the barrel nut.

Posted: 2/2/2006 9:04:00 AM EDT

[#6]

the gas tube is what keeps the barrel nut from spinning and the lock ring keeps the tube itself from spinning.

i would also suggest modifying a gas tube to index the bbl. nut if you're worried about it.

Posted: 2/2/2006 9:05:08 AM EDT

[#7]

The great thing is, with a pistol upper, you don't have to worry about aligning the holes... If "really tight" puts you inbetween gas tube holes, it doesn't matter.

You might also consider fab-ing up your own locking mechanism that puts bolts or similar through the closest gas tube hole on each side of the receiver.

Posted: 2/2/2006 9:40:07 AM EDT

[#8]

This is a non-issue. Tighten it up, and don't worry about it. Had a YHM tube on an Oly .45 upper for a long time, with no issues of it coming loose. The gas tube in a properly assembled upper does nothing to hold the barrel nut in place.

Posted: 2/2/2006 10:55:09 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
This is a non-issue. Tighten it up, and don't worry about it. Had a YHM tube on an Oly .45 upper for a long time, with no issues of it coming loose. The gas tube in a properly assembled upper does nothing to hold the barrel nut in place.

actually the gas tube does keep the barrel nut from backing all the way out or to the point where it would cause the bbl. to be loose.

and when excessive torqueing on the tube with a vfg there is a chance of it coming loose.

Posted: 2/2/2006 11:18:04 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Quoted:
This is a non-issue. Tighten it up, and don't worry about it. Had a YHM tube on an Oly .45 upper for a long time, with no issues of it coming loose. The gas tube in a properly assembled upper does nothing to hold the barrel nut in place.

actually the gas tube does keep the barrel nut from backing all the way out or to the point where it would cause the bbl. to be loose.

and when excessive torqueing on the tube with a vfg there is a chance of it coming loose.

If the barrel nut is so loose that the gas tube is keeping it from backing off, then you're going to have carrier key alignment issues.

Re-read what I posted. In a properly assembled upper the gas tube does not hold the barrel nut in place. If you torque the barrel nut properly, the gas tube does nothing to hold it in place. If it did, then there would be no torque spec. You could simply stop tightening when it got hand snug.

Beyond that, I have yet to see anyone who wasn't absuing a gun break a barrel nut loose by torquing on a vertical foregrip. A free-float from the barrel nut? Yes. A barrel nut from a receiver? No.

Posted: 2/2/2006 11:31:19 AM EDT

[#11]

gas tube does not hold it i agree but it does keep it there.

Posted: 2/2/2006 11:41:09 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
gas tube does not hold it i agree but it does keep it there.

Negative. Continue to believe this, if you must.

While you're at it, console the hundreds of AR-10 users whose barrel nuts inexplicably loosen up and fall off because the gas tube doesn't pass through a notch to 'hold it in place.'

Posted: 2/2/2006 11:49:19 AM EDT

[#13]

not saying that it holds it in place.

im saying that if the nut was forced to back out the gas tube will keep it from doing so.

Posted: 2/3/2006 11:47:24 PM EDT

[#14]

I have a simple $10 reliability fix for YHM style handguards.
I'm sure it's what the original question is about.
Basically, add a setscrew at 6:00 through the handguard tube that screws into the barrel nut.
It will bottom out in an un-used gas tube hole in the barrel nut.
Blue loctite is more than sufficient to keep the setscrew in place.
This is stage 1 and locks the tube to the barrel nut.

If you really torqued on that VFG, you might get the barrel nut to move against a gas tube, if present.
In this case, I will probably be offering a stage 2 upgrade that involves tapping the reciever for a stud that gets screwed into place after the barrel nut is torqued and aligned.
I'm still playing around with the best way to do this.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Locking a YHM tube

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