i just got this new bolt and carrier assembly from del-ton for $95.00 complete and i noticed the gas key screws are not staked. what tool do some of you use to stake these? and i am going to check the torque on the gas key screws. what is the proper torque in inch pounds for these. i have the army manual but i read somewhere that their torque specs ain't tight enough to stop  leakage. this bolt looks great but now i guess i should have bought a bushmaster assembly for the extra $30.00.

35-40 inch pound, and I prefer to stake in 3 places. Best tool for staking is a "center punch" with nice sharp point.

I also have a carrier key that I need to stake but I was also planning on using Red Locktite on the screws does anyone know who might carry that locally? I checked Lowes and they didn't have any.

Sarge

Autoparts stores in your area will have it. You want 271 Loctite.

j_g_r
Use a good prick punch and stake the side of the key deforming towards the screw once on each side. Don't get crazy, just a small defromation is all that's required.

staked it with a center punch and all is well, i hope. as for torqueing, i found a 1/8th hex bit that fit my inch pound torque wrench but it was to loose(they must be millimeter), so i just used a hex wrench, they were tight so i just gave them an extra crank, the screws didn't snap but they did slightly move, then i staked them.

My factory staked Bushmaster key came loose on me last weekend after spending several days replacing this/swapping that piece between my 2 AR's to determine why I was having cycling problems.

Thankfully someone had the necessary tools on hand and the problem was fixed in 5 minutes, and the gun ran like a champ the rest of the afternoon.

Moral of the story:The $30 you saved may not have saved you the hassle, and now you know one more very useful thing about building ARs.

Saved $30, but had to stake it yourself?  Sounds like a good deal to me![:D]