Hello!

I am buying an 11.5" stripped barrel with no gas port drilled yet, it has a barrel extention and threaded muzzle.

Can someone tell me something about where this hole should be drilled and what kind of gas tube I should use?

I am planning on installing a flip up front sight (and a fake silencer to get up to 16") that attaches with allen screws.

Is this something that a gunsmith should handle - or can a realative newbie handle the job with a drill press and vice.

I am lookin for the same answer.....but I think the fake can/brake must be welded/silver solderd in place.....jmo

The fake can will have to be permanently installed (welding halfway around, or 1100F silver solder or blind pin and weld over the pin) to make a legal 16" barrel.

If the barrel extension has already been installed, then top-dead center should be set, as well.  The gas port should be drilled at the correct location, top dead center as set by the barrel extension.

I don't recall the correct distance for the gas port from the lip of the barrel extension, but it'll be the same as for a 14.5" or 16" carbine barrel.  You'll also need to drill for the front sight base taper pins.

...and common wisdom dictates you want it to come out (in) in the groove and not on a land.

Halfcocked - can you go into more detail on this?

He's talking about the lands and groves inside the barrel.  The groves are the low areas and the lands are the high areas, this is what makes the rifling in the barrel.  It would make more sense to have the hole open in a grove instead of a land, being the grove is closer to the outside of the barrel.

Thanks BigIck. So is it just a matter of luck if the hole happens to come through in the right place inside the barrel?

Sometimes luck works but skill and knowledge is a better bet.  With out too much detail look at the end of your barrel and place  scrib marks half way between every 2 lands or the centers of the grooves.  Insert a tight fitting, patched, jag and put an index mark on the rod that indexes the points between the lands far enough out on the handle so it will still be visible when you push your cleaning rod in a foot or so.  Measure the distance from the muzzle to the point where you need the gas port.  Push the rod in that far.

Is one of your indices TDC?

Are 2 indices equidistant from TDC?  (Not good)  

There is more of a problem with port fouling if it's on a land.  The bullet obturates as it is fired and when it passes along the lands they are carved into the bullet.  If this gas port is on a land it will fill with jacket material rapidly and/or scar the bullet un-uniformly which could adversly affect accuracy.

Thank you Halfcocked. When the barrel shows up, would you mind if I drop you an email if I have any more questions?

Scott [:)]