I would be very thankful if you could post them!

Thanks

Cato

Courtesy of gregw45:


Colt staking job on left.  Bushmaster staking job on right.


Note: BFI has recently purchased a staking machine and will no longer stake its carrier keys by hand.

I never asked, since I came across this topic, Why are they staked?

Thanks- that helps! Bummer, my RRA looks like the BFI one.
Besides the Army manual, which describes field staking, is there
a how to guide with photos somewhere?

I will try and get a picture of one I re staked, but I also used locktite first - which heldfine, but I still worried they would back out in time.  I was exceptionally careful in the bolt carrier doing it, and I wouldn't recommend using locktite unless you are really really careful because if it got down inside and you put it back together with the bolt, and it was to leak and then cure - well it would be a bad day...

I used a steel punch and re-staked it - it was not difficult - oh I did it because they backed out after first 200 rounds - model1sales kit... figures - the bolt cracked at 1400 and I replaced it with a RRA bolt - as they are a good company and they only charge $25 for a stripped one!

l8r

Pardon my ignorance, but how does one go about staking a carrier key in place?

You use a round tip punch tool and a hammer.

You can either buy the punch, or be like the rest of us, and make your own (e.i. anything hardened and has a small round flat tip ).

I'm sure Tweak will be along shortly, and post a Photo of the one he made.

As for how it done, after the key screws are torqued, you drive the punch straight down to flair the edge of the key metal into the edge of the screw.

Note: Don't try to punch the screw, Just flow the carrier key metal into the side/over the top of the screw. Also, watch the side of the key, they are bearing surfaces.  If the metal flows out past the edge of the key, use a file and flush it back with the side bearing surfaces.

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