Problem with my bcg...

[Creeky73]

After taking my AR to a gunsmith who said he knew what he was doing but finding out otherwise, I have sustained some damage to my bcg. Please forgive me if my terminology isn't correct on these parts, but I believe it is called the key. It is the part that is held in place by the two allen bolts, that makes direct contact with the gas tube. This part needs to be replaced. My bcg is from RRA. Can this part be sent off somewhere to have the key replaced (as I now do not trust any of the "gunsmiths" in my area to work on my gun) or do I need to buy a new one? Also, if it comes down to buying a new bcg, which ones would be the better ones to consider? Also, is there any reason whatsoever to consider any of the high-end bcg's that claim to slow down or speed up cyclic rates, or any of the other things they claim to do? Are any of these things practical over stock bcg's on a gun that isn't match-grade? Thanks for any help.

[federalist22]

Rainier could probably do it for you--call them and ask, you never know.

[VLODPG]

Is it really dammaged or is that what you were told?

Maybe you can post a pic so we can see whats wrong.

[Creeky73]

it is most definitely damaged, but whether or not it would actually cripple the function, I don't know yet. Essentially, the guy didn't have the barrel nut lined up for the gas tube correctly but he went ahead and hammered the gas block into place. This caused the gas tube to bend, and is sitting at a slight angle inside the upper. so when he went to put everything back together, the bcg would not go forward correctly, obviously. but the guy tried to slam it home a couple of times, and the gas tube edge was hitting the edge of the little tube on the key, causing two nice little flare outs on that part.

[5pins]

The key is pretty easy to replace, depending on how well the stake job is, so you don’t need to replace the BCG. If you are good with tools you could do it your self.

[rebelEMPIRE]

If you do plan on staking it yourself, do not use a sharp object like a screwdriver or chisel. You'll want the end to be fairly blunt so you don't create any stress risers (high stress areas under load). Also, take note of how tight your screws are when they come out, because they should be no tighter than that when they go back in. It's best practice to use brand new screws, too.

If you are using a torque wrench, it is 30 to 40 INCH/LBS for the screws. That means you want to hit 35 INCH/LBS as best you can. It isn't much torque. In fact, most people torque beyond this when not utilizing a torque wrench.

Hope this helps.

-rebelEMPIRE

[cmoore]

Just replace your gas key and you should be back in business. Whatever you do, make certain whomever does the job properly stakes that key in place. Hopefully it was staked when assembled, but sometimes your gun may have gone to an armorer at 4PM on a Friday afternoon...and well, you know....it's all in the details....

good luck...

[Eric]

If the gas tube was bent, I would replace that as well.

The gas key is an easy repair. It's recommended that new screws are also used when installing the part. On the last few that I have done, I use a MOACKS to get a good staking and also use a few drops of Rocksett thread-locker.

[Creeky73]

I am very thin on tools for gunsmithing. I am working on it, but as it stands right now, I don't think I have anything to stake the key properly. And I already need a torque wrench for the barrel too, so this might be good motivation to go ahead and get one. What exactly is a MOACKS?

[spamsammich]

That gunsmith owes you some compensation for your trouble. The gas key is easy, just make sure your sealing surfaces on the carrier and key are nice and clean. I like to run my key on a flat granite or hard arkansas stone to make sure it is good and flat before installing. If you cant find Rocksett, high temp red loctite works ok on the screws but you gotta make sure the screws are staked to ensure they won't back out.

[spamsammich]

you can stake the screws with a flat head screw driver or spring loaded nail set.

[spamsammich]

Quib at m4carbine.net has a pretty good writeup on DIY staking.

[Creeky73]

Oh, the damage to my bcg isn't all the gunsmith did. He ruined my Omega rail. $260 down the drain there. I blame myself for letting this guy work on it. I have no doubt that if I took an 870 shotgun or a 700 bolt action, the guy probably knows those guns. I think the last time he touched an AR was when he was supposedly in 'Nam. I should have known better.

[Eric]

What exactly is a MOACKS?
http://www.m-guns.com/tools.php

[Eric]

Oh, the damage to my bcg isn't all the gunsmith did. He ruined my Omega rail. How a gunsmith could screw that up is beyond me.

[Creeky73]

I mentioned in some previous posts on earlier threads that the screws that come with the omega rails, the 4 screws that hold the two pieces of the handguard together, seem to be made of some really soft material that strip out very easily in the screwdriver slots. One of them simply would not come out. So he proceeded to drill it out, and in doing so, he ate up so much of the metal of the handguard in that area that I would have had to use only the other three screws to hold it together. Which maybe that would have held, but I am not trying to half-ass my gun.

[NickDrak]

Save yourself alot more headaches and wasted money, and send it to a reputable/certified AR15 armorer.

It sounds like this bozo gunsmith that you employed probably caused alot more damage to your rifle than just damaging the gas key. Who knows if he properly torqued the barrelnut, properly aligned the gasblock/gastube, etc.

I would also have a certified AR15 armorer inspect your upper prior to making any repairs to it to give you a break down of what specific damage bozo caused to your rifle, and then present him with a bill for the damages. If bozo has an ethical bone in his body, he might just pay for what he damaged.

The reason I have labeled him "bozo" is because if he doesnt possess the skill-set or certification to work on a AR15 platform rifle, then he never should have touched yours to begin with.

[Eric]

The reason I have labeled him "bozo" is because if he doesnt possess the skill-set or certification to work on a AR15 platform rifle, then he never should have touched yours to begin with.
Indeed. I'm no gunsmith, but as an armorer on a few platforms, I know when to tell folks that I can't help them. It would be reasonable to request reimbursement for the damage. That's a rather big chunk of cash that your out due to his negligence.