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Posted: 8/27/2026 3:11:58 AM EDT
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So, title says it. After heating with heat gun, first screw came out easy. Second one broke off the allen wrench. Any ideas? I would like to save the gas block to reuse... Thanks.Attached File |
I don't need therapy. I just need someone to rob me at the gas station so I can let it all out.
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If it's a quality Allen wrench it "should" be harder than the set screw. Carefully try moving it with a center punch to unlock it from the set screw. You don't want to pean it in tighter. Once it's removed, I would heat the gas block to approx 800° with induction and try loosening it again with a quality allen bit. |
Middleofnowhere, Nebraska
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Use a punch that is tapered to a fairly sharp point and set the tip near the edge of the top of your broken hex driver. Then tap with a hammer to rotate clockwise. Since you were attempting to unscrew when it broke, it’s probably in a bind too, and this could pop it back into alignment and release it to fall out. If it won’t fall, you may need to hold the assembly upside down and maybe tap it hard on a wood block. You’ll feel or see the slight rotation if you unstick it using the punch. You could also center punch the exact center and then drill a bit in there. You can go with progressively larger bits until you can drill out the severed driver, hopefully without cutting into the hexagonal walls. (It should break up before that and be able to be extracted out of there.) Or you could cut a slot across the whole thing using a tiny end mill, making your new rotational tool a flathead screwdriver. Then use significantly more heat than when you first tried to unscrew it. (Use an oxy-acetylene torch.) |
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Once you extract that I recommend a good set of wrenches, I've had to drill one of those out before - it was my first and last experience with Radical Firearms (not only was the entire gas block covered in red loctite, but so was the barrel nut) I got this set and I have yet to break a single one and I've put them through hell:   Failed To Load Product Data |
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| Before you start drilling, in the reverse direction, give it a few taps at an angle, stay away from the very edge. Turn it over and on a wood bench or plastic table or similar give it some downwards sharp raps, not enough to damage anything but see if that jars it out. If that fails, any drill op is fine, use a center punch and mark it and start drilling, as it gets to the edge when increasing sizes it will fall out. At that point, if the set screw socket is damaged just use a torx bit and hammer in to remove it. |
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Like posted above. Since the allen wrench broke, it probably started to slip a bit before breaking, so it's in a bind in the bolt head. Use a dremel with cutting wheel to slot the allen wrench a bit, Then use a set punch awl tip in slot and tap easy in opposite direction (clockwise) to unbind the allen wrench then it should pop out with a wood block strike on back side of gas block. eta: use good quality allen wrenches, I've used snap on & craftsman. It's probably got loctite on it, needs to be heated a bit first then remove |
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Tried to knock the broken bit loose but it would not budge. Ended up cutting a slot. The old gas block is shot but the new on is one. Anyone want a slightly used Daniel Defense MK12 gas block. It has a custom bomb proof SOCOM locking slot. Attached File Attached File |
I don't need therapy. I just need someone to rob me at the gas station so I can let it all out.
Land of the once free & the home of the narrative.
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Originally Posted By CoyoteGray: Tried to knock the broken bit loose but it would not budge. Ended up cutting a slot. The old gas block is shot but the new on is one. Anyone want a slightly used Daniel Defense MK12 gas block. It has a custom bomb proof SOCOM locking slot. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/17973/IMG_0161_jpeg-3818142.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/17973/IMG_0164_jpeg-3818144.JPG This might be a good place for it: https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/That-Every-Man-Be-Armed-2-0/5-2456373/ Glad you got it off, OP. |
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