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Posted: 10/28/2012 7:27:34 AM EDT
| I'm at the point where I need to torque the barrel nut on and also put the A2 Flash hider on and wonder If I should buy the clam shell type vise block or the type that goes into the receiver. I do wonder is the type that goes into the receiver is capable of handling the torquing when putting on the A2 Flash hider. Any comments? |
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Quoted:
Opinions vary, but I would only use a clamshell or barrel vise jaws to install a bbl nut. Barrel vise jaws are the only safe way to install/remove muzzle devices. Some people make there own jaws out of wood. I'm with PFC. A clamshell is head and shoulders above an "insert-only" upper receiver block for barrel nut work, but the best choice is aluminum (or DIY) barrel vise jaws. The barrel is the toughest, stiffest part of the entire rifle, so if you secure the barrel and apply torque to a barrel nut, almost no tortional sress is applied to the upper. Once the nut "grabs," the receiver is fixed to the barrel and there is no further stress applied through the nut or the index pin. Further, securing the barrel near the muzzle gives you a very solid foundation to remove or replace a muzzle device. On the other hand, if you secure the upper, the torque is applied through the nut to the upper during the initial tightening or loosening, and this CAN twist the upper. I know because I have done it and I now have an upper with several degrees of twist between the front and rear end of the rail top surfaces. Using an upper block for a muzzle device, especially for removal, is even worse, because the barrel acts like a suspension's torsion bar and absorbs a good deal of energy, forcing you to apply a lot more effort to the wrench to get the muzzle device loose and thus applying even more torque to the upper. Finally, aluminum barrel vise blocks are quite inexpensive. I got my set for about $16 at a gun show. Upper vise blocks are usually priced from about twice that up to a lot more. |
| I do like the idea of using the barrel clamp instead of the upper vise block but I'm using a Yankee Hill free floating handguard with the end cap. It has to be installed before the muzzle hidder because the end cap will not go over the A2. This only leaves a couple of inches of free barrel to clamp onto and I'm not sure there is enough distance there for a vise. |
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