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Posted: 3/16/2002 3:44:48 PM EDT
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The handguards on my rifle shift when torque is applied to them. Is this normal? |
| There was a post here about it a couple of months ago. Did a search but can't find the damn thing now and can't find the answer in my USMC tech manual. Sorry. Hopefully someone will have the answer but it has to do with tightening the spring that sits in the handguard slip ring if I remember correctly. I'll keep looking. |
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Thanks again for trying to track that down! I think that it's not impossible that the problem lies in the fit between the handguards and the handguard cap. I will continue the search on this end, and will post any findings. Nothing urgent, just a minor point of concern. Many thanks |
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One easy way to improve this problem: Remove your handguards, rubber-band them together, and sand down the end of the flanges that fit under the delta ring until they are perfectly flat (use fine-grit sandpaper and a sanding block). You shouldn't have to remove much material, but having the ring sit flat on the flanges will tighten up the handguards quite a bit. It may also make them slightly easier to install and remove, as they'll be a bit shorter. -Troy |
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No, not the delta ring, the "triangular" ring that holds the handguards at the distal (closest to the muzzle) end of the rifle. My understanding is that the delta ring is the spring loaded ring that one pulls back to release the handguards. I could be wrong, because "delta" seems to describe the triangular ring just "behind" the front sight. I'm talking about this triangular (Delta-shaped) piece. It is loose. Maybe I'm all messed up, but it is this triangular piece that shifts when the handguards are torqued. |
I had the same problem with the handguard cap, the part up against the front sight assembly, moving. Irritated me BIG TIME. It didn't start shifting until after I installed a set of Colt M4 handguards with GG&G UFIR. I think putting pressure on my mounted KAC grip caused it to eventually loosen. I checked some M4's in our unit arms room and none of them shifted whatsoever. Pissed me off even more. I searched here and came up with nothing. Looked in the TM and didn't see it identified as a problem, so no solution there. It's not a concern anymore, now that I have a RAS on that weapon. Chris |
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IMHO, I just purchased a SS Bushy H-bar and after shooting 100 rounds the handguard cap became loose, and the handguards wobbled considerably. I e-mailed Bushmaster and they answered me within 30 minutes with the following: The front sight gas block pushes the handguard ring tightly into the step, machined in the barrel. The cap should not move. I can either send the upper back, and they will repair, or I was instructed to try tapping in the front sight taper pins, which should force the cap against the step, or to use 271 locktite (Red) and carefully put a drop or two between cap and the step in the barrel. I tried tapping the pins, but no luck. I used the locktite, and the cap is now tight. I also ran a bead of epoxy around the same area for assurance. I'll see if this holds the next time out. Ted |
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I had this problem with my post-ban Colt as well. Here is my cheap non-destructive solution that works very well. Simply take some alum. foil and folt it so that it fits into the "groves" in the handguard that interface with the scalloped sprocket under the delta ring. Stuff it in the groove and then replace the handguards as normal. I put some masking tape over the foil to hold it in place while I was putting the guards back on. If you get the right amount of foil in the groove (some expermentation is necessary), it will tighten up the fit but still allow the delta ring to slip over the guards. |
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If the shifting is due to the front cap being loose, use a drop or two of Locktite wicked between the front cap and front sight. But still, some handguards creek and wiggle. Here is what I do... Remove the handguards, and you will notice that there is a groove where the teeth of the barrle nut engage. Apply a few dabs of black high temp gasket type silicone in that groove, on both halves, and in the appropriate places by the tabs on the front end of the hand guards, where they engage the front cap. Replace the handguards, and remove any excess that has oozed. This type of silicone is used for gasketing in automotive/truck work. It will not corrode metal by giving off acetic acid (vinegar) fumes as common clear bathtub caulk will do. The handguards are easily removed later, and you simply replace the silicone. You will have a tight, non-creaking handguard assembly. |
I have this problem on a Armalite M15A4 carbine |
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