A.R.M.S. Mounts :(

I

ITEOTWAWKI

Moderator
Well, after receiving my new arms mount #16 to mount my aimpoint to my carry handle (where I like it), you'd never believe what I did. I stripped one of the 4 screws in this $70 dollar piece of crap. I never applied as much pressure to the one as I did on any of the other ones. It simply never got tight. Now, I'm sure that 3 tight screws will keep it zeroed, it just kinda ticked me off...So I write to the folks at arms an email explainging everything and asking if there was an alternate solution rather than sending it back (larger screw maybe? anyone?). No reply. I call. Mailbox full. I send another email. Nothing. So now i'm a disgruntled customer who's going to tell everyone I know to steer clear of their wares. I swear it shouldn't have stripped. Never got tight. Maybe they were too busy trying to sell 450 dollar rail systems that add 6 lbs to your rifle to worry about small fry crap like this. Anycase, they suck. Tell your friends.
 
Well...

Sorry you had a bad experience with your mount. I have one just like it on my A2.

Anyway, when I got my mount from ARMS the top ring was screwed loosely together but the ring was seperated from the base. I may be wrong but that's one way ARMS can check the threading on the mount before sending it out. The tolerances on these mounts are very tight, so much so that I had to cut down both sides of my #16 mount base in order for it to fit my carry handle.

Because the tolerances are so tight even a slight cocking on a screw can cause it to thread in crooked. Which screw went bad? 1st? Last? knowing can help figure out what went wrong.

As far as I know Heli-coil doesn't make a kit for that thread. You could repair the thread using Duramix 4040. Just squirt some (Mixed) paste in the stripped hole then immediately screw in the screw (with threads coated w/ WD-40) and let set. It won't take much tourque but it will hold.
 
You need to use a torque-driver set to a measley 20lbs for a lot of aluminum add-on dohickeys. 20lbs does not feel like much, and it is very easy to over-do it, but they will stay in place with 20 no matter what your gut tells you.
 
Stripped the hole. I might just try the duramix stuff. Would JB weld work just as well? If I use that should I still use the WD-40 on the screw itself?
 
Yup

The WD-40 works as a release agent and will prevent the screw from getting semi-permenatly stuck. :)

JB weld should work out OK too. Remember, don't put alot of pressure on it when tightening it back up, it doesn't need it.

Again, sorry you had troubles with your ARMS mount. They really are good stuff, though I doubt you'll ever give them a try again, and you'd be right not to especially because of the crappy customer service they have given you.

If it's any conciliation the mount is very tight on 30mm optics and will hold tight with the 3 remaining screws no problem. Try tightening them in sequence this time around a little at a time instead on cinching each side down at a time, including the repaired hole except leave the repaired hole out of the sequence once it's cinched down adequately.
 
Though to their credit, the other three screws will probably hold it tighter than a crab's ass (And that's watertight). There was an old trick for screwing things into wood where you stick just a little tiny length of a toothpic in the hole before the screw and it keeps it snug as a bug for most things...wonder if that might hold better than the jb, just so I can get it snug.
 
I had the A.R.M.S. back up sight fall off an AR-15 once. I put it on tight, and assumed it would hold. Now it has some loctite on it and regular checking.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top