ar gas block?

B

bigoneslurk

New member
how hard is it to change the gas block on a ar. I have a remington r-15with a non rail gas block i would like to just switch it out with a railed one so i can put iron sights on it. is it as simple as taking off the old one and bolting on the new one or are their things i will have to adjust thanks for the help
 
A simple search will quickly yield an answer.

Basically, it's not easy and requires some serious hammer-pounding, but it's possible.
 
You have to drive out the two taper pins holding your existing GB on. You have to remove any muzzle devise, is it pinned and welded? Install new GB, if it's a set screw type then you should dimple the barrel for the set screws. None of this is rocket surgery but the first time it can be challenging.
 
You have to drive out the two taper pins holding your existing GB on...None of this is rocket surgery but the first time it can be challenging.
Click to expand...

Driving out the taper pins is easier said than done in some cases;) Just be careful not to deform the pin heads as you drive them out. Check out youtube for some video's before you attempt it.

As far as railed gas blocks, I used this on my recent reece build http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=482126?cm_cat=Cart&cm_pla=ProductDesc
I liked that it had four set screws to really bite into the barrel.
 
Use your biggest punch, bigger than the pin, to start the pin moving and then switch to one that will fit through the hole. Like the other guy said, they only come out one direction.
 
Tip

Not every manfacturer puts those pins in the same way. Most in from the left side, some manufacturers in from the right side. You want to drive them out from the side with the smaller head.
 
The trick isn't so much getting the old gas block off, it's getting the new one to stay on.

Set screws tend not to stay put; even Loctite won't hold well- that gas block sees some impressive heat. I'd probably recommend staking the things. Replacement gas blocks aren't pinned on; the taper pin hole locations are NOT standard from rifle to rifle; they're drilled individually at the time of assembly, so makers of replacement gas blocks can't take for granted that they'll be in a given spot (unlike, say, the holes for the fire control group pins).

Another thing to keep in mind is that some AR manufacturers don't parkerize under the FSB; I don't know if S&W does or not. If they don't, you'll either need some way to color match, a gas block that will cover the spot, or it's just going to look funky. If S&W does parkerize under the FSB, then never mind, you won't have a problem with the looks.
 
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