LaRue Tactical Physical - Beware crappy buffer tubes and castle nuts

[PogoJack]

I was under the impression that LaRue was "Operator Tier".

Their stuff is a great value and I have always heard great things about them.

I get that they are probably working night and day right now, but how could a crap buffer tube pass inspection?

TL;DW: He runs the threads of the buffer tube that comes with the UltimateAR Kit into a no-go gauge and finds out the threads are third rate, later does the same with the castle nut and visible shows them rattling and wobbly when mated. Class 1 threads.

He then runs a bore scope and sees "corrosion" in the inside of the tube. I thought they were aluminum?

Everything else was in spec and good to go.

I will still buy from LaRue, great company, very Pro-2A and I am addicted to Dillo Dust.

Just an excuse to show you guys some OCD gun porn. I love this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBbnBTSui0k

[Moemoe1]

[acaligunner]

ABC
DD

[Quickdraw559]

Lol who even checks stuff like that

[PogoJack]

That's not a scratch. The little staking dimples were also shallow and if that castle nut backs out while you are using it to defend your family, good luck.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[user120312]

Examiner notes standard details we'd check on production run parts, I'm not familiar with the company but do the same checks on hydraulic and pneumatic equipment I built/build in the shop.

The buffer tube is anodized aluminum and the ID was apparently touched up prior to anodizing and the blemishes are cosmetic in its use where they could be functional if it was a pneumatic tube, etc. I don't know what class thread fit they spec or the specific application so will defer to the examiner who apparently checks gun kits out frequently. We have very specific fit parameters on threads on most parts I've made because they're highly stressed connections in general, something this is apparently not. However, it's pretty easy to get good thread fits on production parts with production level tooling. Still, errors occur and if something is out of spec it should be remedied.

That's my take running a machine shop for a bit over 3 decades.

[owenv]

This makes me second guess every thing that I have ever built. Dang.

[shadowofnight]

I was under the impression that LaRue was "Operator Tier".

Their stuff is a great value and I have always heard great things about them.

I get that they are probably working night and day right now, but how could a crap buffer tube pass inspection?

TL;DW: He runs the threads of the buffer tube that comes with the UltimateAR Kit into a no-go gauge and finds out the threads are third rate, later does the same with the castle nut and visible shows them rattling and wobbly when mated. Class 1 threads.

He then runs a bore scope and sees "corrosion" in the inside of the tube. I thought they were aluminum?

Everything else was in spec and good to go.

I will still buy from LaRue, great company, very Pro-2A and I am addicted to Dillo Dust.

Just an excuse to show you guys some OCD gun porn. I love this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBbnBTSui0k

I like his video representation too, easy to watch and listen to...very smart cookie too.

And those tools are not cheap either, but the most common thing I find out of spec are picatinny rails...these top tier outfits usually have great stuff for their actual products. But they usually don't make their own buffer tubes/castle nuts/lower build kits/etc.

[anhzx]

Larue buffer tube has a "cutout" where buffer detent lines up with, probably to "lock in" the buffer tube and prevent it from walking out. None of the buffer tubes from psa, Daniel defense or aero have them, and I don't recall bcm or lwrc has it neither.

As for the castle nut, imo, good stake and maybe a little removable loctite would take care of it for "most" users.

[PogoJack]

Larue buffer tube has a "cutout" where buffer detent lines up with, probably to "lock in" the buffer tube and prevent it from walking out. None of the buffer tubes from psa, Daniel defense or aero have them, and I don't recall bcm or lwrc has it neither.

As for the castle nut, imo, good stake and maybe a little removable loctite would take care of it for "most" users.

Good point.

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[Mr.Caketown]

Oh boy .... Larue fans to the defense here.

[Sig79]

to be picky. He didn't lube his thread gages before using them. That causes wear on the pitch diam.

[FNP45TACTICAL]

Good VALUE? No. Good stuff? Quality components and well built accurate guns? Yes. Absolutely.

[sd_shooter]

I love Larue stuff. Fit & finish always excellent.

[acaligunner]

Oh boy .... Larue fans to the defense here.

I'm a Colt man myself