drill bolt carrier for charging nandle

[the_tunaman]

They make make special fluids just for this stuff.. Good ol' Rapid tap is my favorite due to how well it works and it don't stink up the shop. although I do have a bottle of Anchor lube that works extremely well on hardened materials it's just messy stuff.

Rapid Tap is the best! Funny, I haven't seen anyone mention it in years, but it works magic.

[Bullets&Whitewalls]

Wow way to encourage someone who wants to get something done! (Fun costs money) Love how everyone's quick to criticize but short on advise to help. As far as the WD40.... well hate to break it to ya, but I machined THAT from scratch on THAT machine using WD40! Just trying to help someone out by offering what humble advise I can in the presence of such clear masters... (you can tell he only taps one or two holes at a time)... and yes, unfortunately I know how to tap... this site sucks, I won't be coming back. Have fun with your ARs!

There was a lot of good advice givin in this thread if you slow down and read it again. The fact is we all wish we could just build it all ourselves in our garages and shops but the truth is a mans got to know his limitations of what is doable with basic knowledge. And tooling.

[kcstott]

Wow way to encourage someone who wants to get something done! (Fun costs money) Love how everyone's quick to criticize but short on advise to help. As far as the WD40.... well hate to break it to ya, but I machined THAT from scratch on THAT machine using WD40! Just trying to help someone out by offering what humble advise I can in the presence of such clear masters... (you can tell he only taps one or two holes at a time)... and yes, unfortunately I know how to tap... this site sucks, I won't be coming back. Have fun with your ARs!

Comparing the use of WD40 on a machinable chunk of steel or aluminum whatever the hell that is in the pic to the use of WD40 to tap a piece of hardened steel. just shows how green you are, and I'm not trying to be condescending, belittling or insulting, I'm just trying to prevent another member from following ignorant advice wasting their time an money screwing up good tools with crappy advice.

Don't believe me pull out your BCG and try that center punch on the tail end where it won't hurt anything. see if the BC don't flatten the punch.

WD40 is a great cutting fluid... For aluminum and pretty much nothing else.

And if you think that a oil or a tool is subject to the same cutting forces and pressures involved in face milling as compared to taping. well kid you have a long way to go and a lot of chip to make.

[kendog4570]

I have never done an M16 BC, but have many many glass hard Mauser's, Springfield's, and 1917's. Straight flute carbide (=$$$) bit should drill it with no problem. Then the hole gets annealed for tapping without ruining the rest of the receiver. Not sure if one could do it to a spec bolt carrier, or if that material would behave. I have never tried to do this exact operation, but someone out there is getting it done, as there are a few out there. Maybe thread milling in automated equipment?? Maybe D&T prior to heat treatment? Low temp soldering of a threaded insert sounds like a viable way of getting it done by us onesies & twosies gun mechanics. The devil is always in the details...

[kcstott]

Ken
Yeah I would wager to guess that 99.9% are done prior to heat treating. Just makes sense if you are the manufacturer.

That said with the proper tooling and equipment it can be done on a one off basis it's just really frigging tooling intensive.
Either with carbide drills and taps or with a EDM sinker and a orbiting function to burn the thread. There are companies out there that do nothing but and make tooling for nothing other than hardened machining. "Hard turning" "Hard Milling" it's an art all it's own.

Thats if the BC is through hardened, I've got a really old print that calls out a .010".015" case depth. if that is how they are still made today. it would take a carbide endmill to cut through the case and then you could drill and tap with better then conventional tooling but the carbide drill and tap you don't need.
If however they through hardened it well that puppy is rock hard.

8620 is a neat steel it can be heat treated via case hardening or through hardened with equally good results.

[kendog4570]

I could put a hole in it real easy like with my Victor Smoke-Tap!

[Bullets&Whitewalls]

I could put a hole in it real easy like with my Victor Smoke-Tap!

I like that! I can add that to the list, Victor wrench always gets a good laugh too.

[kcstott]

I like that! I can add that to the list, Victor wrench always gets a good laugh too.

Hot Wrench, Mines made by Victor as well, Mine and my dads, I have a duplicate set now that he ain't around anymore, set i learned on years ago.

[MotoFahren]

You could just buy one

https://www.rainierarms.com/young-mfg-national-match-bolt-carrier-group-w-side-charger

[Whiterabbit]

Dunno, for a weekend warrior I'm really thinking soldering an insert would be reasonable. 96-4 solder or maybe even 94-6.

[Bullets&Whitewalls]

Dunno, for a weekend warrior I'm really thinking soldering an insert would be reasonable. 96-4 solder or maybe even 94-6.

Are you talking about a threaded insert for the handle? I have been considering giving it a go myself just to see. And that was my plan as well. I'm confident with the drilling part as I have drilled some pretty hard stuff. I have a mill and lathe so I could probably pull it off. I'll probably make the insert and tig it into the carrier, here's the part I'm unsure of, I know it will have to go pretty far forward on the carrier and welding the insert there is my concern. What if any are the after affects of doing so?

[Whiterabbit]

no idea. If I were considering this I would be using soft solder, 96% tin 4% silver. Not likely to soften the carrier within reason. I'm not sure if the HAZ of a TIG weld in this area would be meaningful or not. TIG sure would be stronger of course. I'm not sure if that is meaningful or not either.

Anyone really worried about it would contract the work out anyways as recommended in a few posts above.

[Bullets&Whitewalls]

no idea. If I were considering this I would be using soft solder, 96% tin 4% silver. Not likely to soften the carrier within reason. I'm not sure if the HAZ of a TIG weld in this area would be meaningful or not. TIG sure would be stronger of course. I'm not sure if that is meaningful or not either.

Anyone really worried about it would contract the work out anyways as recommended in a few posts above.

I'm definitely not against contracting it out if needed. But I could probably buy a side charging bolt already completed and just mill my receiver and be ahead. To be honest I have a completed receiver with a bolt already headed my way. That was only 240 so not bad. Just researching though at this point, if I can do it with the tools I have and the (little knowledge) I have then I might give it a go. I think we will be seeing a lot more in the weeks to come on this topic due to people wanting to avoid registration with gasless bolt action uppers.