Removing flash hider from AR Question #2

[huntingsocal]

Searched this forum first and didn't find anything so if it is posted already I apologize.

Youtube results were questionable so I'm coming here for some reliable advice.

Want to change out my flash hider for a muzzle brake which just came in the mail.

Do I need an upper vice block? A barrel vice block? Recommendations?

I've got an armorer's wrench and lower vice block so wondering what I should get to do this properly.

Thanks!

[SilentPea]

The A2 flash hider on my RRA upper spun off really easily just by clamping the upper on the rail&bottom surfaces in a vise and a normal 6" wrench.(You can use a little bit of blue-tape or paper to prevent scratching -- wasn't necessary for mine)

If it was an A2 upper, I could have just held the upper between my knees to get it off. I had the flattop and a vise though, so I took the extra 30 seconds to clamp it down.

Plenty of horror stories about people trying to break a pinned/welded hider off their rifles so double check that. Also, if at any point you think it is requiring an unreasonable amount of force -- get the vise blocks, the rod type mount (http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=1804), or take/send it to Randall AR-15 barrels.

[buellster]

The barrel should be held while removing a FH. I use wood blocks in a vise. If you hold it by the upper receiver, there's a possiblity you can shear off the barrel alignment pin. Ask me how I know.

[huntingsocal]

^ ouch, thanks for the tip

Just regular pieces of wood or do you route them out or anything to contour to the barrel?

[Gunsmith Dan]

Yes and don't try to force it to much, if it will not loosen then it has a thread locking glue put on it.

[CaptMike]

You can probably use the two blocks without modification to hold the barrel since most flash hiders come off fairly easily. Routing a channel that is slightly smaller than the barrel into the wood blocks would work better since it would allow a better hold of the barrel. I ended up buying a set of aluminum blocks because of one flsh hider that was really tough. The wood blocks had worked fine for the other 25 flash hiders I had worked on previosly. It should come out faily easily. Good luck

[caver.257]

Make sure your barrel length is at least 16". Barrels that are under that length are pinned so there's no way to get off the flash hider.

[huntingsocal]

Ok turns out that was way easier than expected. Before putting it in the vice with wood blocks we thought we'd give it a shot the easy way first and my buddy just held the upper receiver and the hand guard and I held the barrel and used the armorer's wrench and it came off easily.

Thanks for all the advice

So question number two has to do now with putting on the brake and the crush washer.

So when I put the crush washer on and thread the brake on when it "bites" there is still about a 45 degree or so turn left before the brake will be flush where it is supposed to be.

From reading and watching it seems like I just need to torque it until it is aligned (indexed?) properly and that the crush washer is designed this way with a certain amount of give

Just want to make sure I'm on the right track before I give it a go.

thanks again

first AR build and glad to have a resource like calguns to guide me through

[ar15barrels]

From reading and watching it seems like I just need to torque it until it is aligned (indexed?) properly and that the crush washer is designed this way with a certain amount of give

yes.