Clamp on gas blocks

[LittleOldLady]

Anyone have any experience with clamp on gas blocks?

Any pros or cons and what should I look for in one?


For example Daniel Defense, BCM or VLTOR low profile.

I am looking to upgrade to a free float hand guard.


Thanks in advance!

[LittleOldLady]

Bump

[sl0re10]

you could try the general firearms forum.

[HighLander51]

Try BrianEnos.com in the competition 3 gun forum.

All gas blocks are "clamped on" not sure what you mean by that..

[Mesa Defense]

Clamp on gas blocks

Yes, I have experience with them. Not all gas blocks are clamped. Some are pined, some are held in place via set screws and others are clamped. They all will work fine for most recreational use of the firearms.
The clamp on blocks as good as any other type of mounting solutions for many users. You may want to make sure the particular clamp on type fits / works with the intended handguard
.

Best of luck.

[HighLander51]

Yes, I have experience with them. Not all gas blocks are clamped. Some are pined, some are held in place via set screws and others are clamped. They all will work fine for most recreational use of the firearms.
The clamp on blocks as good as any other type of mounting solutions for many users. You may want to make sure the particular clamp on type fits / works with the intended handguard
.

Best of luck.

Yea, yes, but they are all held on the barrel by these methods.

[mark501w]

I think that's the way I would go. I 've been looking at them from BTE. Seems like you would get a better purchase with a clamp than a set screw.

[LittleOldLady]

Thanks for the info, it is food for thought. I was also thinking of the clamp on, but not sure of its reliability when weighed with a pinned one.

[Son of BAR7]

Clamp on will give you a more secure mechanical interface and less leakage compared to a set screw type. If you want something that will fit within a free floating hand guard you've got a lot of options, YHM and Sadlak make nice ones that are fairly inexpensive.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/462151/yankee-hill-machine-gas-block-low-profile-clamp-on-ar-15-lr-308-standard-barrel-0750-inside-diameter-steel-matte

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/814813/sadlak-low-profile-gas-block-clamp-on-ar-15-lr-308-750-inside-diameter-steel-matte

An advantage to set screw or pinned types is that they auto-locate to some degree (if the barrel is machined for them), so aligning the gas port is easier.

[Jimi Jah]

Try BrianEnos.com in the competition 3 gun forum.

All gas blocks are "clamped on" not sure what you mean by that..

Got that JP aluminum adjustable gas block on my wife's 7.5" AR pistol. It's great for that.

[Zenith]

Clamp on will give you a more secure mechanical interface and less leakage compared to a set screw type. If you want something that will fit within a free floating hand guard you've got a lot of options, YHM and Sadlak make nice ones that are fairly inexpensive.

An advantage to set screw or pinned types is that they auto-locate to some degree (if the barrel is machined for them), so aligning the gas port is easier.

This ^
Clamp-on gas blocks are great for clamping completely around the gas port to prevent any sort of gas leakage in addition to creating a solid mechanical lock-up compared to its set screw and pinned counterparts. Clamp-on gas blocks also typically do not require any sort of gunsmithing to install. Moreover, there are some instances where these gas blocks will not be compatible with some free-float rails if you plan to build a "recce" (where the rail overshoots the gas block).
Some gas blocks, say the set screw versions for example are slightly larger in OD compared to the barrel, so when they are tightened down via the set screw the block actually lifts up from the gas port to some degree which could be an issue for the weapon. And if the barrel is not pre-drilled for the set screw, you could have the issue of the gas block shifting with use. In my opinion, I'd say the best option for a gas block would be a clamp-on version.

[Fate]

I've got a Daniel Defense bolt on block on my Stag. Its been ridden hard and never had a problem. It was an easy upgrade as well.