Trouble with a newly build 308 AR10

[LVLAaron]

the wheeler gas tube alignment tool makes checking for a clear path for the gas tube through the barrel nut very easy. if the rod on the tool passes through the the gas tube path is clear. very important that the gas tube is not in contact with anything.

I have that tool and never used it. It's pretty easy to see that the tube is loose in it's resting position and not under any stress.

 

[Richard Coody]

I have that tool and never used it. It's pretty easy to see that the tube is loose in it's resting position and not under any stress.

yes i had it a long time before i used it. i found it much easier to slide the tool into the reciever and check for alignment when timing the barrel nut rather than looking with a light or checking with the gas tube.

different strokes for different folks

 

[mac86951]

Nice to know I will look it up.. and ohh god don't use locktight on the barrel nut..lol

Sorry I see it says barrel extension , for some reason I thought I read receiver extension or some call it a buffer tube either way is correct to me.. I see what your saying and I will have to do some reading on it.. I am planning on building a full length gun soon may come in handy..

Haha, yes no loctite on the barrel nut! Well, not typically, or purple 222 only. I have had a barrel nut loosen and come in contact with the gas tube, which made me soon in circles wondering what happened to accuracy... Alternatively, there are handguards like WOA where the barrel nut is a design that doesn't need indexing for the gas tube; so there's yet another solution to this problem, which then means we have reasons for more tools too.

 

[Richard Coody]

Haha, yes no loctite on the barrel nut! Well, not typically, or purple 222 only. I have had a barrel nut loosen and come in contact with the gas tube, which made me soon in circles wondering what happened to accuracy... Alternatively, there are handguards like WOA where the barrel nut is a design that doesn't need indexing for the gas tube; so there's yet another solution to this problem, which then means we have reasons for more tools too.

yep

that tool came in the wheeler armorors tool kit i bought with the first ar i assembled. i replaced everything in that kit soon after asembling that first ar. just never got around to discarding that tool. one day when assembling an ar i decided to give it.a try. suprisingly i liked it.

all kinds of barrel nuts out there now. proprietary for different handguards. i have never used one of the slotted ones but it seems to be a good idea. i have kind of gotten over my AR addiction. Now it is building accurate bolt guns and i am obsessed with reloading. ARs are fun to build though.

 

[LVLAaron]

Very cold, very windy day. 10-25mph approx. I'm out there with a sleeping bag pulled over me and the back half of the gun breaking in a barrel, but it redeemed itself. Shot a bunch of SMK 168's for the break in and moved onto some Black Hills factory ammo.

First shots with BH 168. - The one flyer is there was a clean/oiled barrel from break-in.

First shots with BH 175:

I'm pretty happy for very windy conditions and having numb fingers.

 

[LVLAaron]

One more interesting tidbit... When I was loading for the original barrel I was noticing round ejector marks on the brass pretty early, 2-3 grains below published maxes. Today, I noticed nothing of the sort, even with some flatt(er) primers on the black hills factory stuff. The flat ones had longer to bake in the chamber while I was setting up aim.

https://i.imgur.com/fTmbMY8.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Dadnern.jpg

 

[Zero333]

I love happy endings.

 

[itengineer.mcse01]

If you do not have an adjustable gas block, install one. Then tune it to were it is just kicking the brass out and not flinging them into oblivion. AR10's are always over gassed and causes accuracy problems. It shrank the groups of my wife's AR10 from well over and inch to 1/2 to 3/4"... And I agree with Jepp2, Do not over tighten the barrel nut. Put in on and go hand tight, then tighten to the next hole for the gas tube.

Edited.. Get a gas block that can be adjusted with the hand guard on.

I just ran into this problem with a brand new Stoner upper. Was ejecting rounds so hard it was tearing out primers and actually taking chunks out of the brass.