Carter
Member
I had a lower put together by a gunsmith and he staked the castle nut by deforming the threads on the buffer tube. Does that work? I staked a different lower myself and never heard of this method before.
odd way of staking castle nut
- Thread starter Carter
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ApacheCoTodd
member
That's goofy and puts him in the "Suspect" category.
Should be staking the nut to the receiver end plate which is otherwise "captured" by the receiver.
Todd.
Should be staking the nut to the receiver end plate which is otherwise "captured" by the receiver.
Todd.
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Jackal
Member
Well, it wont come off thats for sure...
youre only deforming 2-3 threads at most.....itll keep the castle nut in place, but with a some muscle, you should be able to get the castle nut off no problem, the nut will chase the threads as you screw it over the staking.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
I have to agree here. Not that smashing a few threads won't work and I believe the castle nut or receiver extension nut with some force will chase the threads but it just seems a bit hokey to me for want of a better word. There is a right and wrong way to stake the nut and smashing a few threads just does not set well with me as good workmanship or a good work habit. Will it work? I guess yes, it will work.
Just My Take
Ron
matrem
Member
The only reason to stake it is to ensure it doesn't loosen.
If that can be every bit as well accomplished without damaging threads (as in post 3), why would anyone choose to?
End plates and castle nuts are quite inexpensive, not to mention you could stake them numerous times before having to shell out the $20. to replace.
A shooting buddy uses blue Loctite, and that's rather easily removed as well.
No reason I see to damage threads.
If that can be every bit as well accomplished without damaging threads (as in post 3), why would anyone choose to?
End plates and castle nuts are quite inexpensive, not to mention you could stake them numerous times before having to shell out the $20. to replace.
A shooting buddy uses blue Loctite, and that's rather easily removed as well.
No reason I see to damage threads.
"... it's not immediately clear how one could easily clean up those threads enough to ever take the stock off..."
If there was a picture I missed it, but in general you can use a triangular needle file to remove whatever material is above the correct thread surface. If I'm picturing what happened here correctly, you could then reuse the buffer tube w/o problems, because the damaged section wouldn't be bearing any load when the buffer/castle nut were reinstalled (and staked correctly).
But I agree, not the right way to do it.
If there was a picture I missed it, but in general you can use a triangular needle file to remove whatever material is above the correct thread surface. If I'm picturing what happened here correctly, you could then reuse the buffer tube w/o problems, because the damaged section wouldn't be bearing any load when the buffer/castle nut were reinstalled (and staked correctly).
But I agree, not the right way to do it.
Zerodefect
member
You just use a punch to deform the threads a little in the castle nuts notch.
It works well. And the threads will straighten back out when you remove the nut. At least they'll straighten out enough. They'll still be a little messed up. It will require far less force to remove than the standard Colt style staking.
Us mechanics use this method often when we can't use safety wire on a removable bolt and nut. On small bolts, or all threaded rod, I just pinch with a pair of dikes to deform the threads enough so that if the nut loosens, it'll stop at the mess. And it won't fall into my 4160 volt switchgear.
I generally prefer red locktite. Any decent map gas torch will defeat that.
It works well. And the threads will straighten back out when you remove the nut. At least they'll straighten out enough. They'll still be a little messed up. It will require far less force to remove than the standard Colt style staking.
Us mechanics use this method often when we can't use safety wire on a removable bolt and nut. On small bolts, or all threaded rod, I just pinch with a pair of dikes to deform the threads enough so that if the nut loosens, it'll stop at the mess. And it won't fall into my 4160 volt switchgear.
I generally prefer red locktite. Any decent map gas torch will defeat that.
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Carter
Member
When I went to pick it up it wasn't staked at all and he said he usually doesn't because it's such a pain to remove. Guess I know why now. He didn't use a vise and at first I thought maybe he was just skilled enough to free hand it. Upon inspection I didn't see any staking and when I asked where he did it I was thoroughly confused. Local PD trusts him enough to fiddle with their P90s though.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Mercy!
The guy owes you a new buffer tube and nut!!!
That's just wrong right there!
(Red Locktight? And a MAPP gas torch to get it off??
That's just wrong right there too!!)
The way Colt did it!
And they know how to do it right.
Rc
The guy owes you a new buffer tube and nut!!!
That's just wrong right there!
(Red Locktight? And a MAPP gas torch to get it off??
That's just wrong right there too!!)
The way Colt did it!
And they know how to do it right.
Rc
Run it as is.
If you change your mind, buffer tubes are cheap.
My Stag build is on 5th or 6th year, I didn't stake the nut, has never come loose.
Blue Loctite works, and you don't need much (it can be pretty darn tough to remove sometimes).
Red? No need.
I only use red when doing Jeep lift kits, and I can break that free, usually without heat.
Takes some oomph though.
On AR's I use a good combo wrench, not the little cheapy with 3 tabs that's like $5. Don't use the single pin and hook either.
Clean parts and some elbow grease, my last two haven't come loose, no Loctite either.
If they do, maybe then I'll stake them.
Just coyote duty rigs.
Past builds where I did stake? Endplate spot designed for it.
If you change your mind, buffer tubes are cheap.
My Stag build is on 5th or 6th year, I didn't stake the nut, has never come loose.
Blue Loctite works, and you don't need much (it can be pretty darn tough to remove sometimes).
Red? No need.
I only use red when doing Jeep lift kits, and I can break that free, usually without heat.
Takes some oomph though.
On AR's I use a good combo wrench, not the little cheapy with 3 tabs that's like $5. Don't use the single pin and hook either.
Clean parts and some elbow grease, my last two haven't come loose, no Loctite either.
If they do, maybe then I'll stake them.
Just coyote duty rigs.
Past builds where I did stake? Endplate spot designed for it.
4thPointOfContact
Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2007
- Messages
- 852
Your gunsmith? Well, ummm... he isn't.
AR-15Nutt
Member
I had a lower put together by a gunsmith and he staked the castle nut by deforming the threads...
that guy is no gunsmith, he is a hack of the worst kind, you may have to buy another ext. tube if you ever plan on changing stocks.
MachIVshooter
Member
I don't stake mine. I just apply German torque (guttentight)
carbine85
Member
For most of us the nut doesn't have to be staked. If it's torqued correctly it won't come loose. I don't stake mine simply because I want to be able to take things apart more easily.
However your was not staked properly.
However your was not staked properly.
horsemen61
Member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2011
- Messages
- 6,755
I would look to other sources to work on your gun
AR-15Nutt
Member
THIS: ""I don't stake mine. I just apply German torque (guttentight)""
AND THIS: ""For most of us the nut doesn't have to be staked. If it's torqued correctly it won't come loose.""
TO THE OP, you need to learn to be your own AR gunsmith, the AR-15/M4 and clones are not rocket science, they are just common tools of our trade.., "fun with guns".
...
AND THIS: ""For most of us the nut doesn't have to be staked. If it's torqued correctly it won't come loose.""
TO THE OP, you need to learn to be your own AR gunsmith, the AR-15/M4 and clones are not rocket science, they are just common tools of our trade.., "fun with guns".
... TO THE OP, you need to learn to be your own AR gunsmith, the AR-15/M4 and clones are not rocket science, they are just common tools of our trade.., "fun with guns".
That's too logical. It must be wrong.
M
I'm not taking mine into battle, and I make sure I check it every once in a while, so I agree, I didn't stake mine.
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