Front gas block canted - Range update p3

[mnhornet]

It should take little more than loosening the 3 set screws on the bottom of the block, and straightening it up. It should have 3 indentations
for the set screws to pilot in and align the gas port. The indentations should be at 6:00

[Siringo]

CAUTION -- that gas block is securely glued in place with loctitle ---- OR at least it was when Bushmaster made them. With Remington in the game -- maybe not.

When I removed mine -- it took a lot of heat.

[mnhornet]

CAUTION -- that gas block is securely glued in place with loctitle ---- OR at least it was when Bushmaster made them. With Remington in the game -- maybe not.

When I removed mine -- it took a lot of heat.

That's a bummer. I was planning to take mine off and mill it down to accomodate a rifle length tube.

[bushmeister]

Mine had the same problem and it caused short stroking. I pulled the set screws, and used a flashlight to visually allign the holes with the indentations in the barrel for the set screws. There was no loctite, but when I called BM, it was recommended to use blue loctite on the set screws. That's what I did, and it's been perfect since.

[Hoot]

LocTite is not the end of the world. It's just a complication.

Step 1) loosen set screws and see if it's indeed LocTited.

If not, take the screws all the way out and visually align it to the witness divots. Put one of the screws back in and snug it up while watching the witness marks through the other holes. Repeat. Put the final screw back in and then tighten them them all up skipping from one to another as you lay on the torque.

If it is, get a torch as a backup to a heat gun and I don't mean your wife's blow dryer. You should have one or both. If you don't, you're spending too much money on guns and not enough on tools. Borrow one from a friend.

Step 2 Heat the block gently until it gets hot. It may take a while as first the block will wick away heat from the surface until it is saturated, then the barrel will join in the fun. Eventually it'll be hot throughout. With a gloved hand, try rotating it. If it doesn't budge apply more heat. Repeat. The idea here is to use just enough heat to get the job done. We're not silver soldering here. If over time, you feel that the heat gun doesn't have enough starch in it's shorts to do the job, switch to the torch. Brush the flame around, all over the block to try to get the heat evenly distributed. At some point, you may not be able to grab it with a gloved hand without damaging the glove. If it's that one you left laying around wet and it already smells skanky,, no big deal. If you see any visual clue that the surface treatment is changing, you're using too much heat and the issue goes beyond LocTite or you just need more rotational torque to break it free. Now it get tricky as you need a grasping device that though firm, will not mar the block's surface. I sometime use a couple of shards of leftover hardwood from some project, sandwiched between a squeeze clamp or battery pliers. Figure it out.

If and when it releases it's hold, don't just go off and rotate it repeatedly around the barrel. The holes may have burrs and can scratch or gouge the finish beneath it. tap it forward, off the raised area with a drift hammer and if you don't have one, then a piece of hardwood and hammer. While everything's hot, try wiping off any excess LocTite. IMHO, using LocTite is a bandaid to poor fit, loose tolerance, wrong part, or worst of all lack of patience and knowledge of specs and proper procedure. Whatever... Once it has cooled enough to handle, go back to Step 1

Also IMHO, the absolutely worse thing to do is send it back to an already constipated factory to have them do what you can do yourself and skip the month's wait and shipping costs.

Ask questions. We have all benefited from each others experiences.

Hoot

[teamja2]

Well we adjusted the gas block. I did not hear back from bushmaster on the email so I called them and got right through. We talked and he mentioned the gas blocks are held by the allen head screws and the gas block slips on.

The gas block was tight but screws came loose and then I slipped the gas block forward with the gas tube still attached to look at the barrel. Screws originally caught the edge of the hole and peeled the screw holes but not too bad. We centered the holes in the gas block to the barrel indents and the gas tube looked centered in the upper receiver. Toughest part getting it straight. 1 screw in the gas block then balance hacksaw blades on both front sight block and rear receiver to see if they were straight. After many tries we liked it. Second screw in take first one out apply locktite and reassemble then did the same with the second screw and finally last screw. Recheck and it appears straight.

After hoot mentioned reservations about sending it back his reservations resonated and I did not want to send it back. Not a difficult repair just tough to get it straight. Now to test

Ryan

[mnhornet]

Great job, glad it wasn't too difficult. If yours is like mine you will be quite pleased with how consistently accurate it is.

[Texas Sheepdawg]

I'm glad you got it fixed. I agreed with Hoot on not sending it back. I sent a bow back to PSE once and they signed for it when UPS delivered it, but they apparently lost it. After lots of phone calls I finally got to talk to Pete Shepley and he next day Air shipped me a bow Twice as nice as the one that they lost for my trouble. I would bet my best Don Hume holster that Remington would NEVER match that kind of customer service on any product.

[Siringo]

So -- the gas block was not loctited on? That is a change.

[teamja2]

No locktite at all. Once the screws were backed out I could move the gas block by hand.