AR carrier key staking (comparison)

[gotm4]

These are the AR carriers I had in our shop at the time. Of the brands listed I would only consider the Colt and LMT 'proper' staking. Everything else should be restaked with a MOACKS tool by Ned Christiansen. Or at least by using a hammer and punch/chisel moving some metal into the carrier key screws. When the keys shoot loose the AR becomes a single shot or worse as it can try to feed a live round with an empty still in the upper.

Colt






LMT/current S&W use LMT manufactured bolt carrier groups (non-Performance Center models)






STAG/CMT/early S&W (non-Performance Center models)






Bushmaster






Rock River Arms

 

[El Tejon]

got, thank you very much for posting these images. When I have mentioned staking in the past, people had no clue what I was talking about.

THR rocks.