AR Castle Nut Questions

[BSA1]

Howdy,

I am getting ready to build my first AR stripped lower and have some questions about the Castle Nut.

1. In the videos I have watched all use torque wrench for tightening the Castle Nut. I don't have a torque wrench and find it hard to justify buying a tool that I may only use three or four times tops. So how tight is tight enough when just using a armorer's wrench?

Or should I take it to a gunsmith and have him tighten it to specs?

2. I don't want to stake the Castle Nut. Since this is my first build I want to be able undo it in case I make a mistake or decide to use different parts. Will blue Lock tight work for keeping the Castle Nut from loosing?

3. What do you think of the Armorer's Wrench made by Brownells? For my next build I plan on building the Upper also.

 

[LoonWulf]

I never torque the castle nut its always put on by hand and tight but not cranked. I do check them pretty regularly just like i do the rest of the gun. Only part i actually torque is the barrel nut, and im. Happy with anything over 45 and under 60.

I use a multi tool i got off amazon for bout 30 bucks for most of the stuff. I torque barrel nuts with spaners ive made with longer pins, or crows foot wrenches where applicable....rest of it the tool does just fine.

 

[badkarmamib]

I used a cheap spanner wrench that came with my first build. Like you, I wanted to be able to take it back apart if necessary, so I used blue Loc-Tite. 20 rounds later, my buffer tube was spinning. Now, I stake them. I still use the same wrench, and get it "very snug". If you use a center punch straight down to ding the plate, then angled to "tighten" the castle nut when it folds, it will hold. If you ever need to remove it, use a standard punch to knock the fold back out of the castle nut gap.

 

[BBBBill]

Torque wrenches can be rented from your local auto parts stores, often for no charge. Castle nuts should always be staked.

 

[LoonWulf]

Interesting, ive never had a castle nut back out. Ive only done 5 or so lower builds tho. Ill check mine again....oh i forgot to mention, its worth owning a set of torque wrenches if you do any mechanical work at all. The 150-200 bucks us spend will be worth the headach of miss torqued bolts or making that autoparts store run at 9:30.....if u dont do stuff like that then id just borrow one when u do your upper build.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=1/2+tork+wrenc

 

[BBBBill]

LoonWulf, check the military TM's and you will find that the castle nut is supposed to be staked... always. I've seen a few lower tier (budget) factory builds and home builds with loose receiver extensions traceable to the castle nut. Colt and FN always stake them.
Since the designer, OE manufacturers and the military also call for it, then it is a pretty good bet that there's a reason for it. Now if someone comes up with a different method of attaching/locking the receiver extension into place then that's their baby to deal with.

 

[BSA1]

Thanks for the replies.

Staking the Castle Nut on my first build is going to be a leap of faith in my confidence in the quality of the buffer tube.

I have had other shooters tell me they never stake the Castle Nut on their builds so I am going to have to research it some more.

 

[george burns]

How difficult is it to stake it?

 

[tkroenlein]

Stake it. It peens very easily. badkarmamib described it perfectly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[edwardware]

The real question is how easy it is to unstake it. . . it should be pretty straightforward if necessary.

Also, any good autoparts store will rent a torque wrench for free.

 

[carbine85]

They should always be staked but I wouldn't stake anything until the rifle is broken in, working properly and the way you want it.
I have some that are staked and others are not. My favorite range toy isn't staked and I don't have any problems. My AR9 has come loose and needs to be staked. I just haven't gotten around to it.

 

[LoonWulf]

Bill, Thanks for the heads up. Ill keep that in mind in the future.

 

[fireman 9731]

Stake it. I have had ones come loose before that weren't staked. You can still remove it if you have to and if in the slim chance that you tear something up, the receiver extension plate is cheap and easy to replace. Watch a youtube video on it.