I cannot remove the barrel nut on my PSA upper

[Awesomeness_incarnate]

PSA is not returning my calls, e-mail,s or PM's (so far, 1 week).


This has not been my only problem. They botched my order originally & shorted me the 10 P mags I payed for (have them now).

Also i mushroomed out one punch, then bent another knocking out the taper pins on the gas block. After i finally removed the gas block I found that the folks at Palmetto state armory have torqued the barrel nut to Herculese's specs. To clarify what I mean, it has been torqued to a setting past 90 ft/lbs & I cannot remove it without damaging my upper or tearing my vice off my workbench.

Before you ask, yes I have a clamshell style upper action block, vice, & workbench. This is not my first upper, just my first 'problem' upper.

Any advice or help would be wonderful.

Also if anyone from PSA will actually give me the time of day that would be nice.

 

[45bthompson]

I have had this problem before. Usually its because some hack didn't use assembly grease then overtorqued the barrel nut in an attempt to line up a gas tube notch on a barrel that was already to tight. You may have to sacrifice the barrel nut. I have even had to use a combination of clp soaking overnight then heating it up with a torch then using a large pipe wrench with a cheater bar. As long as you have the correct vise block the upper will be ok. Hopefully just soaking it in a penetraiting oil will work for you.

 

[Awesomeness_incarnate]

*sigh* PSA is still ignoring me & my patience is runing out.

Any advice for cutting off the barrel nut?

 

[45bthompson]

Sorry I should have been more clear. I didn't mean cut it off when I said sacrifice it. I just meant that if you use another tool (such as a BIG ass pipe wrench) the barrel nut will be ruined in the process. You will then need to remove the gas block to install a new one.

 

[45bthompson]

By the way why are you removing the barrel?

 

[45bthompson]

Another small piece of advice is if you position your tool parallel to the floor you can use your weight to your advantage. And it will be easier on your vice that way also.

 

[45bthompson]

This should have been posted in the gunsmith section.

 

[crossrhodes]

Same thing here.

I have the same problem with 50% of the DPMS barrels that need to be removed. They told me that they use locktight on their barrel nuts.....WHY???
I think that due to the demand of black rifles and large back log many manufactures have put a lot of under trained people on the assembly line to get stuff out quickly. Customer service, in general, has gone down hill across the board.

 

[dprice3844444]

yea the gas tube keeps it from coming loose

 

[45bthompson]

The barrel can still come loose. The gas tube does not prevent it. I have seen it happen literally hundreds of times.

 

[gunnysmith]

Have you tried using a heatgun or hair dryer on the receiver/nut junction?

 

[dprice3844444]

The barrel can still come loose. The gas tube does not prevent it.

the gas tube passes through the upper receiver and through these curved indentations on the barrel nut preventing it from turning.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

You're no doubt fighting the assembler failing to clean the residue of the anodizing off the threads (pray they didn't use a thread locker as some do).

Try 50/50 acetone/ATF overnight or set in from each end over two nights.

 

[45bthompson]

I am well aware of how an m4 type weapon system is designed. The notched barrel nut does not prevent a barrel from coming loose. It will keep the nut from backing out a complete notch but it will not prevent it from loosening up within the notch that the gas tube resides in. As the weapons system is used and abused the threads wear slightly and eventually a slight amount of play between the barrel and upper reciever will become apparent. Lock tight is a dumb idea as it would break down in high temp anyway. The torque specs given for a barrel are specific in conjunction with the moly grease. LSA is also acceptable per the TM.