Loose Barrel on Stag 2HT

[Winston_Smith]

I had my AR out the other night for some dry fire and noticed that the barrel felt loose. I could hold the upper receiver with one hand, the front sight base with the other hand, and wiggle....

I took off the hand guards and found the barrel nut to be loose. The rifle came from Stag complete and I cant figure out how the barrel nut managed to work loose while the gas tube was still in place.

Anyone else experience this?

I guess it is time to buy a torgue and barrel wrench....

 

[Z-Michigan]

The rifle came from Stag complete and I cant figure out how the barrel nut managed to work loose while the gas tube was still in place.

The answer is right before you. I assume you're being too polite to state it outright.

 

[taliv]

you buy it this year?

 

[Winston_Smith]

No, it is a few years old. It has over 1K rounds through it since I bought it. If this problem existed the entire time, my powers of observation have really let me down.

 

[lobo9er]

i would call stag arms tomarrow. i'm sure it was a pretty penny and i would hope they would help you out. could that be potentially dangerous?

 

[Winston_Smith]

Is the roll pin in the front sight base the only thing that holds the gas tube in place? I took the pin out but the gas tube does not want to slip out.

 

[MrCleanOK]

That pin is the only thing holding it in there. Hit it with some WD-40 and it should come out with the right mojo.

 

[GunTech]

Are you trying to pull the tube so you can tighten the thrust nut? Just slip the whole front sight off, put a wrench on the nut, and tighten to spec.

 

[Winston_Smith]

Thanks for the replies. The wiggle source looks like the slop between the barrel pin and the size of the cut out on the receiver. Is a little play between the two normal?



I was able to snug the barrel nut down with my hand and the wiggle went away. It took a half notch to snug it up (the peak after the original valley position is now lined up with the gas tube hole in the receiver). After looking at the components (for the first time) it seems that there should NOT be any movement after slipping the barrel/barrel extension into the receiver and the nut should just keep the barrel from falling out (not rotating). I still need to get a wrench and torgue it down a 1/2 notch.

 

[otrman]

I don't see any damage from the pics you posted. Be sure to grease the threads before to install the nut. Proper procedure is to torque nut to 30 ft/lbs and loosen 3 times on the 3rd time to 30 ft/lbs keep going until next hole lines up for gas tube, torque on barrel nut is supposed to be between 30 to 80 ft/lbs. Most I've built would line up in the 40 to 50 ft/lb range, just to give you and idea.

 

[GunTech]

ortman beat me to it. Just follow his instructions and you will be GTG.

 

[otrman]

Almost forgot. Be sure to remove the barrel from the receiver and clean the barrel extension and inside the receiver real good. Apply a thin coat of grease to the barrel extension as well.

 

[Winston_Smith]

Thanks for the tips guys. I will give it a good bath over the next few days while I wait for the tools to arrive. I have some choke grease I will put on the barrel extension and the receiver threads.

Once I get the tools, I may have to attempt an upper build from scratch

 

[MrCleanOK]

I forgot to mention, if your barrel has too much room to twist in the receiver, you can peen the upper to narrow down the notch. Doesn't look like yours is loose enough to need this though.

 

[otrman]

Once I get the tools, I may have to attempt an upper build from scratch

About to get another one hooked. I believe AR's are more addicting than crack. It's a no win situation, you have never built an upper because you didn't have the tools, once you have them you will HAVE to build one. Just pure evil.

 

[Gary G23]

My LMT upper came with a loose barrel.

 

[DougW]

Be careful to get the pin centered in the groove if the groove is a bit enlarged. You might cant the barrel to one side or the other, and you may not be able to compensate with the rear sight.