Removing AR15 flash hider

G

Geezerbiker

New member
Like I said before I'm tapped out for gun money. If I can't do this with the tools I have, I just might put if off for a few months and pay a gunsmith to swap it out. It shouldn't take a pro more than 30 minutes to do the job.

Tony
 
J

jetinteriorguy

New member
I’ve always just laid the rifle on its side and held it down while popping the flash hider off and while torquing down a muzzle brake. Never gave it a second thought, got lucky I guess. If I worked on my AR’s a lot I’d definitely get a reaction rod.
 
G

Geezerbiker

New member
I got tired of waiting for a reply from PSA that might never come so this is what I did.

I started by measuring the OD of the barrel. It came out .75" so I thought no problem, I have drill bits that size. Next I cut some scrap hardwood I had laying around. I ended up with 2 pieces 4.5 x 2 x 3/4" thick. I camped them together with a section of cardboard in between and took it to my drill press. To make a long story shorter, I ended up with a hole roughly .74". I put one side down on my workbench, sat my rifle in the upward facing half-round and then clamped the other down over the top. I ended up with my rifle facing me suspended by the barrel. I took a 3/4" open end wrench to the flash hider and it came off easy peazy.

The new muzzle brake came with a matching stainless crush washer. Calling it a crush washer to me seems all wrong. It's more of a thick belleville washer and a really tough one too. I had a witch of a time getting the muzzle brake straight. If I could live with it 10 degrees out, it would have been a lot less work. I'd clamp it and it would rotate the rifle in the block. I'd loosen the camp and rotate the rifle back and retry. It took 5 or 6 tries but it looks strait and the rifle is now long enough that when it sits in my safe, it contacts the barrel support so it doesn't fall back.

That's my story and I'm sticking too it...

Tony
 
G

Geezerbiker

New member
Unfortunately I was wrong by about a half inch about it hitting the barrel rest in my safe, that was just a guess and not a good one.

From my mechanic's experience, I'd say the flash hider came off with around 10 foot pounds of torque but it took a little more than 2x that to get the muzzle brake lined up properly. Fortunately I was able to use a 3/4" open end wrench to take off the flash hider and a 7/8" wrench to put on the muzzle brake.

I'm going to see if the butt plate comes off and maybe put a half inch spacer under it if I can. I'm kinda tall and I've had very few rifles that I felt were really had enough pull length. So another half to an inch would be welcome...

I might post some pictures later on after I sort out my web hosting...

Tony
 
G

Geezerbiker

New member
It's an A2 style stock but I don't remember the brand. I looked it over and it's doable but I would have to be able to custom drill a longer allen head bolt where it screws into the buffer tube. I found and easier solution... One, live with the length and 2 put a wood block under it so it sits higher in the safe.

I won't be able to get out to shoot it until at least next week. I hopefully will have good things to report...

Tony
 
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