Quick Tip: AR-15 Gas Block Alignment
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- Опубликовано: 30 июн 2024
- Brownells Gun Tech™ Caleb Savant shares some nuggets of wisdom about AR-15 gas block alignment. A misaligned gas block is one of the most common causes of malfunctions on AR-15 rifles, but there's good news. It's not difficult to get that gas block properly aligned. With the aid of a cutaway, Caleb explains how the gas port is drilled into the gas block. The gas port in the barrel is actually smaller than the one in the gas block, so a little misalignment between the two isn't a problem. This also means the gas block can be pushed all the way to the barrel shoulder OR left with a smidge of space between it and the shoulder to account for the space normally taken up by the handguard end cap. Either way is fine. The dimpling for the gas block setscrews on the outside of the barrel should always be drilled exactly opposite from the gas port. Are you planning to drill the dimples yourself? Caleb has a valuable tip for you!
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I use a piece of gas line & slide it on the end where it fits in to the bolt carrier. Then put a finger over the end of the barrel.
Leave the chamber open. Leave the gas block snug but not tight, now just blow on the plastic gas line until you hear the most air come through the chamber & tighten down the gas block. Takes about a minute. Works like a charm!
The first AR I did.... I bought a gas block jig but then I saw someone do it a better way (in my opinion). They simply put the gas block in position on the barrel and then used block to mark “where to drill”. Then removed the gas block and used a drill press and drill press vise to hold the barrel in place. The gently “dimple” the barrel. And I really like Brownells suggestion to only dimple the screw location over gas port.
Yes, that is the exact method I use!
I'd love a video about barrel dimpling.
ruclips.net/video/Is1ugNReqqQ/видео.html
I learned the hard way. Two builds had alignment issues at the start
You are right ONLY IF the barrel maker AND the gas block maker places the gas port holes in the same distances from the shoulder (for the barrel) and the rear face (of the gas block). I have encountered where the both had different distances used for their gas holes. For me, the best solution is to use a dimpling jig which indexes the dimple by the use of the bolt that sets into and centered in the gas port which then allows you to center to dimple the barrel. That way, you can be sure that the gas block hole is directly on top of the gas port in the barrel. Also, once the dimple is set, then the second set screw can be removed and the hole's position marked on the barrel. Then you only need to align the dimple jig over that mark to properly dimple the barrel for the second dimple. This takes ALL and any guesswork out and ensures a properly installed gas block.
Another great vid, Caleb. Really appreciate the no nonsense approach to these vids.
Thank you for making this simple. Great video
Great info & vid. Short & to the point. Thank you Sir
I always use a spaghetti noodle to align my blocks.
Works every time!
How do you use it?
@@gg9xfrx4m30 I see... I'll try that next time
@@gg9xfrx4m30 I was going to use a toothpick that I scored down so it would break easier, but will definitely try this out instead. Clever!
Great tip.
A graphite mechanical pencil "lead" works just as well.
Awesome! Appreciate you giving much needed clarity to the subject.
Thanks for watching!
I have a pistol that kicks like a mule no room for an adjustable gas block I simply misaligned it a little bit to tame it down a bit 🤠👍
Ive used that trick also
Caleb.....You make the best videos.....Thanks for your service.....You're a true American patriot......
New guy getting into the AR thank you for this info.
This was a very instructional video,thanks a lot!
Thank you for watching!
Parallax Tactical (when they were still in business) used to sell their gas blocks with the peep hole at the top. Just place the gas block on the barrel and drop a roll punch through the peep hole into the gas port on the barrel and tighten the set screws. Perfect alignment every time. Takes all the guess work out of gas block alignment. This should be a standard feature for all gas blocks. I would love it if a jig was developed that enabled the user to drill this peep hole into a gas block that didn’t already offer this feature.
Matt - Brownells sells little plastic sticks for this purpose, but I’ve also seen someone use a short piece of uncooked spaghetti.
Very good information. Thanks
Very helpful. Thank you!
Thank you for this.
...I feel much better now, having seen this...I used a straightedge to align the gas port to the block..back it up to the journal in the barrel...
When’s the sideburns alignment video coming out? 🤣
I would watch that video!!
You use your earlobes
very informative thank you
Excellent video bud
This video was perfect. Was worried because I put my gas block all the way to the shoulder.
When I put together an AR, I put the gas tube into the gas block and then slide everything on the barrel and into the receiver. I almost tighten the screws then put a length of rubber hose over the gas tube inside of the receiver. I position the gas block close to the position I think it should go and then I blow through the hose and listen to the air escaping and by the resistance I feel blowing through it I find the best place to tighten the screws. I put Rocksett on the screws one at a time and tighten each. I had a gas block and rifle that just wouldn’t work until I did this.
Great video, good explanation. Can you show us how to align the sight base on an A2 gas block...?
@@gg9xfrx4m30 I've made a jig to align gas block and a drill guide that works well...I was just looking for how a gunsmith would do it.
Send it to ADCO they're the AR barrel wizards.
Helpful video!
Caleb, Thanks! This was very timely as I am about to do my first upper build. I have watched YT vids on how to do this with straw and even spaghetti (no kidding) but not one of them pointed out that there is a dimple on the barrel that lines up with the port. So simple!
Good video.
I usually plug the chamber with an empty shell casing then blow through the barrel to estimate the amount of air coming out of the gas port valve and to maximize the air flow slowly move the gas port until you feel the best air flow coming out of the gas port valve then secure the gas valve with the set screws and your done!😉
oscar ostolaza..... Real men use a Live Cartridge
LOL
That one of i ways to check bolt carrier function safely , use shop air pressure (130-150 psi) with rubber tip blowgun before installing flash hider if it cycles yr good to take to range n test fire
I believe Brownells offers a plastic alignment kit that takes the guess work out of it.
great videos
Gas port Genie at Brownells is also very helpful.
Also the nickname of Caleb, shown in this video😎
@@brownells Agree!
Excellent presentation, thank you.
Thanks for watching!
I did something unconventional and it worked out for me. I just plugged the end of the barrel and blew through it and the dimple on my barrel was dead on. You can move the block and know pretty quick if it’s off or not. Set it and retest.
Absolutely - This method works Great!
Great tip. I'm trying this right now. Thanks
I havent dimpled my barrel mostly because its a pencil barrel and ive got less room to mess it up lol. My handguard fully covers my gas system so im not real worried about it misaligning over time.
A nice 3-4 piece jig set to clamp on, align and dimple would be handy
Installing a gas block is stupid easy. If you need a jig to do it, maybe you should have someone else do it for you.
@Sic Semper Tyrannis Check out BRD Engineering. They have the jigs you seek.
One problem I’ve run across lately with home builders is the dimple is too deep damaging barrel making it unsafe
That's crazy, I sometimes get nervous when I see the drilled portion for the A2 sight retention pin. That thing looks deep. It's hard to imagine someone drilling the dimple even to that depth.
It blows my mind that this is an issue for people, dimple or not. This is just about the simplest part of an upper build. Oh well, to each his own.
when building my ar the gas block was the only thing i didnt feel confident enough to do it myself haha
I have a 5 inch barrel. I was wondering what's the best gas block and tube to get to build a 556 pistol
I have never seen a gas block port that large. Granted, I haven't seen a lot of them (mostly adjustable), but the ones I have seen are only a tiny bit larger than the port in the barrel. I have a Superlative Arms adjustable gas block (Part# SABO-DI-750CM) on my AR and the small port on the block does not align with the barrel (Daniel Defense 07-078-09136-018) when the block is up against the journal shoulder. So, do your own homework and break out the caliper. And if you're using a clamp-on block or a barrel that isn't dimpled, the Gas Block Genie comes in handy.
Is it safe to cut the "ears" off of an A2 gas block sight if you stay above the gas port?
Yes. People do it all the time.
Yeah, go for it.
Yup, you can cut off the front sight and turn it into a low profile gas block. Just be careful not to take off too much
Thanks for the responses! The hacksaw and Dremel are going into action this evening.
Yup
People did it all the time before low profile gas blocks were a common thing
The pin hole aligns on the gas block and tube but the gas port does not seem to be aligned . I don’t even see the whole. Would that be an issue?
What about relation between barrel harmonics and (different ways of) installing the gas block?
They are directly proportional. With K being the constant.
On one of my builds I was not able to install the roll pin completely through the second hole before the pin began to flatten out.
I do have a solid installation and the weapon operates properly.
Do you see any problems with leaving it as is or should the pin be replaced?
It’s a stainless steel gas block and I’m not confident of the alignment of the two roll pin holes.
I use a small nail with a snug fit as a slave pin and the roll pin pushes it out as it is being driven in
Bro your haircut is fucking awesome lol
Should I use loctite in the set screws? And blue or red? Thanks!
If my barrel does come barrel dimple does it matter? Can I still use any low profile gas block on a mid length. Ballistic advantage barrel 16inch
Dimpling is designed for regular old screws. But with the new fangled “cupped screws”, does dimpling actually work against you? Cupped screws are designed for a round flat surface.
Good question. I don’t dimple for them… but I’m not a pro
Which direction should the split in the roll pin face that goes thru the gas tube?
How entirely necessary is dimpling? Is it something some good thread locker could do in its place?
Never mind, I found your video on “where to use lock tight and yall answered it there.
You can dimple the first set screw, attach the gas block with the second screw removed, then make a dimple pilot hole where the second screw goes, pull the gas block and dimple it the rest of the way with the correct bit. Essentially using the gas block itself to gauge where the second dimple needs to go.
Took my first AR upper build to the gunsmith. I was not 100% with aligning the gas block. My handguard rail is not aligned with the upper rail and the bolt won't hold open on the last round... 😑😒
I have an ar that's under gassed and I've tried everything I'm so close to CUTTING the buffer spring
But how do i ensure its aligned from right to left instead of forward and back? Is eye ball alignment good enough?
mark the barrel with a pencil through the center of the gas port. Mark the gas block through the center, meaning looking at it like you are looking through the barrel hole. Mark the top of the hole with a vertical line. Now put the gas block on and align the two pencil marks. A good way to double check yourself is to put a foam ear plug in the chamber or plug it with your finger if you can. Then blow into the muzzle while you gently adjust the gas block. You can easily hear when you get maximum air flow through the gas port / gas block. When it's misaligned you can easily hear the difference.
Isn't a pinned gas block stronger?
Why does this gas block have a hole at the top that is totally see through? Is that for demonstration purposes?
Yes, this is a cutaway gasblock.
What would happen if the barrel nut is torqued, either not torqued at all, not torqued enough or over torqued?
Over torqued can effect accuracy, under torqued can come loose and effect accuracy as well as cause a failure to lock.
You can strip threads by over torquing. Supposedly you can shoot it off if not torqued enough, but I don't know how anyone could accomplish that.
@@CalebSavant thank you for your reply
@@chris.3711 thank you for replying
Real quick question I've bilt my first ar and the bolt wont cycle corectly as in the bolts not coming far enough back im assuming I didnt Aline my gasblock or tube corectly besides that anyone else think it could be something else im open to opinions
I spy that AT4 👀
We have no idea what youre talking about...
How deep should the dimple be?
As deep as I get inside your Mom. So, like 14 inches.
Show and explain how to dimple the block.
Just thinking the same thing.
They sell a jig for about $40 to do it yourself. I have one and have done it, it’s simple
Noted, that's a good future video.
@@CalebSavant Lowers are no problem for me, but I've heard too many horror stories about poorly built uppers. I have all the parts for an upper in my living room, and I keep putting it off for that reason. Do some people use rockset in place of dimpling, or do you need to do both..?
@@cmbn.y.7681 Dimpling does offer a bit of mechanical grip, but it's mostly there to align the gas block. With regard to the set screws, they should either have rocksett (high temp, not waterproof) or red loctite (good to about 300 degrees, waterproof) on them.
Quick question, I build at ar but leaks a bit for the gas block roll pin is that normal??? Anyone is having this problem, the ar is running excellent just i don't like the small gas leak🤔🤔😬🤷♂️
Yes this is normal on a new build. Carbon from firing will eventually collect in the gaps and seal it up.
Do you have to dimple?
I highly recommend it.
@@CalebSavant what if the barrel manufacture, say Faxon for example, does not recommend it?
@@johnz6066 Wonder what the reason is? CYA against dopes with drill presses? A clamp style is far better than the dimple.
@@LuvBorderCollies haha that too. In Faxon's case it might have something to do with the salt bath nitride finish on their barrels
@@johnz6066 The nitriding is extremely hard and will eat any drill bit that is not carbide. Faxon does not say "Don't do it", they just don't offer it on production barrels.
Can undercharging when reloading really cause a detonation or damage?
Yes if the powder is under the level of the primer, the primer can ignite the entire top layer of the powder along the whole case and blow the cardridge up since it's burning way too fast. Instead of burning slowly rear to front.
I just dont trust dimpling. Why not just drill and pin?
hey Brownells, Where can I get a hammer for a 2018 colt cobra?
I appreciate you guys offering a technical support phone number
Pin to win, everything else is sub optimal.
I took his advice and my gasblock blew off....🙄
Sounds like you screwed up🤷🏻♂️
Why would they not just standardize it? Machine one side flat to interface with a flat side of the barrel and there would never be an alignment issue. Poor design choice here.
The info about not butting the gas block up to the shoulder is something I've heard from literally a half dozen reputable sources. Your demonstration makes it obvious this is bad advice. That's more than slightly shocking, and also slightly annoying as my first build had nothing but problems and I wonder if that was maybe the case.
When aligning a gas block, would it be okay to use the rear most screw hole as an alignment check prior to install?
If you offset the gas block only enough for a standard handguard cap, you will still get full port opening into the gas block. The centers of the hole will not be aligned, but that does not matter. It is a matter of pressure differential.
@@j.p.1576 Is that why the opening on the gas block is so large, is that it's engineered to allow for those caps?
I'm not sure what the gap was on the upper I assembled, it was a low pro gas block under an alg 15" free float rail. After the initial build it had all sorts of issues with cycling and being under gassed was the only thing we could trace it back to.
What he fails to mention is that it depends on the gas block used. Some are drilled to spec taking the thickness of the handguard cap into consideration. Some are not. Always measure, never guess.
@@brucecamparmament3728 My thought on this would be to turn the gas block 180 degrees and observe the gas port through the set screw hole directly underneath the gas port. That'll let a person visually confirm alignment, and then push back or pull out as necessary. Am I thinking about that right?
@@viewatyourownrisk Not exactly. You are assuming the gas port and the set screw hole are the same distance from the shoulder of the barrel. They "might" be.. They "should" be, but thats still assuming. The only way to really know is to measure the distance of the barrel gas port (center) from the shoulder, and then the distance of the gas block gas port (center) from the back of the gas block. If these numbers are the same then you are good to butt the gas block to the shoulder. Of not, space accordingly. I dont use set screws on any of my builds, I always pin or taper pin, so measuring using this method also works on gas blocks without set screw holes.
You got a pretty mouth boy
damn im fat.. wonder what this dude eats
Not enough! Brownells should give him a raise or buy him some groceries.
"Insert yo momma joke here"
If colt Socom heavy barrel which is not called hammer forged but chrome lined are you soon the centurion one that I have that I have to shoot some 77 otm and see if it’s a sub minute grouping because the regular colt Socom Power always half minutes I’d assume this one is better and will last longer especially with an a heavy duty gas tube. And it be nice if we could have full auto lower receivers like the geissele gas pedal