Gunsmith on Vancouver Island?

Scocou

Scocou

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Hi Group;
Can anyone direct me to a good 'smith on Vancouver Island? I need to have an AR15 FSB replaced with a railed gas block. Unfortunately the flash hider has been soldered on, I assume for State-side excursions. No biggie since I want to swap out for a muzzle break anyhow, but I'd rather pay someone to do it than risk botching the job. Closer to Campbell River would be better, but an experienced AR 'smith would make distance less of an issue than a hack-job smithie screwing my LMT :D. Thanks for any advice, cheers!
 
Check out Pullens, just outside of Victoria. Really nice little shop with strange hours of operation.
 
Scocou said:
Hi Group;
Can anyone direct me to a good 'smith on Vancouver Island? I need to have an AR15 FSB replaced with a railed gas block. Unfortunately the flash hider has been soldered on, I assume for State-side excursions. No biggie since I want to swap out for a muzzle break anyhow, but I'd rather pay someone to do it than risk botching the job. Closer to Campbell River would be better, but an experienced AR 'smith would make distance less of an issue than a hack-job smithie screwing my LMT :D. Thanks for any advice, cheers!
Click to expand...

Um??? You are going to remove the pinned FSB on a Tier 1 AR-15 for a screw on or clamped on part???:confused:
 
sparrow said:
Um??? You are going to remove the pinned FSB on a Tier 1 AR-15 for a screw on or clamped on part???:confused:
Click to expand...
Yeah I am, so what's your point?

I want a receiver-rail plane gas block to use my favorite sights, which happen to be of the same-plane variety.

If you could suggest an alternate solution, that would be helpful.

I have no intention of installing 2+ feet of picatinny rail to mount a 1" front sight (tacicool poseur territory).

The MI gas block I will install is not likely to embarrass me... no matter what tier (?) the rifle is.

Thanks for the uhh... input though.
 
The MI gas blocks, while well made still use screws on the bottom to hold them in place. Even with a dimple on the barrel and loc-tite these screws come loose and move the gas block out of alignment and cause reliability issues. So while the appearance of the gas block may not be cause for concern, the overall reliability of you rifle is reduced. Further, unless you are using a Hubble telescope there is plenty of room to mount your favorite optic and the FSB will not interfere with the view. At days end it's your gun, your money...but this isn't my first BBQ and the advice is sound.
 
sparrow said:
The MI gas blocks, while well made still use screws on the bottom to hold them in place. Even with a dimple on the barrel and loc-tite these screws come loose and move the gas block out of alignment and cause reliability issues. So while the appearance of the gas block may not be cause for concern, the overall reliability of you rifle is reduced. Further, unless you are using a Hubble telescope there is plenty of room to mount your favorite optic and the FSB will not interfere with the view. At days end it's your gun, your money...but this isn't my first BBQ and the advice is sound.
Click to expand...

The set screw gas blocks are less secure then the pinned on front sight...this is true, BUT the clamp on style are great. When installed properly they will not move out of alignment and the amount of force required to shift the gas block will wreck your rifle before the block moves.

I used to have your view sparrow...it ain't good enough unless it's pinned. I've seen the light now and have put the clamp on style to the test many times, never failed. This is even more true with the low profile clamp on gas blocks that end up being shrouded by rail systems. Those babies ain't going nowhere!

Check out this review of a clamp on gas block if you are in doubt:

h t t p://www.militarymorons.com/weapons/ar.optics2.html#torque
 
Guntech is a member here, he is a great smith on the Island. Although I do not think he works on AR`s. Call Grandlunds in Campbell River he has a smith that was able to fix a broken firing pin on a rifle that Pullen said was not repairable.
 
angryeyebrows said:
The set screw gas blocks are less secure then the pinned on front sight...this is true, BUT the clamp on style are great. When installed properly they will not move out of alignment and the amount of force required to shift the gas block will wreck your rifle before the block moves.

I used to have your view sparrow...it ain't good enough unless it's pinned. I've seen the light now and have put the clamp on style to the test many times, never failed. This is even more true with the low profile clamp on gas blocks that end up being shrouded by rail systems. Those babies ain't going nowhere!

Check out this review of a clamp on gas block if you are in doubt:

h t t p://www.militarymorons.com/weapons/ar.optics2.html#torque
Click to expand...

That is a clamp on VLTOR gas block, the original poster indicated a MI gas block that uses set screws from the bottom of the block...these end not to be successful...JME...YMMV.

eta:
I have used PRI and Armalite clamp on blocks and neither have been anything I would use as a work tool...they should all be staked at minimum, I expect that a high quality barrel and clamp would mitigate the liability...but for me persoanally a pinned unit is still the way to. Anyway...carry on.
 
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sparrow said:
The MI gas blocks, while well made still use screws on the bottom to hold them in place. Even with a dimple on the barrel and loc-tite these screws come loose and move the gas block out of alignment and cause reliability issues. So while the appearance of the gas block may not be cause for concern, the overall reliability of you rifle is reduced. Further, unless you are using a Hubble telescope there is plenty of room to mount your favorite optic and the FSB will not interfere with the view. At days end it's your gun, your money...but this isn't my first BBQ and the advice is sound.
Click to expand...
Hey I didn't mean to come across like a douche (but did), just didn't know if you had a point... ;) I see you do, and a valid one at that. The advice is sound, just was absent from your first post :p.

My problem is that the sights I intend to use are not compatible with an A2 sight post, they are ~1/8" lower. I would certainly use just the rear unit in conjunction with the factory FSB if this was an option.

I considered getting a riser to lift the rear unit but they (risers) seem to all be too tall. What you say about the MI block will make me go back to the drawing board, there is likely another option out there. The obvious solution is a railed fore-end, I just can't bring myself to do it - I'd rather sell the sights and move on.

Sincerely, thanks for the advice, I will take it under consideration.

Cheers
 
Thad said:
Guntech is a member here, he is a great smith on the Island. Although I do not think he works on AR`s. Call Grandlunds in Campbell River he has a smith that was able to fix a broken firing pin on a rifle that Pullen said was not repairable.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I will give Karl a call, if his guy can't help I'll send it to ATR or TSE.

Cheers!
 
Like Angry said mate...use the clamp on ones then...just make sure the initial install is spot on and ensure you stake or at minimum mark the screws...if you look at pics of some of my guns they all have yellow grease pen markings so I can visually check screws during a course...looks dumb but saves you from being "that guy".
 
sparrow said:
Like Angry said mate...use the clamp on ones then...just make sure the initial install is spot on and ensure you stake or at minimum mark the screws...if you look at pics of some of my guns they all have yellow grease pen markings so I can visually check screws during a course...looks dumb but saves you from being "that guy".
Click to expand...
Yep, I copy - couldn't care less about looking dumb, never want to be "that guy" :D. Seems to be a lack of extra height (receiver-plane) railed blocks in the clamp-on (or any) variety. I will dig a little deeper and if worse comes to worst will turf my beautiful HK drum and get some other unit.
Thanks again, cheers!
 
just remember, Sparrow will never say "Told you so"................... oh wait, yes he will ;)





and yeah he did tell me so.




a few times






and yeah he's kinda right, but I still prefer the look of my rifle without the stupid big ass front sight on it.
 
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