Ar-15 bolt carrier keys

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gladius 2

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Any CGN AR builders know of the commercial equivalent of the sealant/ adhesive used by the military to seal under the gas key to prevent gas leakage before bolting it down and staking. I am told it is a heat resistant type gasket sealer , I know it is not red lock tite as some questionable builders have told me ?
 
The only military technical manual I have access to is the old Marine Corps TM 05538C-23&P/2 (1984), which was the intermediate level maintenance and repair manual for the M16A2. It does not call for any sealant under the gas key, rather they suggest that shooting a few rounds after torquing and staking the screws will effect a seal. I have put together a few carriers this way and never had a problem.

Edit to add:
I just downloaded the Army M16A2 and M4 Carbine maintenance manual from 1991 and the Marine Corps manual updated to 2008. In the 1991 version the procedure is unchanged from the one I have. In the 2008 one the installation is unchanged, but they don't mention shooting a few rounds to seal it.

If somebody has decided a sealant is needed it must be a new development, or one outside of US military circles. I point out about 15 million AR-15 rifles were built and work fine without it, so I wouldn't worry about it.
 
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Another point of view, I found this in an archived thread on M4carbine.net:

I was curious so I looked it up in my manual (Colt Armorer/Depot Maintenance and Repair Manual, No. CM102 dated 1991) and it spec'd Permatex #3D Aviation form-a-gasket as a sealing compound for the carrier key.
Click to expand...
 
Any high temp engine block gasket marker, don't forget to clean out the gas key hole after. I use a pipe cleaners and scrub it till they come out clean.
 
As I recall from my time in the CF there was an adhesive like sealant that our wpns. techs used when refurbing bcgs. Did not want to use loctite as I don' t think it has the high temp. quality of the stuff that was original spec.
 
gladius 2 said:
As I recall from my time in the CF there was an adhesive like sealant that our wpns. techs used when refurbing bcgs. Did not want to use loctite as I don' t think it has the high temp. quality of the stuff that was original spec.
Click to expand...

Is it/was it Permatex no. 3D aviation form-a-gasket?
 
Dsiwy said:
Any high temp engine block gasket marker, don't forget to clean out the gas key hole after. I use a pipe cleaners and scrub it till they come out clean.
Click to expand...

This. I put and leave a pipe cleaner inside the gas key as I install it over the gasket maker and torque the screws, then just pull the pipe cleaner out. It's a good way to prevent the gasket maker from making its way into the gas key hole.
 
My carrier and carrier key assembly drawings state Permatex No. 3D, as I mentioned above, which may be the same stuff at the true north arms link (it doesn't specify the exact version).
 
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