Installing AR barrel without torque wrench?

[TRG-42]

Has anyone used thie DPMS product when installing barrel to an upper receiver.....

rather than a "clamping block"?

Cheers!

B

I have used the DPMS block countless times and it works far better than the silly clamp style

Biggest advantage is it works well with the "non tradition" shaped uppers such as the Vltors , Sun Devil etc . Only issue is when mounting some proprietary barrel nuts the wrench can interfere with the block. I generally pull the front pin to let upper sit a bit higher and torque away

Another good choice is the PRI block

Only concern is the PRI does not have the insert that goes into the upper to take some of the torque. It is all carried by the takdown / pivot holes. This is not generally an issue on assembly since the required torque will not damage the upper.But for really stubborn upper dissasembly , such as the RRA free float tubes ( they loctite RED them on ! ) I prefer the DPMS block

The big advantage of the PRI bock is you can flip it upside down and use to clamp the flattop of the upper ( or rail of a forend ) to work on it.

Its awesome for cleaning the upper

 

[mechanik]

The PRI block is the one I have. Yeah, if I was using a breaker bar to loosen a stuck barrel nut, I would be putting it in the rail clamp side of it instead.

 

[New Camper]

Two finger method is also relatively accurate...
Average person with Index and middle finger can only exude About 30 lbs downward pressure, you can then advance to nearest gas tube alignment slot on barrel nut.
AR's are pretty forgiving as far as torque on barrel but as mentioned before...lube up,don't go crazy tightening

Torque wrenches are cheap too

Cheap torque wrenches are cheap: If you buy a good one, expect to pay between two and three hundred dollars.

 

[themikea]

Cheap torgue wrenches are cheap: If you buy a good one, expect to pay between two and three hundred dollars.

As in, they will break easily or will not be accurate?

 

[luke s]

so is this the proper way to use the DPMS block then?

 

[themikea]

so is this the proper way to use the DPMS block then?

What's the orange piece?

 

[luke s]

just protects your rail from the vice

 

[themikea]

What I meant to ask, was it made for that?

 

[luke s]

I think its just a piece of plastic. meant for anything that needs protection from metal

 

[Mirk]

so is this the proper way to use the DPMS block then?

Not that the other way is improper that is supposedly the most stable way… just use sound judgment… the orange piece is for protecting things from the vice, it’s not an AR tool if that’s what your asking…

Oddly, I have heard the DPMS block is worse than the PRI block… meh... could it be so?

 

[New Camper]

As in, they will break easily or will not be accurate?

possibly both, but I was concerned about about the latter that I didn't mess about: Some of the equipment I use is expensive, I didn't want to muck up the valves on a $15000 diesel engine or entrust the correct attachment of high RPM components to a tool that could be inconsistent, and not consistently reliable when I needed it.

The old adage, "you get what you pay for" comes to mind. Playing "russian roulette" appropriately describes the situation: Yes, this chamber may not put a bullet in my head... but that cylinder rotates and the next chamber just might... Maybe I have OCD, but spending $300 for a wrench to tighten a bolt that isn't picky about 1ft/lb difference may be excessive. I need the tools for other things, but for one non-picky bolt...?

 

[zombiedfens]

silver anti seize is what we use in the CF

Noob Question, Should Anti seize be used when using an aluminum barrel nut to the aluminum receiver? like with the YHM barrel nut that are used with their Free Float quad rails??

 

[Petrock]

If you were only assembling firearms, what style/size of wrench should I look for? Do I need the great big automotive one, or is there something smaller, but still suitable for my gun bench?

 

[Mirk]

If you were only assembling firearms, what style/size of wrench should I look for? Do I need the great big automotive one, or is there something smaller, but still suitable for my gun bench?

For the 30-80 ft-lbs range, the only ones I have really seen are the large 1/2" drive torque wrenches...

Edit: If you want to spend $300ish on one there are far more options/sizes/ranges...

 

[Silveragent]

I got one for $40ish off of Amazon.ca. 30-40lbs of torque isn't really a lot I discovered. I'm sure I've manually torqued it way heavier because I felt it should be on firmly.