M14 Flas Supressor Removal - Castle Nut Nightmare...

spellbound said:
Well, finally got the castle nut pliers in the mail, and it came off in a cinch.... probably helped that i left penetrating oil on it for a week also. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! Now on to Optics and bipod...

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It's good to hear you got it of. I'm waiting for pliers myself to remove my flash hider
 
Well you guys were right, it is a nightmare to take off. I tried the heat trick, hammer and punch in a vise, even using the vise itself and all I did was scrubbing off some bluing. I think I'd be better to leave it as it is because it won't be salvageable!
 
Dake ...not trying to sound like a smartarse but did you remove the set screw that's holding it in place ...and did you try using castlenut pliers ?
 
No offense taken, its a legitimate question. Yes I took off the set screw. I used a C clamp vise grip without success. I dont have the castle nut plier to be honest and was hoping to take it off without it. Id hate to buy one tool for one job, its hard to justify to my wife haha!
 
Dake21 said:
No offense taken, its a legitimate question. Yes I took off the set screw. I used a C clamp vise grip without success. I dont have the castle nut plier to be honest and was hoping to take it off without it. Id hate to buy one tool for one job, its hard to justify to my wife haha!
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Depending on how much nerve you have, you can remove the castle nut set screw, then if you clamp the rifle down good and solid you can use a BRASS punch on one of the castle nut notches and a hammer to tap it loose. Then just hand loosen it off.
Remember: Lefty loosey!! ;)

That's how I took mine off. I did however have to end up borrowing a pair of pliers on the tail end to put my USGI flash hider on with enough force. So you may just be delaying the innevitable using that method.
 
Honestly, get the pliers. I got mine for $12. I tried everything you mentioned and the bugger didn't budge. When I got the proper pliers, it came off with one good twist. I have also used the pliers on a few friends M14's also now so they still get some use. The castle nut removal tool, along with the two gas cleaning drill bits and the gas wrench are necessities if you own an M14. All 4 can be had for under $75.
 
I guess you are right, I can't get around it anymore I need the proper tools. I'll add the bolt disasembly tool too. Unfortunatly, I will have to wait until next month because I already bought a shim kit from brownells and a faux-selector swith to fill that gap on the USGI stock.
 
It's a polytech. I already dealt with the spot welded flash hider a year ago. I have a uscg muzzle brake on her now , I don't remember using any locktite on it ( shouldn't have I hope!) my 1/16" Allen wrenches look like pretzels now!
Gonna go buy some "liquid wrench" and a 1/16 hex bit today. With any luck it will break loose! If that doesn't work k might resort to drilling it out!
 
If you cant remember using loctite, heat it up for a few seconds with a torch. That would free up any issues that result from loctite. Also try some penetrating oil?
 
spellbound said:
Honestly, get the pliers. I got mine for $12. I tried everything you mentioned and the bugger didn't budge. When I got the proper pliers, it came off with one good twist. I have also used the pliers on a few friends M14's also now so they still get some use. The castle nut removal tool, along with the two gas cleaning drill bits and the gas wrench are necessities if you own an M14. All 4 can be had for under $75.
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I agree 100% with this. For years I mucked about without these items, now I have them all and it feels good.
Specialty tools (once you part with your hard earned dollars for them) are a comforting thing to have.
 
And always remember, even if you scratch the hell out of your castle nut trying to get it off, a new one is only $11 (incl S&H) away via Brownells (as long as you have a Springfield... as I have heard that the Norinco's have a different thread...)
 
spellbound said:
And always remember, even if you scratch the hell out of your castle nut trying to get it off, a new one is only $11 (incl S&H) away via Brownells (as long as you have a Springfield... as I have heard that the Norinco's have a different thread...)
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interestingly enough, the two threads are very close and an American made castlenut will thread onto Chinese metric threads. This is why so many guys are able to use the direct connect type muzzle devices from smith enterprise, YHM and Troy (among others) which are made for the U.S. threading but easily and securely fasten to the Chinese barrel thread.
going the other way, a Chinese castlenut will thread onto a usgi or amerrican made barrel BUT, at about the 1/2 way point things start to bind. the threads can however be force matched if one is in a pinch.
 
Well... After penetrating oil and a new hex bit I ended up stripping out the screw! Ended up drilling it out. ( no locktite!) I think the screw may have been bent! I just hope the set screw from my poly flash hider fits the uscg muzzle brake! At least Now I can install my blackfeather!
 
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