We had a nice night at the Gun Club banquet, and met some neat people who provided enjoyable conversation – and so I missed out on the 9mm Shield and the other raffle prizes but it went to a good cause. Went to bed late, about 10:30pm, and slept in until 7:30 – awakening to bright sunrise and greenery. Woot!
Nice to be out from under the damp blanket for a day, so I threw open all the windows as the temps rocketed up to 71-degrees and brought-in some fresh air. With a dry spell forecast and neighbors working outside with blowers and various yard-implements, I vacuumed up all the wood splinters and junk in the Garage then set-to the real mischief.
Oops, now I need a low-profile gas-block to fit under the Troy rail. I was unhappy with the Magpul plastic set because it did not allow me to put things where I wanted them. The M-Lok screw-down fasteners interfered with each other at the various available positions where I wanted them, and I was unable to close the clam-shell onto the standard handguard snap-ring because of the metal heat-shields kept getting hung-up on the interior bits.
I loosened up the gas-block before realizing I had to remove the roll-pin, then I realized I had to remove the muzzle-end flash-hider/compensator. Good thing for the soft-jaws on the bench vise! Now I can also put-on a jazzy compensator-thing too, since flash-hiders are Evil in California. Good thing they are practically indistinguishable from each other and Politicians are inherently stupid people.
The Troy Omega free-float Rail was on-sale and perhaps was a loss-leader and obsolete with current trends, but I always liked it and again it was at a substantial discount. Now I need to get the old handguard Delta-ring off so I can mount-up the float-tube…
You DID get new crush washers…right?
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I can get that at Ace, right? 🙂 No, I’d better get on it… Also need a proper 5/64″ punch for the gas-tube roll-pin, I broke the other one…
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Ah yes, the ‘fun’ of teardowns… sigh
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I get to buy neat-o stuff! Titanium! I’ve never done an upper before, so this is also a learning-session. 🙂 Plus it’s raining and there’s nothing else to do.
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Stay away from the titanium. It’s not that much lighter than steel and the metallurgy is not as cut-and-dried as good old steel. You don’t need Murphy in a firearm, IMHO.
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I got a V-Seven titanium one, thinking that they make good stuff – but this upper is going to be a Learning Project anyhow, may later swap the barrel for a mid-length gas system.
What they say is ” NOTE: TITANIUM’S THERMAL EXPANSION COEFFICIENT IS NEARLY HALF THAT OF STEEL. THIS GIVES THE ADDED ADVANTAGE OF A TIGHTER SEAL AND MORE SECURE FIT AS THE TEMPERATURE RISES. **DRY INSTALL NOT RECOMMENDED. To be installed w/ an oil based lubricant.
We’ll see how it goes. I ordered a new Troy (steel) barrel nut too.
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Taking apart a sportbike years ago to do a service for a friend. Can’t remember now whether it was a Suzuki or a Yamaha. I want to say the former. Front lower fairings had to come off. Seven screws, seven different heads. Needless to say I’ve never worked on one again.
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Sounds like a Suzuki! My Yamaha’s all had the same fairing screws at least. I passed on a late 90’s Kawasaki Concours because it had something like fourteen fasteners for the front fairing! Made a “naked” bike a much easier choice.
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I have the Troy-Viking handguard on my AR, and love it. Integrated rail on top, and just a 3″ section of rail on the front underside, for a sling swivel and/or bipod mount, if desired.
Otherwise, nice and smooth, light and slim.
Less is More.
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
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This is like that. I put the QD sling-swivel on the front left, light on the right. Just need a VFG.
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I might have a gas block for you. What’s the diameter at the gas port, .625?
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It’s a .750 standard. Want some hand-guards?? A FDE vertical grip? Why does MagPul use two different sized allen wrenches for various bits? 🙂 I think they’re losing mission-alignment and focus to go after mo’bucks.
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I can’t remember what size I have. Let me look.
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