Castle Nut Pliers for M1A

'88Scrat · August 8, 2012, 06:35 PM

The title pretty well sums it up actually. I just got my Sage stock from Clyde Armory and was all excited to drop my Scout into it when I got all the way to removing the flash suppressor and didn't have the %#^@* pliers...

I'm open to suggestions of improvization but thinking at the moment I'll just wait a couple days to get the pliers from MidwayUSA.

hardhat harry · August 8, 2012, 07:07 PM

Wait.

**44 AMP** · August 9, 2012, 10:49 PM

get the pliers, or a proper size spanner (hook spanner wrench).

And DON'T forget about the setscrew!!!

SR420 · August 10, 2012, 07:53 AM

Since 2004 I have installed many rifles in SAGE EBRs and I've never used castle nut pliers, I don't own any.

I back off the set screw and use the roll pin punch I have for the op rod guide pin and a small hammer to gently tap the castle nut loose.

This method has never let me down and it has not caused any damage to the castle nuts.

I hope that helps.

30Cal · August 11, 2012, 09:45 AM

When I got mine rebarrelled, my guy skipped the setscrew and loctited the castlenut in place. There's a school of thought that a tight dogscrew applies an uneven stress at the end of the barrel; it's common for it to be backed off a turn and loctited there or just left out of the equation altogether.

**44 AMP** · August 14, 2012, 03:09 PM

As far as I know, the point of the setscrew is to keep the castle nut from coming loose to the point where the sight assembly can be mis-aligned with the bore. While it would be very unusual for the nut to loosen, the setscrew just means insurance.

Usually, the screw will be between the lugs on the nut, and need not be tightened to bear on the nut, (so no tension on the barrel) its just there so the nut can only move a little bit, IF it comes loose.

I might be wrong, and if I am, please, enlighten me.

August 8, 2012, 06:35 PM	#1
'88Scrat Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2011 Location: Kansas Posts: 204	Castle Nut Pliers for M1A The title pretty well sums it up actually. I just got my Sage stock from Clyde Armory and was all excited to drop my Scout into it when I got all the way to removing the flash suppressor and didn't have the %#^@* pliers... I'm open to suggestions of improvization but thinking at the moment I'll just wait a couple days to get the pliers from MidwayUSA. __________________ BOOM

August 8, 2012, 07:07 PM	#2
hardhat harry Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2010 Location: I've moved... Posts: 212	Wait. __________________ "Let me live in my house by the side of the road and be a friend to man."

August 9, 2012, 10:49 PM	#3
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 8,965	get the pliers, or a proper size spanner (hook spanner wrench). And DON'T forget about the setscrew!!! __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

August 10, 2012, 07:53 AM	#4
SR420 Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2005 Posts: 2,542	Since 2004 I have installed many rifles in SAGE EBRs and I've never used castle nut pliers, I don't own any. I back off the set screw and use the roll pin punch I have for the op rod guide pin and a small hammer to gently tap the castle nut loose. This method has never let me down and it has not caused any damage to the castle nuts. I hope that helps. __________________ facebook.com/M14HDW.US

August 14, 2012, 03:09 PM	#6
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 8,965	As far as I know, the point of the setscrew is to keep the castle nut from coming loose to the point where the sight assembly can be mis-aligned with the bore. While it would be very unusual for the nut to loosen, the setscrew just means insurance. Usually, the screw will be between the lugs on the nut, and need not be tightened to bear on the nut, (so no tension on the barrel) its just there so the nut can only move a little bit, IF it comes loose. I might be wrong, and if I am, please, enlighten me. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

August 11, 2012, 09:45 AM	#5
30Cal Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2002 Posts: 1,093	When I got mine rebarrelled, my guy skipped the setscrew and loctited the castlenut in place. There's a school of thought that a tight dogscrew applies an uneven stress at the end of the barrel; it's common for it to be backed off a turn and loctited there or just left out of the equation altogether.