A2/Lo-Pro gas block update, install, and a few pics.

kymasabe · October 20, 2018, 05:23 PM

First of all, thank you all for your advice on the other thread. I appreciate the input. As I had mentioned there, I chickened out, wasn't going to disassemble my current upper receiver, decided to just build a new one.
Here's the list of componants again.

Anderson Slick side upper receiver: https://www.righttobear.com/Anderson...-p/m4slick.htm
Anderson .223 Wylde 1:8 nitride Barrel: https://www.andersonmanufacturing.co...black-nitride/
Odin Works Ragna 12.5 handguard: https://www.odinworks.com/M_LOK_Fore...f-12-ml-ra.htm
Odin Works gas block: https://www.odinworks.com/Low_Profil...ck_p/gb-75.htm
Kaw Valley dimpling jig: https://www.kawvalleyprecision.com/K...g-jig-.750.htm

I threw the Anderson barrel in the jig this morning and into the drill press. Thought I'd try lubing the bit and jig and barrel surface with some Lucas heavy gun oil and I couldn't get the bit to start at all, nitride on that Anderson barrel was hard as a rock ( two cobalt bits from McMaster-Carr, 5/32"). Tried for over 5 minutes, finally I gave up, chucked up the second bit I had, and this time I used WD-40 to lube the bit, but I'd pull the bit out every 5-10 seconds, spray it, cool it, and it caught and drilled beautifully. I only went deep enough for the hole to be full width of the bit head, very shallow but fine for set screws.
I bent one Wheeler punch setting the gas tube pin, and broke another driving it into the gas block. Hopefully Wheeler will replace them. Otherwise, everything else went well. Anderson barrel looks good by the way, feed ramps looked good, bore and rifling were clean, crown looked good. Overall a nice looking barrel, I hope it performs well. Was actually better finished than I expected and MUCH better than some of the BCA barrels I've seen.
Gas tube is black nitrided. Nice USA made tube. Here's a few pics.

kymasabe · October 20, 2018, 05:32 PM

By the way, that Kaw Valley dimpling jig works GREAT !! Lined up everything perfectly !! Highly recommend one if you have to dimple your barrel.

armoredman · October 21, 2018, 03:31 AM

Nifty! I will be installing my first gas block next week. Barrel is already dimpled, though.

9x19 · October 21, 2018, 06:57 AM

Well done, and looks good!

Mobuck · October 21, 2018, 07:14 AM

Wow, those are some gnarly divots, Dude.
Not for me,I'll just buy clamp on blocks.

kymasabe · October 21, 2018, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mobuck

Wow, those are some gnarly divots, Dude.
Not for me,I'll just buy clamp on blocks.

Not the prettiest, but I'll never see them under the gas block and they work just fine.

October 20, 2018, 05:23 PM	#1
kymasabe Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2005 Location: SW Florida Posts: 2,747	A2/Lo-Pro gas block update, install, and a few pics. First of all, thank you all for your advice on the other thread. I appreciate the input. As I had mentioned there, I chickened out, wasn't going to disassemble my current upper receiver, decided to just build a new one. Here's the list of componants again. Anderson Slick side upper receiver: https://www.righttobear.com/Anderson...-p/m4slick.htm Anderson .223 Wylde 1:8 nitride Barrel: https://www.andersonmanufacturing.co...black-nitride/ Odin Works Ragna 12.5 handguard: https://www.odinworks.com/M_LOK_Fore...f-12-ml-ra.htm Odin Works gas block: https://www.odinworks.com/Low_Profil...ck_p/gb-75.htm Kaw Valley dimpling jig: https://www.kawvalleyprecision.com/K...g-jig-.750.htm I threw the Anderson barrel in the jig this morning and into the drill press. Thought I'd try lubing the bit and jig and barrel surface with some Lucas heavy gun oil and I couldn't get the bit to start at all, nitride on that Anderson barrel was hard as a rock ( two cobalt bits from McMaster-Carr, 5/32"). Tried for over 5 minutes, finally I gave up, chucked up the second bit I had, and this time I used WD-40 to lube the bit, but I'd pull the bit out every 5-10 seconds, spray it, cool it, and it caught and drilled beautifully. I only went deep enough for the hole to be full width of the bit head, very shallow but fine for set screws. I bent one Wheeler punch setting the gas tube pin, and broke another driving it into the gas block. Hopefully Wheeler will replace them. Otherwise, everything else went well. Anderson barrel looks good by the way, feed ramps looked good, bore and rifling were clean, crown looked good. Overall a nice looking barrel, I hope it performs well. Was actually better finished than I expected and MUCH better than some of the BCA barrels I've seen. Gas tube is black nitrided. Nice USA made tube. Here's a few pics. __________________ God's creatures big and small, eat them one, eat them all.

October 20, 2018, 05:32 PM	#2
kymasabe Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2005 Location: SW Florida Posts: 2,747	By the way, that Kaw Valley dimpling jig works GREAT !! Lined up everything perfectly !! Highly recommend one if you have to dimple your barrel. __________________ God's creatures big and small, eat them one, eat them all.

October 21, 2018, 06:57 AM	#4
9x19 Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 1998 Location: Sherman, TX USA Posts: 3,750	Well done, and looks good! __________________ Make mine lean, mean, and 9x19!

October 21, 2018, 03:31 AM	#3
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,299	Nifty! I will be installing my first gas block next week. Barrel is already dimpled, though.

October 21, 2018, 07:14 AM	#5
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	Wow, those are some gnarly divots, Dude. Not for me,I'll just buy clamp on blocks.