Installing a YHM Spectre Two Piece AR-15 Gas Block

 

Installing a YHM Spectre Two Piece AR-15 Gas Block
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Two part gas blocks are not needed in the majority of instances, they are more complicated and a little more expensive than the standard gas blocks.

However, sometimes they serve a purpose.  Today I need to install a YHM Spectre Two Piece AR-15 Gas Block because I plan on permanently attaching a large flash hider to a barrel and I will not be able to slide the gas block off if I ever need to change barrels.

By welding on a flash suppressor the gas block cannot slide off, this means i cannot change or repair my gas system.

This is really the only reason I can see for a block like this.

It needs an Allen key and roll pins to install.  You also need a vise and a vise block to support the upper as the gas tube is pinned into the gas block.

The only difference between installing this two piece AR-15 gas block and a regular one piece gas block is that it does not slide on, it fits over the barrel and the four Allen keys are tightened to clamp the block to the barrel.

When tightening the Allen keys be sure to tighten them like you would with a tire.  Alternate the bolts and don’t got 1,2,3,4.

How to Install Elfman Tactical Anti-Rotation Pins in an AR-15 Lower

How to Install Elfman Tactical Anti-Rotation Pins in an AR-15 Lower

 

How to install an AR-15 Dust Cover
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Anti-Rotation Pins are normally not a necessary modification to an AR-15 lower, but their are some exceptions.  What the pins do is prevent the hammer and trigger pins in the AR-15 (or M-16) from rotating.  A steel pin in an aluminum receiver can rotate and elongate the holes.  This causes malfunctions and the destruction of a lower.

Normally the design of the pins prevents this, and a new lower doesn’t cost much more than the pins.  However, many people that own registered pre-1986 lowers for fully automatic AR pattern rifles add them because their lowers are irreplaceable.  If their lowers pins elongate they lost a machine gun.

I add one on my polymer lower because the hammer pins on mine wallowed out after less than a magazine worth of rounds.

One thing about installing the Elfman Tactical Anti-Rotation Pins in a freedom15 polymer AR-15 Lower, there is a strengthening rib molded on the lower that you will need to chisel off in order to install the anti-rotation pin.  It was not hard to do, but took a sharp chisel and permanently altered the lower.

I used to link directly to the item on Amazon so you could purchase it easily, but they have, in their infinite liberalism decided to remove firearm parts as they find them – they did this with tannerite also.

How to Replace an AR-15 Gas Block

How to Replace an AR-15 Gas Block

 

How to Replace an AR-15 Gas Block
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I wanted to add a free float rail to my AR-15, but my A2 Style front sight was in the way.  I had to remove it and replace it with a a low profile AR-15 gas block.

This was not complicated, but it did take some effort.  Proper tools of good quality make this process much easier.

The recommended tools are:

  • Cupped Punch
  • Good Punch set
  • Hammer
  • AR-15 Gunsmiths block
  • Vise
  • AR-15 Upper Receiver block
  • AR-15 Barrel Wrench

Here is the basic process.

  • Remove hand-guards and upper receiver
  • Unscrew the flash hider and crush washer if present
  • Remove the tapered pins holding the front sight/gas block
  • Remove the pin holding the gas tube to the front sight/gas block
  • Pull gas block off end of the barrel – a block of wood may help is the gun suggest the block move.
  • Put the gas tube into the gas block, align it so the large roll pin hole lines up with the roll pin hole in the block.  Also you must make sure that the gas hole in the tube lines up with the gas hole in the block.
  • Slide the new gas block onto the barrel, be sure to line up the large gas hole in the block with the smaller gas hole in the barrel.  If the holes do not line up the gun will not work as a semi-auto
  • Tighten the set screws to tighten the gas block into the barrel

How to Use the Keymod Rail System

 

AR-15 Keymod Rail System
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In a recent video I showed installing a free float rail on an AR-15.  In this video I explain the Keymod rail mounting system and why I like it.

I used a Keymod rail, which is a way to attach accessories.

The keyhole shaped mounting holes are secure.  They are easy to slid the part in, and tighten it down.

This allows parts to be installed and removed easily.  I have this rail on several rifles.  It is inexpensive and holds my accessories easily.

I find the keymod system to be both easy to use and sturdy.  A plus is that I like how it looks.

In conclusion, I would not pick a firearm accessory strictly on looks because I’m not a mall ninja, but it is nice when you can get function and looks.

How to Measure Shotgun Barrels to Ensure Legality

 

Measuring Shotgun Barrels for Legality
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There is a lot of confusion, miscommunication, misconceptions, and flat out lies in the gun world.  This is especially true when it comes to the National Firearms Act and how it regulates things like suppressors, machine guns, destructive devices, short barrel rifles, and my favorite – Short Barrel Shotguns.

Today I want to clear up some of the confusion with some information on how the BATFE goes about measuring shotgun barrels for legality.  This actually works for any firearm measurement so it also works for Short barrel rifles as well.

The length measurement has to be standardized so that different people won’t measure the same gun and come up with different measurements.  Otherwise I can cut a gun and be 100 per cent certain I am legal and some agent can measure their way and arrest me.

The measurement is from the breech face of the closed bolt through the barrel to the muzzle.

I think that if I was doing this a lot, I would get me a dowel rod and paint a red mark at the exact legal limit, as long as I dripped it down the barrel on a closed and empty action and saw wood in between the mark and the muzzle I would know I was good on length.