Any input on the aluminum action rods for changing AR barrels? Part of me says they would be fine for a barrel or two a year, the other part says just get the steel ones for 20 bucks more each.
Gunsmithing Aluminum Action Rods for AR platforms
- Thread starter gunsnjeeps
- Start date
Get the steel ones. Steel is real.
Sounds like I might be a guinea pig.
I have the alum one from Avid. Works fine and I dont have to worry about steel banging or scrarching things.
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I've been using the wheeler action rod lately. It locks in to the barrel extension which is nice. Hasn't broke yet anyways
Disclaimer....never matched up an aluminum tool with tool steel hardened chamber lugs.....every time aluminum-tool steel is paired in a variety of other gunsmithing applications, the aluminum device loses when unknown torque value applications are being applied. I prefer the MidWest Industries steel tool over the Geissele; the upper receiver support lug is a nice distinction with a difference. Surprised Geissele didn't incorporate it in their design, and I'm a fanboy of their products. 
I have a geissele reaction rod I’ve used a bunch on AR15s. I didn’t wanna spend $200 on one for my newly acquired AR10 so I ordered an aluminum reaction rod from just rails, it has a small upper receiver support lug in it. They say it’s good for 60 ft/lbs of torque which should be fine for what I do. If it breaks it was only 60 bucks.
Aluminum is probably fine for installing barrel nuts and muzzle devices to typical torque values. But good luck when you stumble across that one motherfucker of an upper that was put together by a gorilla with a breaker bar and one of those big bottles of red Loctite.
Get steel tools.
Get steel tools.
That is a valid point.
I've been using one for a while now from Real Avid, and it's pretty damn nice. Haven't had any issues and it's plenty strong. If you torque something hard enough to damage it, you're going to damn near crack the receiver and break the barrel threads off the upper...
I've broken free several Rocksett'd on Dead Air KeyMo brakes with mine, and zero issues...I'm not gentle when I use tools, and didn't back-off on the pressure. I felt like I was more likely to rip my 4" vise off the wooden bench, than damage the rod. Also, I did not pre-soak the Rocksett...Just cranked them off with a Magpul Armorer's wrench dry. SNAP!...Spins free.
Also, not to derail, but I love Jeeps, too. Got a 2020 Gladiator Rubicon on 37's. Love that thing. Only gripe is lack of power from the stupid V6. Jeep should have put a Hemi (even the small 5.7 Hemi) in the Rubicon and Max Tow models...They desperately need more power than that V6 puts out. Soon as mine is out of warranty, I'm going to look into a DIY 6.4 SRT swap... Or if I win the crypto lottery, mine is going to America's Most Wanted 4x4 for a Hellephant swap.
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Good thing I don't have displacement envy. I still have an 03 Rubicon on 33's with the straight 6.
I come from a hotrod background... I have always had 450+ HP daily drivers and toys. Hell, I've still got my 600+ RWHP/1,100+ RWTQ 6.7 Cummins that I bought new in 2007, and started building when it had 2,000 miles on the clock. It's not a matter of displacement envy, it's just a matter of what I'm used to. And the 3.6 V6 (while exponentially better than the 3.8 V6) is still a gutless wonder for something that has a tow-rating of 7,000+ lbs. Had I waited, I would have gotten the 4cyl. turbo diesel (upgrading turbo diesels for big power is easy), but that option wasn't available for a whole year after I bought mine. I was an early purchaser in Feb/March 2020. Only engine option was the 3.6 V6 at that time. I'm considering a supercharger or turbo for it to give it some extra oomph, but it might be cheaper to do a junkyard 6.4 SRT swap than what most super/turbo kits cost these days.
...I just settled for the $30 (at the time) AR15 & AR10 steel ones from Brownell's 
I'm looking at $30 each (AR10 and AR15) for aluminum or $50 each for steel. Plus shipping. Thought about one now one later and going steel.
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