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So, my smith lost my bolt in my lefty ar piston set up. Can i just flip a reg bolt over and use that?

BuildingConceptsllc

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Minuteman
  • Nov 13, 2020
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    Seems to me that I can just flip a regular bolt over and use that in the lefty BC right? I've never had this issue so just wanted to make sure. I'm sure he has a regular bolt since he makes ar's himself(not builds, he manufactures lowers , uppers, ect).
     
    I was going to build a lefty for my son a few years ago and my research showed that a lefty bcg was needed. my best guess would be to call Stag and ask them. I do know they sell all the parts needed to build your own lefty. Maybe just spend the money.

    Did your smith lose you carrier or just the bolt itself?
     
    I was going to build a lefty for my son a few years ago and my research showed that a lefty bcg was needed. my best guess would be to call Stag and ask them. I do know they sell all the parts needed to build your own lefty. Maybe just spend the money.

    Did your smith lose you carrier or just the bolt itself?
    It's just the bolt itself. We have the Adams arms lefty piston kit with BGC and all that he's putting on the rifle with a new rail and painting it.


    He's a friend, so it's not a typical Smith situation, nor do I pay like it was so...
     
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    You need a LH bolt, a RH bolt will not work, the carrier pin hole is tapered and the pin will not insert from that side.
    Ok. That is the type of thing I was worried about. I think he threw the box away with the bolt in it or something. Not sure if I can even get a lefty bolt by itself though.
     
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    Oh ok, cool. Thank you. I've been looking and haven't found one yet, that's great. I just want this to be done with. It's been going on for a while and been one issue after another just because of not paying attention and him being so behind in other work. His lathe went down and it took them a month to get the various electrical parts to get it back working. Still, I'm pretty worn out with this crap. Thank you!
     
    Hoping he will find it and I will go ahead and order that one and have it in case I need one I have 3 lefty AR's now so it won't hurt to have a spare bolt for them. At some point I might get a bolt matched barrel for this rifle if the piston kit holds up well. It has worked pretty well on the pistol that he did for me a few weeks ago.
     
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    Ok. That is the type of thing I was worried about. I think he threw the box away with the bolt in it or something. Not sure if I can even get a lefty bolt by itself though.

    Stag sells all the parts you need.
    Hoping he will find it and I will go ahead and order that one and have it in case I need one I have 3 lefty AR's now so it won't hurt to have a spare bolt for them. At some point I might get a bolt matched barrel for this rifle if the piston kit holds up well. It has worked pretty well on the pistol that he did for me a few weeks ago.

    Always a good idea!
     
    If he manufacturers parts, why can't he just make a LH bolt for the one he lost??
    He could but it's not that simple. Setting those machines up for one little part would be crazy. He will either find it or he will replace it, but I didn't want to then be stuck waiting for one ect... it's actually just a good idea for me to have an extra since I have 3 lefty ar's and they aren't the easiest thing to find. I was worried when he finally ordered one they then would be back ordered or something and I'd be stuck for months. Glad I have one on the way so I can just be done with this and shoot
     
    He could but it's not that simple. Setting those machines up for one little part would be crazy. He will either find it or he will replace it, but I didn't want to then be stuck waiting for one ect... it's actually just a good idea for me to have an extra since I have 3 lefty ar's and they aren't the easiest thing to find. I was worried when he finally ordered one they then would be back ordered or something and I'd be stuck for months. Glad I have one on the way so I can just be done with this and shoot

    Who have you called to find a replacement?
     
    I ordered it from here


     
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    It's more involved than just the cam pin hole being one way. The cam pin hole for a right is 22.5* degrees off centerline one way, the left hand is 22.5* off centerline the other they are not 180 apart.
     
    It's more involved than just the cam pin hole being one way. The cam pin hole for a right is 22.5* degrees off centerline one way, the left hand is 22.5* off centerline the other they are not 180 apart.
    Yeah I looked at one compared to a normal right hand bolt and the cam pin issue, as you said, as well as the ejector is an issue. I finally got the shipping notification on the lefty bolt I ordered over a week ago so maybe it will get here by the end of the week and I can finally get the thing done.

    The only disadvantage of having a buddy that's a Smith do stuff for you is that you pretty much always get put on the back burner because you aren't paying like the regular customers are.
     
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