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Gunsmithing Stupid question on free float but

veezer

Sergeant
Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 6, 2007
725
59
Hazard, Kentucky
I have an AR15 that has a simple round free float tube. What I can't figure out is how to secure the tube on the nut because there is no lock ring to bind it. The tube just screws on the barrel but. I tried blue loctite and then rockset but neither would lock it in place. It was like neither would dry. Maybe because there was no torque involved? Does anyone have any ideas on what I might try? I don't want to use anything that would require heat to set it or remove it because it has been duracoated.
 
Degrease both surfaces with acetone or similar and try the blue Loctite again. I wouldn't use the rockset if you have intentions of taking it apart with out heat.
 
Can you post a picture or a link to the hand guard you're using? Can't believe there are no set screws or anything, odd.

If no screws then as JBRC said use acetone to degrease real good. You could also put the part in the oven after some acetone to bake out more grease, low temp of course, ask the Cerakote guys what temp they use. After the oven then acetone again. The Loctite should hold for sure then.
 
It is on a customer's gun, so I have no idea what brand it is or where he bought it. I thought it was strange too that it doesn't have a lock ring or set screws either. Whoever originally put it together used a crap load of red loctite on it and I had to heat it to get it off.

I took it back off and degreased really well and gave the blue loctite another try. I'll see here in a little while if that worked.

Thanks for the advice.
 
I bought a new tube of blue loctite and it held just fine. Maybe what I had was old and no good anymore. Here is a pic of what the tube looks like
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1407340580.444378.jpg
 
Looks like a Yankee hill style mount, which means there should have been a jam nut with it. I'd be wary of just loctite to hold that, since that is likely to heat up in extended fire, and let the hand guard loose.
 
I'm good friends with a wholesale vendor for locktite and they told him to keep it refrigerated to keep it from going bad. Same thing goes for super glue, which is essentially the same stuff.

Matt
 
It is duracoat so I could do any color. You can go to my website to see more versions of that pattern and other patterns. Dcerefinishing.com