M14 Forum

Dredsen

Ok so my flash hider is loosening up. I just purchased this rifle so i took it back to the gun store where i bought it. They stripped around 10-15 different tools trying to loosen the little hex set screw.

Any suggestions on a site on the net where i can buy an allen wrench made of hard steel that will turn this screw?

Ted Brown

Probably one of the best for the job is Brownell's 1/16" Allen Head Fixed Blade Screwdriver, part # 080-453-062.
However, I wouldn't be suprized if the screw itself is stripped. You may need to drill it out and chase the 6x40 threads. I good deal of care is needed to prevent damage to the flash suppressor.

Dale Rader

Also, check the castle nut to make sure it is not putting pressure on the set screw. You can feel a little bit of "wiggle" in the castle nut before it hits the screw. Center up this movement and then try to remove the screw. Hope this helps.

Dale

MemphisMachinists

You need to go somewhere that knows what they are doing before it is too late. It may already be.

You got good advise from 2 very knowlegable people here, but my guess is if you didn't feel comfortable tightning this up yourself, you are not going to want to drill out a hard set screw and probably don't have a 6-40 tap laying around.
Find competant help. You did the right thing by asking for help. It was/is the people you trusted who are at fault for jacking you up. In my 20 plus years as a machinist it never fails that the guy who wouldn't quit is always the most difficult one to fix. We always get the things with eas-outs/ taps broken off in a broken screw that would have been a 20 min job, now has become a major ordeal.

Stop regroup.

Gus Fisher

Not only "Listen to your Armorer," but in this case "Listen to a Machinist." I agree it sounds he may have gone beyond the point he needs a professional.

Dredsen

i got the screw out...

new problem:
Ive got the castle nut as tight as i can get it without totally mangling it but it lines up "on the tooth" should i order a castle wrench and torque it further as some have done ? (i used the search engine and thats the advice given before however you guys are giving much more conservative advice and i like that.

its about 3-5 mm from going into the slot. With the proper castle wrench, is it ok to torque it a bit further? I know for sure i can't back up or it won't be tight enough. (the shop where i bought this gun want much help thank you everyone for the advice)

Dredsen

I just ordered some castle nut pliers, that should let me turn it a bit more and get the screw back down in there. If thats too hard i will take it in..


thanks for the advice i am not a machinist and can only do basic gunsmithing tasks. I would never try to drip and tap a screw on a firearm, I'm just not good at it.

Hopefully it turns a bit more. if not what can a pro do? i have the vortex flash hider, (the one with the front sight on top of the caste nut).

bricktop

Once you get the caste nut loose and the set screw out, tap the flash hider in with a mallet and see if you can get in on enough to go a few more notches on the castle nut. The screw is probably mangled, might be good to pick up some extras so you don't have to wait on that then.

MemphisMachinists

Thats great news. When you said someone had stripped 10-15 tools in the screw I figured it was toast. I would definitly replace the screw. The screw has to be in a slot when tight even if you have to back the nut up a tad to make it line up. Another thing you can do is file or sand a little off the bottom of the nut so that it turns tight a little more or buy a half dozen nuts and keep trying one till it fits.

I the screw is not in the slot it will shoot loose rather quickly. At least it did for me. See my signature.