Hello, I'm mtdawg169 and I'm a parts snob.

[freedom]

Hey, quit doing things correctly as per the TM. According to many on the ODT, the TM, and its assembly procedures or nonsense anyways...

Framing hammer + vice grips + harbor freight punch set + Amazon "armorers" hammer = ODT "mil-spec".

I built my first lower with a framing hammer and nail set.

 

[Wallace's]

I built my first lower with a framing hammer and nail set.

Show off

 

[mtdawg169]

FWIW, The turn around time for an out of spec rifle to get sent back to me was one day. It was absolutely amazing that it got turned around so fast. It's a BIG contrast to the absolutely miserable experience of dealing with their customer service department on the phone.

That's actually very impressive. I've heard of other guys waiting weeks or months to get a repair back from them. Of course, we've also heard of people spending hours and hours on hold, just trying to get on the phone with them.

 

[user 71]

Hey, quit doing things correctly as per the TM. According to many on the ODT, the TM, and its assembly procedures are nonsense anyways...

Framing hammer + vice grips + harbor freight punch set + Amazon "armorers" hammer = ODT "mil-spec"

anything more is "frill-spec" and unnecessary

 

[CQB27]

Hey, quit doing things correctly as per the TM. According to many on the ODT, the TM, and its assembly procedures are nonsense anyways...

Framing hammer + vice grips + harbor freight punch set + Amazon "armorers" hammer = ODT "mil-spec"

Well, since this was a working gun and not a hobby rifle, I felt the extra nonsense was necessary lol!. Today I also staked a gas key (a Rock River Arms) and pulled a three coil rifle extractor spring and blue elastomeric bumper out of a carbine bolt and replaced it with a 4 coil carbine spring and black elastomeric bumper (Bushmaster). I tell ya, that TM crap is such a hassle and the resulting reliability really irritating.

 

[CQB27]

Nice work. And not an easy fix. I figured that the alignment slot was probably too generous, as that's usually the case. In the past, I've seen guys actually torque the barrel nut into place and give the FSB a whack with a rubber or delrin mallet to realign. It sounds crude, but shimming the pin, peening it or starting over with a different upper are the only other ways to fix it.

I have used a dead blow hammer to realign a slightly canted front sight base, and it worked fine. But this front sight base was so misaligned, even if there hadn't been a gas tube issue the required re-torqueing the barrel nut I would have removed the barrel nut anyway and explored the reason behind the front sight misalignment for fear the big hammer/whack it method might have damaged/cracked the upper receiver. In other words, the dead blow hammer method probably would have worked fine, but I just didn't have the balls for it!

 

[mtdawg169]

I have used a dead blow hammer to realign a slightly canted front sight base, and it worked fine. But this front sight base was so misaligned, even if there hadn't been a gas tube issue the required re-torqueing the barrel nut I would have removed the barrel nut anyway and explored the reason behind the front sight misalignment for fear the big hammer/whack it method might have damaged/cracked the upper receiver. In other words, the dead blow hammer method probably would have worked fine, but I just didn't have the balls for it!

Always made me cringe! But it works, as long as the alignment slot is the issue. If the FSB was installed with a can't (rare, but possible), well, you're screwed.

 

[CQB27]

Always made me cringe! But it works, as long as the alignment slot is the issue. If the FSB was installed with a can't (rare, but possible), well, you're screwed.

You know Colt figured out a long time ago how to bypass any alignment slot issue. They install the barrel first, then measure Top Dead Center of the barrel and mark it, THEN drill the gas port and install the front sight base........no canted front sight bases that way.

 

[TapcoFan]

That's actually very impressive. I've heard of other guys waiting weeks or months to get a repair back from them. Of course, we've also heard of people spending hours and hours on hold, just trying to get on the phone with them.

Well first it was 60+ minutes on hold, then a little over two weeks to get the wrong parts, another 45 minutes on hold (I got through quick!), getting more of the wrong parts after two more weeks go by, then 100+ minutes on hold for them to say "F___ it, we'll give you a call tag" a week later. I had the day off, so I just left the phone on hold while I fixed stuff around the house.
When I dropped the rifle off with a UPS driver, it must have only spent a minimal amount of time actually in the shop getting parts replaced, because it was back lickety split. Honestly I was amazed at the turn around time based on the rest of my customer service experience.

 

[mtdawg169]

Well first it was 60+ minutes on hold, then a little over two weeks to get the wrong parts, another 45 minutes on hold (I got through quick!), getting more of the wrong parts after two more weeks go by, then 100+ minutes on hold for them to say "F___ it, we'll give you a call tag" a week later. I had the day off, so I just left the phone on hold while I fixed stuff around the house.
When I dropped the rifle off with a UPS driver, it must have only spent a minimal amount of time actually in the shop getting parts replaced, because it was back lickety split. Honestly I was amazed at the turn around time based on the rest of my customer service experience.

Have you ever wondered if their atrocious customer service was actually that way by design? I mean, I wonder how many people just give up and get their local shop to fix their guns instead of spending days & hours just to get a return authorization?