Update to my previous post: my gas key was slightly loose. Where to go from here?

[Rusty Shackleford]

I took apart the Saint Victor (see previous post) for routine cleaning, and I found the gas key was slightly loose. By slightly I do mean slightly. Almost imperceptibly. But sure enough, when I took an Allen key to it, the screws did tighten down a hair. This is disappointing given Springfield touts it as “properly staked.” I tightened it down snugly to the point where I couldn’t get the screws to turn any further. I guess my tentative plan is to shoot a hundred rounds or so and check if it loosens again, but I’m new to ARs and would like to know what more experienced people would recommend in this situation. Thanks.

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

Don't confuse"staked" with "torqued". Some BCGs are not staked and even at that it can still easily be tightened. It is torqued in "inch" pounds at anywhere between 45-60 inlbs (50-55 being nominal). I don't have any SA ARs, so I can't say for sure if any are "staked"?

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Don't confuse"staked" with "torqued". Some BCGs are not staked and even at that it can still easily be tightened. It is torqued in "inch" pounds at anywhere between 45-60 inlbs (50-55 being nominal). I don't have any SA ARs, so I can't say for sure if any are "staked"?

It’s advertised as staked. Looking at it, there’s definitely an attempt at staking. It looks kinda half assed compared to example pictures I’ve seen.

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

Is the sides if the key smashed towards the screw so to speak?

 

[TSiWRX]

@Rusty Shackleford - my thoughts mirror those of @TEXASforLIFE 's - just because it's staked ( and the quality of that we'll set aside for now, for the sake of keeping this reply simple ), it doesn't necessarily mean that it was either installed correctly to begin (i.e. was it torqued correctly, was it cross-threaded, did they use sealant, and if so, what, did they true the mating surface of the gas key, etc.) with or that the hardware used was not itself somehow defective (i.e. is it the proper hardware to begin with, was it a defective batch of hardware the wasn't hardened properly, etc.).

Overall, I have the same advice for you that I gave to masterchither in the XDTalk thread, below:

Bolt carrier key wiggles a little

www.xdtalk.com

As I noted there (same screen name as here, albeit with a different Avatar), what you decide to do here can be based off a simple matrix of whether the gun is "hobby" versus "serious use" and whether you are more or less comfortable performing your own mechanical work.

Even as a beginner, I believe that the videos and resources that I cited in that thread should be sufficient guide to help you effect the necessary repairs in a definitive manner. Stoning the replacement key is a value-added step that few folks I know actually pursue, and while a specialized staking tool will make the job easier as well as more fool-proof, staking using standard hand-tools (including those that are self-fashioned: there's more than one top-tier gunsmith that I know who love to use old, broken punches for staking, and their stakes look delicious....) is absolutely Kosher, as long as it is performed properly.

In all honesty, the only specialized tools that I think a beginning AR-hobbyist actually *_need_* are the proper torque wrenches for the various fittings. Everything else can be "redneck-engineered" to some degree or another.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Is the sides if the key smashed towards the screw so to speak?View attachment 20783

Yes, but only a bit. Not to the degree pictured.

 

[mikeshan1911]

@Rusty Shackleford - my thoughts mirror those of @TEXASforLIFE 's - just because it's staked ( and the quality of that we'll set aside for now, for the sake of keeping this reply simple ), it doesn't necessarily mean that it was either installed correctly to begin (i.e. was it torqued correctly, was it cross-threaded, did they use sealant, and if so, what, did they true the mating surface of the gas key, etc.) with or that the hardware used was not itself somehow defective (i.e. is it the proper hardware to begin with, was it a defective batch of hardware the wasn't hardened properly, etc.).

Overall, I have the same advice for you that I gave to masterchither in the XDTalk thread, below:

Bolt carrier key wiggles a little

www.xdtalk.com

As I noted there (same screen name as here, albeit with a different Avatar), what you decide to do here can be based off a simple matrix of whether the gun is "hobby" versus "serious use" and whether you are more or less comfortable performing your own mechanical work.

Even as a beginner, I believe that the videos and resources that I cited in that thread should be sufficient guide to help you effect the necessary repairs in a definitive manner. Stoning the replacement key is a value-added step that few folks I know actually pursue, and while a specialized staking tool will make the job easier as well as more fool-proof, staking using standard hand-tools (including those that are self-fashioned: there's more than one top-tier gunsmith that I know who love to use old, broken punches for staking, and their stakes look delicious....) is absolutely Kosher, as long as it is performed properly.

In all honesty, the only specialized tools that I think a beginning AR-hobbyist actually *_need_* are the proper torque wrenches for the various fittings. Everything else can be "redneck-engineered" to some degree or another.

Which staking tool do you recommend? Brownells seems to get the best reviews

 

[TSiWRX]

Which staking tool do you recommend? Brownells seems to get the best reviews

I've only ever used the MOACKS - http://www.m-guns.com/tools.php

I wish I could give a. comparison, but as a hobbyist only and not an industry professional, I don't have breadth-of-experience with tools, I'm afraid.

Chad Albrecht of SOTAR recommends for this purpose *_ONLY* this tool.

School of the American Rifle

****SOTAR AR TOOL, GAUGE, & JIG LIST**** ******************************************************** My Students often ask for suggestions about what AR Tools, Gauges, and Jigs they should buy. When I...

www.facebook.com

^ In case you can't see the full tools-list he detailed on that FB post.....

-M-Guns MOACKS Staking Jig
There is no other good option. I have tried them all. I suggest you avoid using striking tools to stake from the side of the Gas Key. Doing so will stress the Gas Key Screws.