I purchased an assembled 10.5 upper and I cant get the barrel nut off. I’ve never dealt with a stuck barrel nut like this before.
Does anyone here have any suggestions on proven ways to successfully get this thing off without breaking parts or tools?
Thanks
torch
You need a wrench and a breaker bar. PSA has a gorilla that installs their barrel nuts.
With the upper in vice blocks, I used PB Blaster and a breaker bar with the proper crows foot all day long. I put it in the freezer at 6 p.m. and tried to remove it again after four hours. No luck so I put it back in the freezer and planned to give it a try after sitting overnight. That’s when I came here. I was planning to take Reaper’s advice and go pick up a propane torch if the overnight freezer attempt failed. After about 13 hours in the freezer it came loose but I still had to use full force to get it to turn. Unbelievable.
Sounds like you used plenty of this:
There is a good chance the freezer made the anti-seize hard…
and different materials shrink less than other when they get cold.
No clue what PSA’s assembly procedures are, but it certainly doesn’t seem as though they use anti-seize.
Been lucky enough not to get a barrel nut this bad from PSA. Yet, none of them have been in the ballpark of acceptable. Seems as though they either dangerously over-torque them or use thread locker.
Torch has helped me, on occasion. A very solidly mounted vise/upper receiver vise block helps more than most realize, as well.
Currently in the same boat. Victim of the angry install gorilla.
The Install Gorilla needs to know that Anti-Seize is Not the MilSpec article for Barrel Nut installation to begin with.
AeroShell 33 or an MilSpec equivalent is what is used for Barrel Nut and Muzzle Device installation.
5 years ago I purchased a PSA 20" A2 profiled Upper with goal of Removing the Barrel Assy from the Flat Top Upper and making an A2 Rifle with an A2 Carry Handled Receiver. I too encountered a Barrel Nut that would not budge regardless of Heat,Cold or any amount of force applied to it. The remaining choice after really wrecking a nice Armorers Wrench was Using a Dremel Cut Off Ziz Wheel and carefully cut the barrel nut while avoiding damage to the Barrel or the Flat Top Receiver it came with.
My findings was No signs of any Lubricant of any description being used at the time of assembly…remember this was a complete Virgin Complete Upper from the box.
My A2 got built and the Original Flat Top Receiver was Re-Purposed to another future project. The Only losses being a Armorer’s Wrench , Barrel Nut and a good bit of time.
Quality Control was Not in play at the time my PSA Rifle Upper was assembled. Customer Service at the time was Not apologetic for their mistake and was quick to point out their lack of responsibility for anything since the Assembly was taken apart. I was not looking for any restitution…just pointing out a flaw in the build process.
“Anti-seize” is generic for whatever they use. Yes, aeroshell is milspec, but there are much better options on the market now.
Guitar Guy
If nothing was Used at all? Which it wasn't!
Trying to discredit my use of a tried and prooven product accomplishes what?
Yes AeroShell 33MS has been surpassed by AeroShell 64 and a few others. Historically speaking more weapons have been successfully assembled with the Former as opposed to the Latter.
The Point is…PSA does let a few slip past with No Assembly Lubrication used of any description…and thats not good business practices especially when mating dissimilar metals.
Im not trying to discredit anything, just clarifying my own definiton of anti-sieze.
Fair enough…but lets do it justice for those whom might not really get the difference.
Aeroshell 33/64 or the other Lubricants are Precisely that " Lubricants" . They are designed Specifically for High Temperature. High Presuure conditions with an extreme level of anti-corrosive properties that become extreme when Dissimilar Metal Mating Surfaces are brought into contact with one another.
Thread Locker is precisely that. It helps prevent un-commanded Reverse Rotation between Threaded Surfaces with little if any Anti-Corrosion qualities added to the mix.
Proper Torque Values with well lubricated threads from Established Lubricants will not require a Thread Locker of any description to install a Barrel Nut on an M-16,M4 or any AR family member.
I have removed countless barrels over the last 40 years…both New and Old and Cooked. This 1 ( One) PSA is the Only Barrel Assembly I’ve ever encountered with No Sign of a Lubricant used or having to cut off a Barrel Nut due to the lack there of.
How can I get a barrel nut wrench for a PSA 11.5 upper? Is there a generic one or is it proprietary like Midwest industries? I want the ability to change my handguard to something different. I know there are flats on the barrel nut but seem very large for a box end wrench. I have never seen one on PSA website or store.
You first need to say if this is a Stock Configured 11.5 inch with a Conventional (OEM) Barrel Nut or something Free Floating that will likely require Proprietary Tooling for Clean , Damage Free Removal and Installation.
OEM Barrel Nuts getting marred up or teeth broken isn’t a big ordeal or costly mistake. Breaking Something " Proprietary " could cost money and likely a waiting period in getting a replacement part and the right tooling.
Some companies that sell Free Float systems will include a adapter wrench and you have to supply the Torque Wrench or Breaker Bar, others sell the Installation Adapter separately.
A good armorer’s wrench will work with most barrel nuts. You may need a big adjustable wrench though.
Has always been code for “Profanity Cloudburst Generator” for me.
BFW goes with my BFH.