Adding a tensioning screw to an AR lower

The rattle drives me nuts. Most are GTG, had 1 Gibbz upper and Aero lower that were at min and max of the spec for front receiver pin. Did the Oring trick, but after opening to clean it would break. I made a shim from plastic laying around. Its lasted.
I have seen the issue with bolt riding too high with acu wedge,once. We swapped upper/lowers around couple times. Problem solved.
Sometimes the stars align to produce a big bag O crap.
If it were easy, Democrats would do it.
 
I meant to say cryo treated barrels. It was all the rage.

Benchrest, other long distance shooting was one of the many gun related group activities I have participated in where certain people have a tendency to overthink things. Especially when it some to shooting. Gunsmithing, working on guns of course requires thought and skill. Shooting, not so much. It's good training and whatever eye-hand coordination skill you are born with. Gun fighting is all that plus instinct. Combining all that into regular practice, you will be good enough. Or really good (like me) :)

I've encountered some real tools in 3 gun and pistol matches. It's always some old fat guy in suspenders. Why is that?
 
Racer88 said:
He said, and I quote, "That's for you to figure out. You're on your own.
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I had the third best score in a 1000 yd match in central PA. Light gun. I drove four hours to get there.

They gave away a trophy for best score. Second and third was a ribbon/medal thing. They went on about the #1 and #2 winners and when 3rd came up the dude emceeing the awards said, "And third for light gun... this guy." He intentionally did not call me by name or say anything else and nobody clapped or congratulated me. It was really weird and awkward. I barely spoke to anyone that day so it wasn't that I committed some kind of faux pas or insulted anyone.

It was like I showed up at a party I was not invited to. We all notice when we don't receive recognition for an achievement. Fortunately I was blessed with not giving a shit if I don't get it. Instead of feeling resentful, I feel like I rebalanced my chakras.
 
Bongo Lewi said:
I'd suggest no effort to accurize is worthless. The question is how much did it help. Once you add a good barrel, trigger and optics, further tweaks help but their effect is small.

It's kind of like handloads vs. high quality match grade ammo. Today, the difference isnt what it used to be. I placed and won matches with match quality factory ammo and bolt gun that was pretty much bone stock except for the trigger and optic. Once you get to a certain level of quality/precision I'm convinced it's more about the Indian than the the arrow.
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I very much agree. To me the process of increasing your rifles accuracy is as much about enjoying the journey as it is the destination.
 
Bongo Lewi said:
when 3rd came up the dude emceeing the awards said, "And third for light gun... this guy." He intentionally did not call me by name or say anything else and nobody clapped or congratulated me. It was really weird and awkward. I barely spoke to anyone that day so it wasn't that I committed some kind of faux pas or insulted anyone.
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Wow! LOL!

I didn't place, but I didn't come in last place, either!
 
"it's a big club- and YOU aren't in it!" - George Carlin

Every activity, situation & vocation has their heaping helping of tools...sad to say. Some more than others. It's the human condition.

Musicians are just as bad. God forbid you should have something salient to bring to people that's liked, gasp, on what they think is their turf. Happily, it gets somewhat better (I did say somewhat) in the professional circles, which, because we're talking flawed human beings, still have their share of prima donnas, dirtbags, and malcontents. But the more elementary "this is my sandbox- piss off" types are weeded-out pretty well. They can have their little kingdom of 8 barstools, 10 chairs, and somebody's mystery puke all over the front of the 'stage' while I was doing uhh, let's just say substantially larger venues and doing a much higher volume of events. But it's funny how people's perception of celebrity can change their attitude on a dime...if it suits them.

You can always pick out the "lead guitarists" in the crowd. Back in the clubs and small venues, usually along the back wall, lined up with arms crossed as if to say "I can do better" complete with the glaring facial expressions....snort. Thankfully, not all are like that. If only people would see that life is too short for that, and can be so much more as well.

I'm truly sorry you folks have to deal with that crap on a range. Pathetic. It's fun to share with like-minded peeps. We can all learn something from one another, in spite of differences. Everybody wins that way.

The only losers are the ones who truly are.

Back to the OP- thankfully our AR'S fit snugly as if lowers & uppers were fitted to one another.
 
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Bedding more traditional actions isn't a waste of time. Bolt guns and gas guns like the M1 Garand and M14.

Those actions can flex and affect the trigger groups on bolt guns. M1 and M14 (M1A) rifles are a special case because the barrel is under tension from the stock ferrule.

It's just that the AR is a unique design. Stoner unitized the rifle to such an extent that the upper is nearly self contained.
 
Racer88 said:
Wow! LOL!

I didn't place, but I didn't come in last place, either!
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I did OK. Placed a couple of times. Never got the big trophy though. A pretty much plain vanilla Browning X Bolt in 300 WSM. Leupold optics, Timney trigger. Rifle... $1500 the glass was about $1200 as I recall. That is a damn good long range rifle. I switched to a Tikka for serious backwoods hunting because it was so much lighter. Every ounce feels like a pound on an elk or bighorn hunt.

I later started shooting a Ruger RPS in 6.5 Creedmoor for long range precision shooting. A surprisingly good gun for the money. The sweet spot for that rifle and the 6.5 CRM seems to be 600-800 yards. I can ring steel at that range with that gun, match ammo and a modest scope with very little effort.

The difference between placing or not is sometimes a couple of millimeters. Anybody who can hit a target at 1000 yards without taking an hour and a half to make the shot is a champ in my book. That was the other thing that bugged me. The tweaking and fiddle-fucking around some of those guys engaged in. Like watching paint dry. I wanted to say, Jeezus.... take the shot, Grandpa! If they were a sniper they would be spotted and if hunting the animal would be gone by the time they pulled the trigger.
 
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Racer88 said:
Naaaa... working on guns is never a waste of time! :)

Thanks for joining the forum and participating by posting! When you get a chance, please write up a quick ā€œintroductionā€ (or RE-introduction if you were a former MGB forum member) of yourself over in the Introduce Yourself! section. Tell us about yourself, your building experience, and how you found the forum.

Jump into other threads, too! Come on in... the water's fine! šŸ˜Š
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You are absolutely correct, it is the journey to accuracy that gives me my greatest enjoyment.
 
The Aero M4E1 lowers come with both a nylon tipped upper tensioning screw and a 440 set screw for the rear detent. I see if thereā€™s any blems up for grabs cause theyā€™re guaranteed to function just something cosmetic and oftentimes itā€™s so superficial why not take the discount
 
My ARs were built with tactical use, in mind. I installed accu-wedges in several of them mainly to keep them quiet while moving.
 
The only person you truly ever compete against is yourself.
Bedding my bolt guns have had a positive effect on accuracy. Also 10/22 & A17 has benefited from it. I did a mini14 that did show improvement, but not much.
1 AR going to piston over DI improved, another not soooo much.
Fiddling around with function 1st, softest recoil/longest dwell time w/e. Buffer/gas match, then to tweak load has worked for me.
See alot of people try too hard to get a rifle to submit to a load it doesnt like.
 
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ā€œThe only person you truly ever compete against is yourself.ā€œ

Sterling words, Stephen G. Just Sterling. Iā€™ve tried to live up to that. Self-competitive. To better myself. Push it. Farther. Sure itā€™s great to have good examples to follow and learn from. But not to emulate- and thatā€™s a real easy to fall into and itā€™s a trap. Be yourself. Do it your way. What works best for you. Say it your way.

A longtime friend brilliantly stated (when it came to music): ā€œLearn everything you can from everybody else, and then throw it all away and go play guitar.ā€

In music you have 12 notes. What you do with those 12 is up to you.

Firearms: to simplify, itā€™s the gun and ammo, the target and you.

Go have fun. And help someone else do likewise.
 
6 strings, 12 scales, 5 octaves, 5 modes and 40 yrs of aggravation

Been playing since 1976, start out with a Genova acoustic and its grown into about a dozen. Even built several electric and 1 acoustic, plus dozens of other instruments.
My dream is to be able to complete my Hurdygurdy one day.
Favorites are AS 73 and my SG
 
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"6 strings, 12 scales, 5 octaves, 5 modes and 40 yrs of aggravation". :LOL:

Wow a Genova acoustic! How far off the neck were the strings? my first two guitars were hideous. In those days they didn't have the incredibly playable "entry-level" instruments that are available today. So you HAD TO WANT to play, and be willing to WORK for it. My goodness. What a time that was, eh?

FWIW I started out in 1973 with a family friend's borrowed Harmony arch top acoustic- hey it had the F-holes and all. My parents were leery at first. But it didn't take long for them to see I was serious and was what I was supposed to be doing...they finally got behind it and supported the quest.

Saved my lawn cutting $$ for a 12-string Takamine that I scored in @1974-ish - those were the classic Takamine Martin copies. While I was learning, I used to sit at my Mom's Thomas Organ with those wonderful bass pedals and so I had the low-end covered while playing guitar and singing. Not too long later I saw Rush using Taurus bass pedals. (y):)(y)

What a ride it's been.

But anyways, I've been blessed to acquire a PRS USA Silver Sky, Lakland 44-60 Skyline bass, and a Breedlove A/E 6-string over the last 3-4 years whilst I was still working construction before life threw a curve ball.

But anyways, this is the PGB forum so I won't go any further. Cheers!
 
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Since you Guitar Geeks have opened your guitar cases, you're going to have to link to some self-solos so we can all appreciate your talents... :)
 

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