Changing muzzle devices...for someone who is anal retentive

[esizer]

Hey all! I finally took the NFA plunge and have a few Dead Air cans on order. Pretty much all of my ARs have A2 muzzle devices...but need to be switched out for the Dead Air devices.
As someone who has some *ahem* light anal retentive tenancies...I have gleaned that the "proper" way to change muzzle devices is with a set of barrel blocks. There are folks who swear up and down that you are "fine" to do it with anything from a clamshell to a reaction rod to a Bev block and everything in between. The worst case scenario with these other methods is you'll either shear the indexing pin, damage the indexing notch, and/or loosen the barrel extension.

Which process do you recommend from your collective experiences in replacing muzzle devices?

[00tec]

I like my barrel extension torque tool.

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...prod27452.aspx

[brutal]

I like my barrel extension torque tool.

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...prod27452.aspx

That's what I have.

[ChickNorris]

Pm'd you

[Little Dutch]

I always just take off the flash hider with a wrench. Maybe a little persuasion with the aid of a mallet if the crush washer is really torqued down.
Maybe I?m mis-interpreting the actual question, but I don?t see why you would need a block to remove a flash hider or suppressor adapter.

[Great-Kazoo]

For a flash hider the reaction rod works very well and would be my 1st choice. To remove a barrel the clam shell is the best way to go.

[brutal]

He's asking about how to hold the upper/barrel and remove the flash hider without breaking anything.

FWIW, A2 shouldn't need any excess force if it was installed properly to finger tight against the crush washer, then 90* minimum turn, then aligned, but no more than 460*. If some ape put it on, it may need a couple ugga dugga's but not anything that will spin a barrel extension that is high torque/heat installed.

The crush washer, unless some dolt bottoms it out, won't let you apply much more than about 20-25 ft lbs. anyway.

[Circuits]

I clamp the barrel at the FSB between a couple of 2x4 sections.

The closer you can clamp to where you're applying torque, the better.

[esizer]

I appreciate all of the info!

[Hoser]

Use shims to set the timing. Dont use crush washers.