Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyarlothep
My question is this; how did you heat treat the bolt stop that you found to be impervious to notching (degree etc)? Is there any other mod you applied; like the filing of the nub, the back of the slant (bolt contact) or the magazine contact on the bottom? I'm about to go full stock but I'm going to try one last time. Thanks in advance - also we can't be the only two people who are experiencing this!
P.S. I also wonder if the problem occurs due to how far the buffer tube is screwed in or backed out - I have tried both ways; too far back results in the hammer lock problem - too forward I haven't noticed a change. Is there a sweet spot that negates the slamming forward of the bolt? Also I don't thing using the charging handle can have a positive effect either way, I mean the bolt slams forward on lock back in either case right? I have also employed that method but with limited success.
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I basically heated the catch until it was non magnetic. With a torch it only took less than 4 minutes or so until it was red hot. It gets red hot fairly quick, but I ensured it was in a non magnetic state while heating it just to ensure it was at a estimated stable hardening temperature.
Then with a can of water nearby, a quick dunk and done.
Most of the time it's trial and error. I had 3 catches that I worked with and the successful one I actually treated twice since my file test failed the first time. The second time, the file was skating well, and that catch is still in pristine condition.
The successful catch that was heat treated was never modified prior to heat treat.
The previous catches I tried were ones that were mangled by the bolt carrier, and had filed flat to keep their function.
I decided to start with a new fresh catch, instead of trying to heat treat one that I had filed considerably in structure to keep its function.
The weight of the buffer and bolt carrier will definitely impact the integrity of the catch.
For the first 100 tries I tested with the heat treated catch, I used the stock bolt carrier and buffer. No damage or deformity in any manner - absolutely pristine as in the picture further up.
Up to this point after the first 100, I have used the stock buffer that's been weighted to 60g (stock is about 21g or so) and the ra-tech bolt carrier. I believe the ra-tech carrier is about 20 or so grams heavier than the stock bolt carrier. Nonetheless, the return to battery weight is about 60-80 grams more than stock. I am also using the stock buffer spring in all cases.
Eventually, I will attempt to assess the damage using the angry gun super recoil buffer, which is a whopping 200+ grams. This would be the true test, but in reality, I am negating this in my head since real ar15 buffers in reality and practicality never are this heavy. Plus I would need a stronger buffer spring just to return the bolt carrier to battery in an acceptable timeframe (very sluggish to battery even with angry gun's provided spring - it's actually shorter and weaker than the stock WE buffer spring).
With Angry Gun's buffer, you have to pay very close attention to the amount you screw in the buffer tube as it will get locked behind the hammer. I remedied this by simply putting about 1 dollar in quarters in the buffer tube. With the stock buffer you won't really have this problem unless the buffer is not screwed in enough.
Angry gun's buffer is problematic because they have a spring on the end of the buffer to necessitate faster return to battery, but at times the spring compresses just enough to get caught behind the hammer. So it's trial and error between catch functionality and not getting caught behind the hammer.