I would start by reading this
Fooled by Randomness By Nassim Nicholas Taleb
I would start by reading this
Fooled by Randomness By Nassim Nicholas Taleb
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I always thought this was useful information:
https://www.slip2000.com/blog/s-w-a-...ine-filthy-14/
And IIRC the bolt was the first thing that failed, and IMO getting a good BCG and a good barrel covers a lot of the potential failure points. Also a lot of the "QC" has to do with metallurgy and is impractical to test or verify, so you need to have a reliable source because you are basically trusting them to have done it right.
Another take-away from the Filthy 14 exercise is that something really has to be screwed up for a direct impingement AR to just not work. They might be over gassed and wear out faster and be less pleasant to shoot, but putting something together that goes bang is pretty well assured. But going bang does not mean it always is going to, forever and ever.
Probably one of the only things you can actually check is the carrier key, and if it gets just a tiny bit loose the thing will quit running.
I have the Wheeler reaction rod. Never had any issues installing barrels or muzzle devices. Doesn't mean it's the best but...never had any issues.
The correct roll pin starters and punches will make life 1000000x easier. Cheap investment for heading off frustration and bent pins.
I like the Magpul armorers tool. Kinda pricey and you're possibly just paying for the name, but it is very high quality.
Get a lightweight mallet so you're not beating on your pins with a 20 oz hammer. I actually have a rawhide mallet from my brief foray into leatherworking.
Torque wrench - Most low-profile handguards now have proprietary barrel nuts that don't need to have the gas tube lined up, but you still want to make sure you hit the minimum ft-lb.
Not a tool, but the PWS ratcheting castle nut/QD plate is great. Snugs right up and you don't have to worry about staking it.
The Geissele Super Reaction Rod holds both the receiver and the barrel extension. I have both the standard and super reaction rods. I use the standard most of the time, but when you're getting paid to work on other people's stuff, it's much more important not to break it and you also can't dictate that your client base only use Colt parts. I user the Super Rod when I'm working on difficult things. Never had a part failure while using it despite having to use cold, heat, and a heckuva lot of force to make some barrel nuts move.
There's also this little gem that I personally take a little pride in:
Originally Posted by email between Bill and I
Food Court Apprentice
Semper Paratus certified AR15 armorer