i don't have any silencers, so that's out of the equation............i like to be able to use (as a standard for reliability) standard weight buffers (rifle or carbine), standard pressure springs (regardless of flat or round), full mass bcg and non-adjustable gas blocks.................from there going with a lite weight carrier and lower weight buffer is more easily done by adding an adjustable gas block...... less reciprocating mass does make less recoil felt or not...............having the gas port properly sized to do so is key..............i don't care to use a h2 or h3 just to combat op issues and the use of +2 isn't the answer like proof barrels and a few other rely on....................that's their excuse for their op and popped primers answer...........i don't mind fine tuning with adjustable gas blocks as it is needed for handloading variances........don't want to reload that can make accuracy worse just to make it reliable for non agb's.
gas port size
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kfreeze
Well-Known Member
The standard for reliability only works for the standard 5.56 and 7.62 rounds and milspec ammo though since that is what it was designed to use. I don't run much of that stuff. I had to learn to make it all work. The gentleman at x-caliber barrels was really helpful when I was first learning how to make odd stuff run good. He said that when you go away from milspec, it's kind of a guessing game that leads to most stuff being over gassed for reliability, becuas they test a few things to set gas port size. And in my case (204 ar barrel at the time) he said that the load must have been a little lighter than what they tested, because it wouldn't fully lock back on an empty mag. He also told me that since I was running an adjustable gas block that he would have the gas port opened up an extra .010" to ensure that I would always have enough gas. And that in the future to call in barrel orders and ask for the extra if I was using adjustable blocks. Short dwell times of high velocity stuff can really mess with stuff too. That guy was really helpful and knowledgable. I was really glad I made a phone call from what he explained to me.
i've talked with someone at x-cal also and when ordering ar's there is a place to choose adjustable and not for gas port sizing. my 7saum from them port size was close to .100+/- with the pin set i have. difficult to have a "1 size fits all" for anything in the ar10 platform as you can go from 22 to 50cal..........that's a big range! cartridge and caliber make a difference on port size as some could be the same at the same distance. i might talk with x-cal on monday or this week as see what or how much difference there is (for example) between 260rem and 6.5creed on port size as 1 has more case volume and has less max pressure.
lyle2231
Well-Known Member
Look on Amazon, nice selection to choose from, small sets to extensive sets, HTH
i got a set from the 1 like in post #5..thanks
kfreeze
Well-Known Member
There is definately a range. Haha. And then throw in different gas system lengths to adjust it even more. I was surprised to see my 20" 204 barrel come from APF with a mid length gas system. But it runs perfect.
