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any idea of a pin at the hardware store to replace

4K views 25 replies 6 participants last post by  moleman 
#1 ·
any idea of a pin at the hardware store to replaca gas tube pin?

I am almost done a build and I don't want to wait till I have another order or pay $8 shipping for a pin
 
#2 ·
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That's the blem upper , Blem lower/w parts kit and blem BCG I have a 5.56 barrel I got from Midway but I figured I can afford to shoot 5.45 so now was the time to use the barrel. I will be opening the bolt shortly. Furniture was from some trades etc Gas block is clamp on rail type and I have some imitation magpul BUIS to go with a red dot scope.
 
#3 ·
I can't remember right off hand what they are (5/64" or 3/32" perhaps?) but it is a common size. I can never seen to find them the right length though and just get the longer ones and make two out of them. Take your gas tube with and check for fit. I have used cotter pins in a pinch or for fitting parts ect.
 
#4 ·
Do what you want ,,,,but I myself would never use hardware store anything on a firearm,,,,period, unless you're screwing on a stock or something. Next time you go, look at the box's there screws ect are in,,,,,made in China,,,

Temper would be suspect with any of that hardware you'll get at a regular hardware store IMO. I've bought grade 8 stuff before there to use on a marine application and when I went to torque it down it snapped well before even getting close to the torque spec., and they were "grade 8", supposedly. NO WAY IN HELL should a 3/8' grade 8 bolt snap at a 35 ft lb torque setting!!!! And NO,,, it wasn't the torque wrench either, it's a Snap-On wrench that's very accurate, not some 14.99 special from wally world. Not a biggie there and it just took some time to get out the broken piece. On a gun though,,you just might get the failure when you shoot it!!!! NOT GOOD!!!!! I've used some roll pins from there before for some other non-gun projects around the house and they all failed miserably, and they were used in a area where there was little pressure on them, so myself I just don't trust that cheap hardware at all.

We had a guy around here a year or two ago that did a AK screw build with Aubuchon Hardware Store screws,supposedly grade 8 oval head allen screws,, and on the 3rd shot the trunnion ,barrel and everything out front,, ended up laying on the ground 10 feet in front of him!!! He got some injuries out of the deal too,,how bad I don't know? But he was in the hospital for a few days and when I saw him,he had bandages on his nose and 2 very black eyes and a bunch of stitch's. So do what you want to. BUT,,,,,,,,just saying!!!

You don't have a gun shop local where they might just have a selection of hardware?? Worst case get one of the "spring and pin kits" just to be safe. That would be my call, but that's just me,,,,I'm a pussy and just don't relish the idea of spitting out gun parts myself. Just me. Hell probably one of the members here could even fix ya up with a spare if you have some buds here.

I sure as Hell wouldn't use hardware store , hardware though!!
 
#5 ·
the gas tube roll pin is just a standard roll pin like any hardware store-farm supply/hardware store sells.

i don't recall the size --but i have seen many replaced with no issue. the only thing is you may have to cut the hardware store ones to length as they probably won;'t have the correct length.

any roll pin can be replaced with hardware store ones of the same size. their is absolutely nothing special or military grade about them.

the only things about roll-pins i have seen is any pin that is installed and removed several times loses its tension. in that case a new hardware store pin is better than a USGI pin that has been installed and removed a dozen times.

the USGI pins are made from hardware store stock-- it is the same thing.


TWA is correct about the bolts -- never use hardware store bolts on anything that has a grade requirement--

remember jon denver?

that is a no-no--

i would send you one if i got a spare-- only thing is i am so bad about losing those little flea sized things--LOL

a rule of thumb for the roll-pins is as long as they got tension their still good. when they start going in too easy--toss um.
 
#7 ·
Looks good Bubba.
 
#9 ·
Yes, several. Chuck up the bolt and center it, use a carbide bit/boring bar and don't remove any material from the bolt face. You will want to touch up the bevel a bit since you removed some of it. You can also round off the corners of the extractor slightly if they are causing problems.
 
#11 ·
remember jon denver?
Yes, and his crash had nothing to do with any hardware failure. He ran out of fuel in one wing, and the manual fuel switch was located behind his seat. At 700 feet altitude, he reached around to try to turn the switch, inadvertently pushed in his rudder pedal, and dove into the ocean.
 
#12 ·
Opened up the bolt face today bounced around a little bit but got it finished, these are hard steel with out a carbide boring bit I would have been shit out of luck, face has some bruises but nothing that took much material off and depth from lugs to face is within a thousandths of another bolt I have so I think were good. ca I polish the face or just leave it be?

 
#18 ·
The books say 5.45 has a rim diameter of .394" same as a 9mm......only most of the 9mm I measure has a rim diameter of about .387" except for some German and British WWII cases I measured. I don't have a 5.45 case right now to measure. Measure several of the rims on your ammo and go at least .005" over that and try for .010" like a standard bolt has.
 
#19 ·
you may need to dress a little bit.

the round needs to fit in the bolt square on the bolt face. it is easy to leave a little rise around the edges that won't let the round fit all the way down and square on the bolt. that tiny bit will cause the round to ride up in the bolt--

my cutter does the exact same thing, i have another cutter that i use to do a finish operation that only cuts that edge around the bolt face to get a flat square seat of the round in the bolt.


it might be tight too- you'll have to do some specing with the calipers--
 
#21 ·
I got it cleaned up and polished chambering fine only thing is I checked the depth of the bolt face with a caliper and compared it to a 5.56 bolt head and now the 5.45 is .125 compared to the .119 of the 5.56 do you think I need to worry about the .006 difference?
 
#23 ·
i would think .006" would suffice. it should be OK provided the head space measurements of the bolt before the mod on the bolt was correct.

there is some variation in bolts/barrel extensions from one to another, generally not enough to run-out.

i don't run into many issues with the proper head-space even when modding bolts provided i don't let the cutter get away from me--LOL.

i had some new AA arms 6.5G bolts i had to return it seems AA spaced their bolts for the 6.5g deep for some reason. wouldn't work with a standard AR-15 head-space.

as all ways be very careful when test firing anything that was just opened up. i would just fire one shot recover the spent case and look for anything odd. like bulged primers , or any type of distortion of the case.

if every thing on the first case looks OK-- then fire a few more ---check ALL of them -- after that hand full of cases checks out-- provided there are no other issues cropping up. you should be good to go.
 
#25 ·
it might not hurt to check for any kind of excessive swell on the @ss end of the spent case with a digital caliper too.

that will require checking the unfired round recording its measurements --then checking the fired case against the loaded rounds measurements.

if the head space is excessive there will be a tiny bit of expansion just ahead of the rim as the round will be back too far in the breech.

i don't see .006 doing any of this --but it is all ways better to play it extra conservative .

if would be really nice if someone had a set of 5.45 HS go and no go just to be sure.

i have spaced many on live rounds or dummy rounds of the correct specs and used math to give a +/- to the no go side.

right now i don't know anybody has got a set of go-no gos in 5.45 if i had some i would send them as loaners--
 
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