Most rigid handguard/upper

[The King]

i’m way more ghetto than you guys. ai have an out of spec lower, captured style spring I hate, commercial buffer tube etc.

I took a worn bcg and cut the gas tube surround off the key and put it all together as a barrel removal tool. use a shitty charging handle cause it gets a bit of wear this way. Pull back bcg and let go and it’ll hammer the barrel out pretty hardcore.

 

[JohnCarter17]

Use the shim stock. I used to do both (shim and green loctite), but after prying too many barrels out of uppers and damaging one upper with the loctite, I only use shims unless it is for a hardcore precision build where I don't really plan on ever replacing the barrel in that upper.

Were you setting up with the upper vertical with barrel pointing down (above a waste basket) using a dowel and hammer on the barrel extension to break it loose?

That should eliminate issues.

 

[Nivium]

Yep that's the move. But on one of mine I guess I didn't heat it enough and a little bit of upper came off on the extension

 

[Neurotic]

I can't recall which loctite I've used, but hoppe's 9 solvent softens it. Sort of difficult to get it into the area, but let it soak for a day or two and a few whacks will release the barrel.

 

[MontanaMan]

I have a DD quad rail but it doesn't clear an adjustable gas block under the rail and looking to run mid to intermediate for a 16" barrel.

I also have an slr handguard with a (no idea who made it) upper. This also runs into the same problem of fitting an adjustable gas block under the rail.

I have an lmt mws with a bartlein barrel that is completely predictable and stack rounds just like a bolt gun. I have never seen a gas gun shoot with this kind of consistency and I'm thinking the secret is in the monolithic upper.

I never seen a rail that an SLR (.750) adjustable gas block wouldn't fit under.....................just sayin'

As for a stiff rail, a lot of potential rail movement has to do with the length (bearing surface) of the barrel nut.

SLR, Geiselle, ALG (owned by Geiselle) & the newer WOA rails & barrel nuts all work fine but the WOA is heavy............but very stiff due to it's thickness & the steel barrel nut.

Top end barrels tend to shoot well if installed well.................& that likely has at least as much to do to do with your Bartlein barreled gun as the monolithic upper, though that certainly is a good thing if that's your huckleberry/

Viltor MUR, SanTan & Cross Machine all make heavier walled (maybe stiffer) uppers; & if you glue in or otherwise, fit the barrel extension tightly to the upper, they should be plenty GTG.

Unless you are putting ungodly stress on a free floated rail, it's not going to deflect the barrel & if the sighting system is only mounted to the upper receiver itself, it's not going to be affected by what happens to the rail either.

JMO & what I use.

MM