Building for accuracy

[stokesrj]

Hi everybody,
I'm in the process of getting my upper parts together to build a Grendel. Does anyone want share any tips to help make the gun more accurate. I heard to use locktite when mating the barrel in the upper receiver. Does this sound right? Anything else I need to do to help with accuracy.

Thanks,

Hi,
I've built a few Grendels now, but before I did, I took a class at the NRA school of Gunsmithing at Trinidad from John Hollinger who builds more match winning AR's than anyone. I went to the class to learn all the secrets of building accurate AR's.

What I learned was to start with top quality components and don't worry about it. Since then I've built quite a few sub .5MOA rigs. The most critical component is the barrel, by far the most critical. Use anti-seize on the treads for the barrel nut and green (wicking) locktite on the gas block after it is mounted in place. The wicking locktite will fill any voids in the barrel to gas block interface and dampen any vibrations.

The torque used to tighten the barrel nut in not critical, I've used from 25 to 120 ft lbs with the same results. It is a good idea as stated before to tighten, back off, and retighten once or twice to compress the threads and align the gas tube. Another important point is that the gas tube should align with the center of pass though the receiver. To check this, install the gas block and tube, swing it from side to side and insure the movement is equal on either side of the centerline of the barrel. If not, reposition the gas block until it is.

I've had great results using cut rifle barrels from Kreiger and Satern and button rifled barrels from Wilson and Pac-Nor. I've seen no chrome lined barrels that shot worth having.

Hope this helps,
Bob