Forward Assist is too long

[MrLowandSlow]

I have my new LR-6.5 with the standard A3 upper, and I just noticed the forward assist sticks down into the carrier recess even without pushing on it. I noticed this when I attempted to put a bore guide into it so I could clean it, and the very tip of the forward assist scratched the heck out of it. I haven't shot it yet (it's still new; I just got it a couple months ago), but it seems to cycle fine - there are no scratches on the carrier from the little tip of the forward assist.

I assume something went wrong durng assembly. Anybody have any ideas?

[imschur]

is it too long or is it not springing all the way back out?

[MrLowandSlow]

It springs out fully. When I depress it, it depresses fully too. I tried to measure it (by eyeball), and it looks like it sticks out about 1/16" into the carrier recess.

[imschur]

bump this thread tomorrow night and Ill examine my .308

[MrLowandSlow]

Cool. Thanks for the help, imschur!

[98Z5V]

Who put the forward assist in the upper?  Did you receive it assembled, or install it yourself?  Reason I ask is when you're installing it yourself, it's really a 3-hand job - you need 3 hands to do it properly.  Since none of us ever asks a buddy over to help out, we "manage" it...  ;D

If the F/A was pushed in too far when the roll pin was installed, it could have caught an extra coil on the F/A spring - which would have it setting too far in the chamber when installed.  That would be on whoever installed the F/A, be it you or where you got the assembled upper from. 

I used a 4d nail (perfect diameter of the roll pin and hole) that was 1.5" long, and inserted the thing in from the bottom - it was long enough to catch the F/A assembly in place while I beat the hell out of the roll pin, in from the top.  Worked like a charm, and the roll pin going in knocked the nail right out the bottom. 

My $0.02...

[MrLowandSlow]

Hmmm....makes sense, 98Z5V. I'm not sure how I would get the forward assist out though; it looks like its easier to install then uninstall. Also, I didn't install it myself, it came from DPMS assembled. Thanks for your help...this site totally rocks!

[98Z5V]

It's WAY easier to un-install it yourself!  ;D  I had to put mine in a stripped upper 3 times to get it right...  yeah, no joke...  which is probably why I said what I said...  :-[

I thought I had it, two-handed, and the damn thing was WAY in the chamber...  Pushing in on F/A, holding roll pin, whacking hammer...  Big Sad Face for me.  I had to figure it out. 

You can drive that roll pin out from the bottom (the right way to do it) on the DPMS upper.  If you're using a punch, you'll need a LONG punch.  If you're using that nail I talked about, you'll need to be CAREFUL...  if you hit that nail head hard and flare the end of that roll pin, it's gonna flare and stick - right where it is.

I'll try to get a diameter of a punch you'll need for it.  My stuff it already together, and I didn't measure the diameter of the roll pin before I put it in.  I'll get that info in here tomorrow...

[MrLowandSlow]

Oh...now I see how the roll pin fits in there; I'll set the ego aside and admit I was looking for the bottom of the roll pin hole on the inside of the receiver, instead of just noticing it went straight down through the forward assist assembly.  :-[ Once I know what size punch to use, it should be pretty simple.  Thanks for the help, guys...learning is half of it!  :banana:

[98Z5V]

Okay, measured my punches.

0.060" diameter punch (1/16") was small enough, but it'll get stuck in the center of the roll pin.

Next size up was 0.090" diameter (3/32"), and it's too large to fit inside the hole for the roll pin.

The 4d nail was 0.080" in diameter, and that thing does the trick.  Just grab one at a hardware store (small pack, probably), and grind the point off so it's flat.  You won't have to worry about getting the thing stuck inside the roll pin.  You'll need a long 4d nail.  The 1.5" nail I was using would grab and hold the F/A in place, but it's not long enough to go all the way through there and drive the pin all the way out.  Something 2" would probably work, and certainly a 2.5" would do it. 

Hang onto the F/A when you tap it out - once it clears that roll pin, it'll fly under spring pressure.  Big parts, so they'd be easy to find, but they'll still fly.

[MrLowandSlow]

Thanks for the help, 98Z5V! I'm off to Home Deopt; I'll update this thread once I try it tonight. It seems kind of wierd that DPMS would make this mistake during assembly - has anyone else had a problem like this (or other quality control issues)?

[imschur]

Ill stick up for DPMS a little. I dont recall the actual numbers but they are shipping a massive amount of rifles, staggering actually. Occasionally something strange gets out the door. I never heard this one before though. Customer service is very good if you need it.

I hope this is simple, good luck!

[MrLowandSlow]

Well, here's the report. I went to home depot, but only found 1.5" 4D nails; no 2" or 2.5". I bought a box, but figured I would try using a 5/64" 2" allen wrench instead, since it is longer. Then I braced the setup and carefully smacked it with a hammer; no dice. I smacked it a few more times adding greater intensity with each blow, and all I ended up doing was bending my allen wrench (only very, very slightly, since it was almost a perfect fit for the hole, but slightly non-the-less).

I called DPMS this morning, and they said the forward assist is within tolerances, since the carrier is not scratched during cycling.

So, since I didn't have any luck punching out the pin, and since the forward assist does not impede the movement of the carrier, I think I'll leave it as is. However, since the bore guide is plastic and cheap, I think I'll try to shave one side of it flat, and put the flat side toward the forward assist when cleaning.

Thanks for the help, imschur and 98Z5V; I hope I can return the favors someday.  :)