tools for installing a free float handguard

[terrt_tr6]

I browsed the AF10 tools forum, but it is pretty dead...

I have a PSA AR-10  upper with the USGI (plastic) handguards.  I and pretty happy with the barrel but would like to swap to a free float handguard.  I cringe at buying an upper vise block and barrel nut wrench for a one time job.  Are there people who are willing to lend them(with suitable deposit )? 

I can see being able to make a barrel nut wrench(assuming PSA didn't hire a gorilla to do the install and furnish him with a 4' cheater bar) but not an upper receiver vise block.  Barring the availability of loaner tools, recommended tools to buy for the PSA upper? 

[98Z5V]

Geissele Reaction Rod for the 308s.  No upper vise blocks needed.  That'll hold the upper.  Need some details on the pin distance for the PSA PA-10 standard barrel nut.  Need that info to determine what wrench you'll need to get that barrel nut off.  Need the distance between two holes, 180 degrees apart.

A suitable deposit for the 308 Reaction Rod would be, well, $200.

https://geissele.com/ar10-sr25-reaction-rod.html

Edited May 8, 2018 by 98Z5V

[terrt_tr6]

that plastic hand guard is looking pretty good if it costs $200 to hold the upper. 

here is a question about that tool.  With AR15's i (and others) have found that it you hold the barrel as opposed to the upper when installing the nut (using a barrel clamp or this giessele tool), the indexing pin gets biased to the left side of the slot(shooters perspective). with an upper block, it biases to the right. When biased to the left the front site also goes to the right and requires a lot of windage to get on target.  this isn't the case with the upper block.  maybe a bigger issue if the slot is a slopppy fit, but i saw it on various manufacturers and years of uppers.  

For breaking lose a really cranked on nut though, this does look like the tool, but $200 is crazy.

[98Z5V]

18 minutes ago, terrt_tr6 said:

 With AR15's i (and others) have found that it you hold the barrel as opposed to the upper when installing the nut (using a barrel clamp or this giessele tool), the indexing pin gets biased to the left side of the slot(shooters perspective). with an upper block, it biases to the right.

Only if that slot is out of spec, on the upper receiver.  The barrel index pin should fit tight into it's slot in the upper.  It should be tight enough that you almost have to use the barrel nut to fully bottom the index pin in the slot (preferrable method, using the barrel nut, over pounding the barrel into the upper).

[blue109]

First thing is going to be figuring out what wrench will work on that barrel nut. You can probably rig a barrel vise after that. 

[terrt_tr6]

so does someone know what nut PSA uses? I understand that the DPMS and Armlite use  a different thread  but what are the variants for tooth pattern on a "standard " barrel nut?  

And Dews, i realize the slot "should" be a tight fit but  I have done a 1/2 dz ar-15's and have discussed this with several people on line who had the same experience that any tolerance slop stacked up the wrong way using a barrel clamp.  It's been some years, so maybe thngs were a  bit sloppier back then.  Oh well, found a great price on the upper block and just used it since.  Besides, now, you can often get the upper complete at such a good price, i have been buying them as a unit.

[shepp]

Check the PSA section there’s a ton of new info in there