Ar-15 barrel trouble

[Jarhead0093]

So here's my issue and I really need some help. I bought a barrel and upper from Ares Armor out of California. After I got it I took it to Curts Discount out on McLoughlin to have them put together. After they tried to install it I got a call that they couldn't get it to fit. The pic below will show as far as they got it. Has anyone had this issue before? Thank you

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[balline36m3]

Either the barrel or upper is out of spec I would guess. Most likely the upper receiver

 

[Jarhead0093]

I'm thinking so. Either the upper is small or the barrel is big.

 

[Jarhead0093]

I thought about tapping the back of the receiver with a rubber mallet. But I'm assuming Curts tried that already. I'm unsure whether it's the diameter of the barrel extension, or the length of it, or the inside diameter of the upper receiver.

 

[Certaindeaf]

"couldn't get it to fit"? oof. A carpenter or what won't even try to make something "fit" unless it's fittable before essentially destroying it and then saying that it couldn't be done but thank you for our f up (and your $).

 

[Jarhead0093]

By couldn't get it to fit I meant that they couldn't get the barrel all of the way in. I was just wondering if this was an issue other people have had and the route they went to fix it. Other than shipping parts back and forth

 

[Jarhead0093]

So from what I've researched it isn't a rare problem. Others have put the barrel in the freezer overnight and then used a heat gun to heat the upper.

 

[mjbskwim]

I thought about tapping the back of the receiver with a rubber mallet. But I'm assuming Curt's tried that already. I'm unsure whether it's the diameter of the barrel extension, or the length of it, or the inside diameter of the upper receiver.

Tapping the ALUMINUM receiver onto a STEEL barrel? Sounds like a good idea when the barrel should slide in.Could be a $100+ experiment.
So this Curt's didn't have another receiver or barrel to see which was out of specs? They didn't have a gunsmith that could mic each? I bet you could find the mil specs online
Why would you take your gun there?
Last 2 AR uppers I put together I put the barrels in the receiver with little effort and then I tightened the barrel nut.After oiling lightly
Then I loosened it back up and tightened it back down to align the tube passage.
Both shot perfect.
Easy peasy,no gunsmith needed

 

[Jarhead0093]

So I emailed Brownells and talked to a tech. I was told that tapping the ALUMINUM receiver onto the STEEL barrel is fairly common. And after heating the receiver and applying grease it went right on. No big deal after all

 

[AMProducts]

Assembly grease is an important consideration when installing barrels, and quite specifically the barrel nut.

Generally, I would guess that ares machines things to southern california spec, which given the higher ambient air temps means things fit fine. Take it into the cold... and then... there's your issue.

 

[Heywood]

Heat the receiver with a hair dryer and put the barrel in the freezer and it should tap on pretty easily. The problem you have is a good one. At least you will not have to bed it with locktite.

Sounds like your LGS is used to slapping together sloppy Ar parts. They should have known better. I wouldn't go back.

I just read that you already figured that out. Please disregard the first part. Not the second.

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

Sounds like your LGS is used to slapping together sloppy Ar parts. They should have known better. I wouldn't go back.

this is not a custom fit rifle. it's a miss match parts, so it may not fit well compare to others. Gunsmiths just don't want to take a risk screw up the rifle. so he let the customer know what the issue was.

 

[Heywood]

this is not a custom fit rifle. it's a miss match parts, so it may not fit well compare to others. Gunsmiths just don't want to take a risk screw up the rifle. so he let the customer know what the issue was.

Any time a customer brings in AR parts to a local gun shop to have them put together, it is a custom job. Otherwise people would do it themselves or they would just buy a completed rifle.
If the parts they have are too loose, there are things they should know to do to fix it, likewise if they are too tight. If this is a can of worms they do not want to open, they shouldn't offer to do it in the first place.
They may be great for other things but as far as making an AR platform rifle work as it should, this is not the place to go.

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

I understand what you are saying too. but not every armors carry freezer.

 

[Heywood]

Sorry for the thread hijack.
I may have sounded harsh at first but when you constantly hear about how the AR platform is unreliable or needs to be constantly tinkered with to make it run, granted most of those rumors are behind us now, it is because they were never properly assembled, Or assembled with inferior parts or just the wrong parts. On factory as well as custom built rifles I have seen dozens of little errors like this one make a good platform run like crap and I think letting people know this is a common occurrence and is easily fixed by knowledgable people as well as steering people away from un knowledgable shops is what a forum like this is great for.
To the OP glad you got it worked out.