I did this myself with a starret auto center punch. Never stake a castle nut before, is this sufficient to make sure the castle nut never comes loose?
You are GTG.
Does it displace metal into the socket portion of the castle but, inhibiting rotation?
If so, proper.
Looks very good actually. How many vertical / angled “punches” per displacement?
1 click actually. Starret’s quality seriously won me over with this. Look up Starret 18C Auto Center Punch. All it takes is 1 click at the right spot and right angle, and you’ll get the same result I got above.
Good to know, I just picked up that same auto punch to stake my castle nuts as well.
Goodness. That’s good. Hard to beat Starret quality.
The most important thing is not the stake. It is the torque. Has the castle nut been properly torqued (to 40 foot-lbs)? If yes, the staking is really just an additional tiny dot of assurance, not a really big deal. If no, the staking really won’t help anything.
That being said I believe your staking is very weak. It isn’t going to perform. The stake should start about half way across the width of the endplate. It needs to displace a significant amount of material into the castle nut cutout to do anything. As a bonus, it needs to displace material into the leading edge of the castle nut cutout. Meaning, the stake should be directed against the leading edge of the castle nut, the leading edge that would be moving if it was unscrewing.
Here is an example of a good stake job.
That stake is fine. It doesn’t require much to prevent lateral rotation of the nut.
That is one functional and aesthetically pleasing stake job. 
Don’t want to rain on the parade, but it’s OK. Next time around move the punch a little more left so the metal doesn’t just flake. As someone mentioned, the torque is a big part of the equation as well.
Noted.
I staked 3 of my guns’ castle nuts earlier today, this one was the worst one by appearance, so I figured I’d post this one up and if this one is okay, then the other 2 has to be fine too.
/thread.
Please, stay focused on what the actual goal is. In this case, stopping a piece of aluminum from turning against some threads (thread locker works, too). This isn’t building the Space Shuttle.
Edit: just read Iraqgunz post. Double to what is posted above. This isn’t rocket surgery, no matter who is sitting behind the keyboard.
Don’t want to start another thread, or fill up your in-box, just want you moderators to remember that 11-27-08 ‘post election thread’ date for necropost of the year. 
Thread locker isnt a good idea… I’ve seen buffer detents seized inside the channel because of thread locker. Do it the right way proper torque and stake it.
I would give it another tap to satisfy my OCD, but that’s just me. Dab a bit of cold blue on it and you’re GTG.
Here’s one I did with an auto punch. Probably 1/3 downward punches and 2/3 lateral. Didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night but did use a blueing pen. 
oh that’s niiiiice
Thanks. I think that was the second or third one I ever did. First one was a learning experience, I got too close to the edge and was slipping.
I’d like to know what end plates you guys are using to get that much metal moved with a Starrett automatic punch? Most of mine are Colt and it takes me a dozen or more pushes to get even close to Vegas’s. I now just get a good start point with the auto punch and then back to a standard punch and a decent sized hammer.