I am planning on building my first ar15 asap. I have been doing quite a bit of reading and research here and other places trying to learn as much as possible. I have noticed that DanielDefense, Samson, and a couple others are very popular forends and I was leaning in that direction. But, I saw a JPenterprises vtac forend and thought that setup would be something that I would like. I was thinking of putting a JP forend on an LMT upper with a JP railed gas block for a flipup sight. My question to you guys is about the quality of the vtac forend.
Thanks for the help
Kevin
The JP VTAC is an excellent FF tube, it’s a little more oriented for competition use but would work well on a fighting rifle as well. I just wouldn’t use a forward grip on it myself.
I would also reconsider using the JP railed gas block would myself cutdown the factory LMT FSB and use the longer rifle length VTAC (which would be longer and cover the gas block) and then use a small piece of rail screwed to the top of the tube and attach the folding front sight to it. That way you have the inherent reliabilty of the factory pinned gas block.
I love the hell out of mine. Great set up and cheaper than most of the four rail set ups.
Hey gotm4,
I am going to be buying a JPVTAC soon, and I too want a pinned gas block, but I do not want to cut up my stock FSB and use it for a gas block.
I do not know much about gas blocks, but I DO know that a pinned gas block is better for reliability.
SO, I am wondering if there are aftermarket gas blocks that can be purchased, that use the same method of attachment as the factory FSB’s??
In other words, can I buy a pinned-style gas block to use, INSTEAD of cutting up my Colt FSB???
Who makes them??
Are the Larue, VLTOR, etc gas blocks all NON-PINNED, or do any of them use pins???
Just trying to figure out the best option here…
Thanks.
I’m not sure if any company makes an aftermarket low profile gas block that uses stock pins.
- It doesn’t really matter though. Adco will pin any of them for $25 + $5 shipping.
I had it done to the LaRue on my 10.5".
Sweet,
I wonder if SAW will do this as well?
Do you send them JUST the gas block, or your entire upper???
No one makes pinned low profiles for user/armorer install because no one knows the exact location of the pins. The FSBs and barrels are drilled and pinned when the FSB is installed on the barrel when the barrel is manufactured. Each manufacturers pin locations are in slightly different spots on the barrel and FSB. Even barrels & FSBs from the same manufacturer vary a little. Some barrels use true taper pins (one side is thicker than the other) and some newer barrels use straight pins (LMT, RRA and some others).
Randall at www.ar15barrels.com can pin a Larue or other low profile gas block that you want.
The cheapest (no purchase necessary) method is still going to be cutting the FSB down so that it’ll fit under the V-TAC and refinishing it. It won’t be the prettiest thing but it’ll work. This is what I did on my wifes 3gun rifle and then sand blasted and GunKoted the gas block black. Hers isn’t under a FF tube yet but I’ll be replacing her carbine length Hogue tube with a JP V-TAC rifle length tube in the future.
Randall is who I am having do my upper. I asked him if he could cut down the sight and place a vtach midlength rail over it and he said he could do it. And thanks to you guys for the suggestions and help.
Im a full service LMT dealer let me know when your ready and I will hook you up.
CHRis
You have to send you upper in to get the gas block pinned – as not all gasblock and barrels are drilled in the same spot –
I’ve changes ones on Colt M4A1’s okay twice – but I’ve seen commercial Colts not be able to be swapped as easy…
What do you charge for permanent attach jobs?