So I’ve taken off and put on a ton of A2, Smith Vortex, and other various flash hiders and muzzle brakes. Tonight for the first time, I began the process of installing a Surefire MB556K and working through the indexing process to get the proper shim arrangement. The next step mentioned to take it all apart and degrease and rocksett everything in place.
My question is, how necessary is the application of rocksett for this brake? I’ve never needed to use a thread locker on any other flash hider (they said it wasn’t required) so what makes the Surefire so different?
I’m inclined to just skip the Rocksett as it seems like overkill since it has already been properly torqued to 25ft lbs but figured I would check in with the experienced of the bunch and get your opinions. And oh, by the way, this is intended as a combat carbine that is intended for SHTF, home defense, and various carbine courses.
The reason that brakes and FHs like the Surefires’, the KAC Triple Tap and some others use the shims and Rocksett, as opposed to a crush washer like on an A2 birdcage and many others, is because they are intended to be used as attachments for the sound suppressors that those companies also make.
A crush washer will will bend/warp IIRC if a silencer is being used with that specific brake/FH because it can’t handle the extreme heat that goes along with running a suppressor. And Locktite (sp?) will melt and fail to do it’s job.
The Rocksett and shim combo (especially the Rocksett) will keep that MB or FH on there REAL good. If you put too much Rocksett on there though, you ain’t gettin’ it off yourself… a little goes a LOOONG way!
I’ve personally used a crush washer with both a surefire MB and FH attachment, BUT I only used a crush washer because I was just evaluating their performances on a couple different carbines, and I knew that I was NOT going to be using a suppressor at all with them. Everything worked out well for me, but I don’t know if it would be considered “good to go” to use a crush washer in the long run with these attachments. Hopefully someone smarter than me will come along and chime in on that.
However, I will be using the shims and Rocksett on my 2 surefire suppressor attachments because I’m waiting on my stamp for my new surefire 556k can!
Used a standard torque amount on this per the instructions (and similar to other hiders I’ve installed). 25 ft lbs.
I can understand using it when using a suppressor as you have a big mass hanging off the adapter, but I guess the real question is, why would a Surefire alone need it when a Vortex doesn’t?
Vortex is not designed as a suppressor mount, and the tines are designed so its self tightening.
Can mounts can have a tendency to want to unthread themselves, and why off the top of my head the big names include Rocksett with their can mounts. I know AAC, Surefire, and KAC all do. If the mount loosens up at all it can cause a baffle strike. Its cheap insurance on an expensive part, and an NFA item at that.
If you are not using it to mount a can don’t worry about it but its not going to hurt anything being on there.
