While cleaning my rifle I noticed these dings on the gas key Not sure what could have caused this, Anyone know?
That’s staking… and a good thing. More about this, here: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?6993-bolt-carrier-staking-(comparison)
Notice the dings on the upper part, I’m not talking about the staking.
Oh! My bad. Probably rough-handling during manufacturing, I’d say. It could be grit on the inside of the charging handle, but that would erode the aluminum of the CH away before affecting the steel of the gas key.
I’d say during insertion of the bolt, hitting a burr on the charging handle? Or damage in handling if post-Mfg’ring.
Hard to tell by pic, is it parked or bare steel inside the scratch?
Tool marks during manufacturing. Notice the finish is intact. The CH is aluminum, it’s not going to mar a steel part.
It is bare steel
someone probably dropped the carrier at the factory. Perhaps it was thrown into a bucket of carriers and jostled around. Either way, it does appear to be bare steel (happened after part was parkerized). The charging handle definitely didn’t do this.
Shouldn’t affect performance though? Just monitor to make sure it doesn’t get worse?
Correct.
Had to come from external handling. The steel gas key is captured by and rides inside the aluminum charging handle. During a complete firing cycle, it cannot possibly contact anything equal to, or harder than itself in order to make those marks.
Just make sure it doesn’t have any burrs, which could mar and damage the CH.