I have a Mk18 that’s pretty gassy suppressed. I don’t want to put an adjustable on it, and want to change out the carrier even less. I’ve heard of some gas tubes that have a smaller hole, but I’m not sure where to find them or if they’re a good idea or not.
You can find them at Black River Tactical. I have not used one of the tubes, so cannot comment on them. I can say I have found BRT products to be uniformly high quality.
Andy
Well I can tell you where to find them, but I have no personal experience with them.
https://blackrivertactical.com/
I actually have the opposite experience with my MK18; it’s gassed perfectly for its intended role (5.56 with a suppressor), but with .223 and no suppressor it’s pretty anemically gassed.
Mine with no silencer is picky about locking back with .223. It will lock back on lancer 20 rounders, but not with Okay milspec mags. With the silencer, it will lock back with anything even running an H3 buffer. It has a .07 gas port.
If you have a DD, it might have a smaller port. I heard something about them reducing the gas port size to under milspec on theirs.
You’re spot on. It’s a newer DD with a 0.070" gas port. It locks back on my .223 reloads at the indoor range, but in colder temps it only locks back with 5.56 (and even then, ejection is sluggish). My HD load is 5.56x45mm Hornady SBR, so I’m not too concerned, but it’s slightly annoying that it doesn’t “like” one of my favorite .223 handloads.
No suppressors allowed here in IL, but it’s at the top of my list when I get the hell out of this state.
It probably doesn’t help that the gun has a Law folder (2.3 oz extra weight for the adapter plug), but I’ve tried all manner of buffers before settling on a VLTOR A5H0 and a standard power rifle spring.
I’ve also found BRT products to be excellent, and have used their has tubes to adjust gas flow. I found they worked exactly as advertised. In a different thread, one was used 5,000 rounds suppressed without issue.
There’s a two-year old thread in technical that I posted in two weeks ago. It might still be close to the top.
I like them.
I use three BRT gabs tubes in overgassed BCM Barrels; 2 - 11.5” and a 14.5”.
Mine are unsuppressed but there’s a noticeable difference in recoil impulse with the BRT Tube.
A range bud runs one with his Suppressed mk 18 and it tamed his overgassed issue.
They work as advertised.
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Our tubes work and they’re easy.
Here is the link to the thread.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?218722-BRT-EZTUNE-Gas-Tubes
I was in the same boat with a 10.5 and an 11.5 and the gas tubes work great. I also have a few older guns with blow holes and they make them enjoyable to shoot suppressed. From a reliability no fuss standpoint I would much rather have a restricted gas tube vs an adjustable gas block.
Brt tubes. I have one, and recommend them.
They’re the best solution to industry incompetence in gas port specifications. There’s no downside to them except you have to buy them.
In my humble opinion, adjustable gas blocks have no place on anything but race guns. I would like to see the next gen AR (M4A2???) have a multi position block that was tuned for the barrel length and ammo and a given silencer. Could also have a cold weather/adverse setting.
I don’t know. The only problem I saw with an adjustable was one that I got lazy and didn’t dimple… it moved. With an adjustable, I’ve only set it once and never moved it again… so the gas tube is way easier to get the same result.
I have an older Noveske that was way overgassed. I talked with Clint at BRT and opted for one of his unsuppressed tubes. Easy installation and immediately noticed the effects. Always locked back and maintained full function every time. Well worth it.
Now, I’m looking at getting another set of tubes now that I have suppressors. Only trying to decide if I want to go 100% suppressed or go 50/50.
100%. It didn’t take me long to decide I wasn’t going to shoot any of my suppressed ARs without a suppressor.
That’s the input I was looking for. 100% suppressed it is.
Agreed. I can’t speak to everyone’s needs and uses, but I think the “need” for the same upper to run suppressed and unsuppressed is overblown.
The BRT tubes are excellent.
It’s nice if the gun will at least run without the can, even if it won’t lock back reliably. I hate running a can on my ARs, so I’m backwards… I like the gun to run sweet unsuppressed, and not too terrible if a suppressor is added.