Loose gas tube

Romy G
Beautiful build but the gas tube fits loose and rattles.
Is there a way to tighten it up?

I've already phosphated and painted it so I'm hoping there is a way that doesn't require totally ruining the finish.

Most will scream and kick at this suggestion, but try squeezing the forward end to ever-so-slightly "oval" it. If nuthin' else, turn the tube upside down and use a chisel or punch to peen a spot at 6 o'clock, re-install and see if it rattles/repeat etc.

t

Try one of these.

http://www.k-var.com/shop/product.php?productid=16734&cat=319&page=1

How is it rattling? Is the movement front to back or is the little cam lever not making enough contact with the tube so you have up and down travel?

The tension spring looks like a great idea.
It is front to back and up/down movement. The cam lever closes loosely but locks in on the dimple.

I went to order the tension spring and couldn't believe that it would cost over 12 dollars to ship a 3 dollar spring.
No order for me.

Touch the tube on the bottom with a wire feed welder where it locks against the catch to build up the contact point. Re-file till it fits tight.

I've used the spring, but you do have to machine grooves in the romy tube for it to fit, which puts you in the same position with regard to finishing as the tig welding method.

I went to order the tension spring and couldn't believe that it would cost over 12 dollars to ship a 3 dollar spring.
No order for me.

That is the bad thing about K-var. They would probably get more business if the shipping cost wasn't so high.

just one of the bad things about k-var. I've been a dealer for them for years - and in a flash they rendered all my inventory worthless . . . selling retail for half what they charged me as a volume dealer! I will never purchase another item from K-var for resale, and I'll only buy individual items from him if I can't get it anywhere else.

I wonder if he even grasps how much long-term damage his "sale" did to him. Fajen screwed their dealers the same way - their dealers rebelled and they went bankrupt.

Something to consider --

A tight gas tube will cause stringing as it heats. Sometimes AK's work better when they rattle. :)

sometimes true - if the gas tube is tight on the gas block, then yes. As the tube heats up, it expands against the block and indirectly puts pressure on the barrel. But if the The gas block is used for alignment only and a gap left before the shoulder on the block, and the "tightness" between the bottom tab of the gas tube and the slot in the RSB, then expansion doesn't affect the gas block.

find out where it's loose and you could shoot a weld glob and grind it down for a tighter fit. then you just need to re-finish the tube again-not a big deal. also, the tube i found usually gets loose by the locking lever side. due to you or someone possibly damaging or scraping off metal by the locking lever side chunk... so if that is area where it is wiggling? if so, you could shoot welds on the sides, grind down,polish and paint. just my .02

ps: on my romie-mine is loose slightly also. the reason being is used too small of a crescent wrnch when i was trying to remove my furniture and scraped off some metal slightly. anyhow, mine doesn't rattle at all that i noticed. it just wiggles slightly is all. if mine ever gets worse i'll just do what i meansioned-shoot the glob, grind it smooth, polish it slightly and re-paint.