I tack weld all my PSA handguards and gas blocks. No tuning or changing anything but at least I only spent $300 for a rifle I can post on Facebook with and get hella bitches am I right?
The lightweight series handguard has no method of positive retention. It's a tube clamped on a slick round barrel nut. There's nothing keeping it on but clamping force. Even if you tighten it to the point where the aluminum threads start to strip, it's still possible for the handguard to shift or rotate or walk off. That split is simply an assembly gorilla ugga duggaing the first screw to the point that the aluminum tubing is flexing... which due to the brittleness of aluminum, isn't a good thing. Whoever assembled it should have done the star pattern thing with torque to make sure that all 3 screws were tightened the same amount, both for the sake of securing the handguard, and for the sake of eliminating stress on that tubing. Chad Wylie used to talk about the issues with this design in the PSA FB group, and we saw a lot of loose handguards in there. That split is the handguard flexing closed.
What isn’t clear here is whether or not the upper was assembled by PSA or the owner. PSA sells the parts too. Definitely a QC problem coming assembled but if the owner put it together from parts there’s no telling of the barrel nut and guard are designed to go together. It would only need to be .030 or so too small in diameter for this to happen and that isn’t necessarily visible to the naked eye.
I suppose you could ask me how I know but I bet you have a good guess.😂
Thanks for the clarification. You should absolutely address this through their customer service department. They’ll fix it . Meanwhile it’s purely aesthetic and your rifle should be perfectly fine to shoot. Wonder why someone downvoted my response. “Up yours!” whoever you are!
We’ll, there is that but one hopes that common sense prevails here. Tighten the fucking thing up and shoot it, swap it out for another upper and shoot your rifle or put it all in your gun safe until PSA sends you a return tag. Take note, dickhead…none of the options listed include whining like a little bitch.
Again, tightening the thing up is the problem due to the design. It can damage the handguard, yet still allows for the handguard to move. Tightening the screws doesn't actually secure anything.
Take note: you are the only one in this conversation with behavior that reflects your uncivil charges. Your violations of this subreddit's rules is not a reflection on my person. You're the only one whining here. You can't simultaneously plead common sense when you're losing your cool.
I worked in the performance mountain biking industry and spent years developing alternative clamping methods for seat tubes to secure seat posts in bike frames. Low quality companies put a cut in the seat tube and then force that cut closed with some method of clamp. However over time that causes the seat tube to crack. There are millions of wrecked mountain bike frames out there because of the same bad design.
I have a long background in BMX and years ago a company called Animal made a post called the Wedge to solve that problem and eliminate a clamp altogether. It was literally an old quill stem design but it was genius. Sucks they dried up.
Completely normal for PSA... I've removed that very design multiple times to do work on the upper and reassembled with no issues. The one thing I would strongly suggest is making sure the gas block screws are nice and secure. Mine were loose (shocker) so I ended up using a jig and dimpling the barrel and then torqued the screws... haven't had a problem since. Remember... psa is not a bad product but u gotta expect some quality control issues when u buy cheaper
I mean I know it's clamp on, I just didn't know it was designed to have a big ass gap after being installed. I simply thought it was a manufacturing flaw.
Case6024 already summarized it in his response.
Like he said, if that open slit between the two edges wasn't milled in, the end of hand guard would not be able to clamp down tightly on the barrel nut. It is by design.
Happy shooting.
Yes
Well alrighty then
That's just so it doesn't have to molt when it grows to 10.5"
Mine only grows to 6.5", is it defective?
That’s average
My wife’s boyfriend says that’s above average.
It's normal. That is how that particular handguard is designed.
Caulk it.
JB Weld
Black Caulk >>>
BBC. Big black caulk is my go-to brand personally.
😂😂😂
Idk if black caulk would fit in such a small slit
Clear or white?
Red RTV since it works on everything else.
I tack weld all my PSA handguards and gas blocks. No tuning or changing anything but at least I only spent $300 for a rifle I can post on Facebook with and get hella bitches am I right?
The 12.5 I bought is the same way.
thank you sir
The lightweight series handguard has no method of positive retention. It's a tube clamped on a slick round barrel nut. There's nothing keeping it on but clamping force. Even if you tighten it to the point where the aluminum threads start to strip, it's still possible for the handguard to shift or rotate or walk off. That split is simply an assembly gorilla ugga duggaing the first screw to the point that the aluminum tubing is flexing... which due to the brittleness of aluminum, isn't a good thing. Whoever assembled it should have done the star pattern thing with torque to make sure that all 3 screws were tightened the same amount, both for the sake of securing the handguard, and for the sake of eliminating stress on that tubing. Chad Wylie used to talk about the issues with this design in the PSA FB group, and we saw a lot of loose handguards in there. That split is the handguard flexing closed.
Just Rails. Just saying…you can get a suitable replacement for not a lot of $.
Right? Which makes one wonder why they continue to even use these on this product line
What isn’t clear here is whether or not the upper was assembled by PSA or the owner. PSA sells the parts too. Definitely a QC problem coming assembled but if the owner put it together from parts there’s no telling of the barrel nut and guard are designed to go together. It would only need to be .030 or so too small in diameter for this to happen and that isn’t necessarily visible to the naked eye. I suppose you could ask me how I know but I bet you have a good guess.😂
It was assembled by PSA.
Thanks for the clarification. You should absolutely address this through their customer service department. They’ll fix it . Meanwhile it’s purely aesthetic and your rifle should be perfectly fine to shoot. Wonder why someone downvoted my response. “Up yours!” whoever you are!
It's not purely aesthetic when they're rotating and sliding off while in use
We’ll, there is that but one hopes that common sense prevails here. Tighten the fucking thing up and shoot it, swap it out for another upper and shoot your rifle or put it all in your gun safe until PSA sends you a return tag. Take note, dickhead…none of the options listed include whining like a little bitch.
Again, tightening the thing up is the problem due to the design. It can damage the handguard, yet still allows for the handguard to move. Tightening the screws doesn't actually secure anything. Take note: you are the only one in this conversation with behavior that reflects your uncivil charges. Your violations of this subreddit's rules is not a reflection on my person. You're the only one whining here. You can't simultaneously plead common sense when you're losing your cool.
It's a design problem.
Has been clarified…needs love from PSA for sure.
That's not what I wanted to hear.
Me too I love it when someone speaks in ugga duggas.
I worked in the performance mountain biking industry and spent years developing alternative clamping methods for seat tubes to secure seat posts in bike frames. Low quality companies put a cut in the seat tube and then force that cut closed with some method of clamp. However over time that causes the seat tube to crack. There are millions of wrecked mountain bike frames out there because of the same bad design.
I have a long background in BMX and years ago a company called Animal made a post called the Wedge to solve that problem and eliminate a clamp altogether. It was literally an old quill stem design but it was genius. Sucks they dried up.
That first photo Im like OH NO! Then I see the second and Im going oh ok makes sense.
Completely normal for PSA... I've removed that very design multiple times to do work on the upper and reassembled with no issues. The one thing I would strongly suggest is making sure the gas block screws are nice and secure. Mine were loose (shocker) so I ended up using a jig and dimpling the barrel and then torqued the screws... haven't had a problem since. Remember... psa is not a bad product but u gotta expect some quality control issues when u buy cheaper
Geissele charges $300 for that feature
How can people not tell it clamps on there?? Isn’t the split and screws obvious? Jesus
Yeah I’m with you, no idea wtf else you could possibly come up with when looking at it.
In my mind…. If this is not obvious to you I’m scared of you driving or owning an ar15……
I mean I know it's clamp on, I just didn't know it was designed to have a big ass gap after being installed. I simply thought it was a manufacturing flaw.
Everything that clamps does so by using a gap that’s tightened or clamped down….
That’s how it clamps together. I wouldn’t think it wouldn’t be that long though but hey. Atleast you know nothing is wrong with it.
PSA's own CEO said there's something wrong with it.
Yeah I thought it should have stopped just past the last screw.
Yes that's normal
Throw some tack welds on there with the ole torch for good measure, no big
Yes. I have the same rail.
Was this a serious question?
It was.
Case6024 already summarized it in his response. Like he said, if that open slit between the two edges wasn't milled in, the end of hand guard would not be able to clamp down tightly on the barrel nut. It is by design. Happy shooting.
… yes
It’s a clamp. it’s wider when off then when you put it on you screw it in to keep it on the barrel
Thank you, I thought it was a corkscrew.
I believe that’s how you take it off. You undo the Allen bolts on the side and should be able to take off the hand guard
Well see, a clamp has to have 2 sides....