Chattanooga Area Gunsmith

[Guest Victor9er]

Help... I have a S&W M&P-15OR and I'm at my wit's end with this thing! Here's the problem, I'm trying to replace the gas block with a low profile gas block so I can install a rail on it. Now before you go and tell me to just pull out a dremmel tool and cut down the FSB, I can't because it does not have a FSB. This is the model with the big square chunk of a gas block that has a rail on top. Anyway, I've had my friend helping me because he's actually built several ARs before and has the tools to work with. Well we can't get the pin to move... at all. Yes, we know it's tapered, yes we know it can only be removed in one direction, yes we took a caliper to it and measured just to be sure which side was which, yes he got a roll punch to use and yes we banged the hell out of it. Even tried applying some CLP and later we tried applying heat. Nothing.

I'm ready to get this thing off and he's afraid to do anything more to it in case he ends up damaging something. With all of that said, does anyone know anything about the gunsmith that Shooters Depot uses? Is his work considered good quality? Or is there another local smith in town that's the bees' knees when it comes to ARs?

I'd like to avoid shipping it off anywhere if I can. Thanks.

[LawEnforcementSalesTN]

V9'er, I had a S&W come in the shop a few months ago with a similar issue. Customer wanted to replace the gas system with a piston kit. I winded up making a cap for my press and pressed it out under steady slow pressure... if you can't get it out that way and don't care about the factory block you can mill it out as well. If you've applied heat it's going to be more stubborn now than ever if that didn't get it budge.

I'm in Oak Ridge, about an hour and 1/2 from Chattanooga. Will be out next week on vacation with the family but I'll be back around the 25th if you haven't gotten anywhere with it I'd be happy to help if you still need it.

Good luck!