AR Trigger Kit- Just my luck.

[56FordGuy]

Before I say anything else, I want to be very clear on something. None of what I am about to post is the fault of Dolomite, or a failure/ weakness in his product. Everything you are about to read is due 100% to my dumb luck, and is no one's fault but my own.  :up: I'm only posting so that other folks can check first and not make the same dumb mistake that I did. 

 

A while back I picked up one of Dolomite's AR Trigger Improvement kits, and took my time getting it installed. I began the installation last night. It's a brilliantly simple design, if you have one you know what I'm talking about. I removed my grip, and began installing the set screw into my Spike's lower. Everything was going just fine, I had my thumb on top of the allen wrench and was spinning it in quite easily when it came to a very abrupt, hard stop.  :ugh:  I wiggled the safety lever and it was still very free, so I knew the screw had not yet made contact. Something was wrong. 

 

I flipped the lower over and removed the fire control group. This is when I discovered that while my grip screw hole was drilled all the way through, it wasn't threaded all the way through! Okay, no big deal. Take the screw out, tap the threads on through, and problem solved. The trick became taking the screw out. I don't understand how it happened, or why. My best guess is perhaps the end of the threads in my lower weren't as wide as they should have been, like how the end of most taps taper down to make starting them easier- or perhaps it was just my lucky night. In either case, when I tried to remove the screw it was stuck, hard. It was stuck so hard that the allen wrench stripped out removing it. Great. 

 

At this point, I knew more was going to be required than I could accomplish at the kitchen table so I took my lower and went to the shop. I tried a myriad of things, holding the lower in a vise and trying to get something to bite in the screw. No dice. After about an hour of fruitless attempts, the last option was to drill it out. I clamped the lower in the press vice, and very carefully began drilling the screw from the top, inside the lower. I was hoping the bit would get a 'bite' on the screw and run it out, but no such luck. I drilled the center out of the setscrew, then used a Torx T20 to unscrew the last bit of it. Today I plan to tap the threads all the way through. 

 

The moral of my story is this: When you remove your grip screw from a Spike's lower, take a flashlight and check to see if the threads go all the way through. You can also use a small pick, or even a toothpick to feel inside the hole and check. From what I understand, most lowers are tapped cleanly all the way through. Maybe mine was just made on a Friday, or they had an old worn out, improperly set up mill doing the tap work. That might explain the threads not going all the way through? In either case, check a Spike's lower before you insert the screw. If yours is not tapped all the way through, it's easy enough to do. Just go buy a tap, and start from the bottom. Thread it in just like the grip screw, so it uses the existing threads to start and the new threads line up correctly.  :up:

 

Again, none of this is Dolomite's fault, nor a flaw in his product. It's due to what I believe is a machining oddity from Spike's, and my own lack of due diligence in not checking the hole first. I assumed it would be tapped all the way through, and we all know what assuming gets you.  :rofl:  Now I'm off to order two more trigger kits, one for my Spike's lower and one for a second build.  :usa:

Edited January 5, 2013 by 56FordGuy

[gjohnsoniv]

This is literally the first problem I have heard about Spike's. I had no problem with mine and Dolomite's trigger kit. Worked just fine. I guess you might have ended up getting a Friday one or a employee forgetting what they were doing.

[Dolomite_supafly]

And I am making it right even though it is not my fault or your fault really.

You paid for a working kit so that is what you will have.

Dolomite

[mikegideon]

I've had to tap them through before. Hard to imagine it getting stuck like that. Good thing you got skills, 56. :)

 

Probably need to add a caution note at the top of the instructions.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I have never heard of one locking up like that. There are some brands that are not tapped all the way through, DPMS for one.

Normally it is a hard stop, like he described, and then I walk them through the fix which is a $3 tap. Or if they don't want to do that I issue a refund.

Either way the OP is getting a replacement, no questions asked.

Dolomite

[Chucktshoes]

:lol: Only you 56. Good thing you got the skills you do like Mike mentioned. Big :up: to DS for taking care of you.

[gregintenn]

Wow! Sounds like something I would do. Somehow, I just broke the feed ramp off the barrel of a 1917 Savage pistol. Try finding a replacement for that! :ugh:

[Dolomite_supafly]

And as I have said since day one. There is a 100% money back guarantee. No questions asked. I you ask for a refund you will get a refund.

Dolomite

[mikegideon]

Wow! Sounds like something I would do. Somehow, I just broke the feed ramp off the barrel of a 1917 Savage pistol. Try finding a replacement for that! :ugh:

 

No love at Numrich?

[56FordGuy]

:lol: Only you 56. Good thing you got the skills you do like Mike mentioned. Big :up: to DS for taking care of you.

 

It seems like some things that would never happen to anyone else can happen to me. :lol:

 

Dolomite is the only part of this whole deal that can be said to be completely faultless. His kit performed perfectly, until the Spikes lower trapped it because I didn't check it first. Yet he's the one stepping up to make sure everything is right, when he has no obligation to. You just don't find people like that every day.  :up:

Edited January 5, 2013 by 56FordGuy

[Magiccarpetrides]

I didn't have problem with the kit on my spikes but your not the first person I have heard of having that issue...not all spikes lowers got the same TLC.

[56FordGuy]

Sorry to be late getting back to this. The kits arrived earlier this week. I installed one in my newly tapped Spikes lower, works great.  :usa:

 

My second lower was tapped all the way through from the factory, I checked first this time.  :rofl:

[Rightwinger]

56 does have skills.  He helped me bring a 5.56 upper back to life after an unfortunate incident with a bore snake.

 

Where did you find part kits in all the furor going on right now Blake?

[Garufa]

He helped me bring a 5.56 upper back to life after an unfortunate incident with a bore snake.

 

I gotta hear about this. Do tell.

[Erik88]

I gotta hear about this. Do tell.

 

x2

[56FordGuy]

56 does have skills.  He helped me bring a 5.56 upper back to life after an unfortunate incident with a bore snake.

 

Where did you find part kits in all the furor going on right now Blake?

 

:rofl:  I forgot all about that!

 

It wasn't as exciting as Rightwinger makes it sound. Someone attempted to add some cleaning patches to a boresnake, they were too big and got wedged about 2" into the barrel. Wouldn't pull through, was unable to push them out the opposite way with a cleaning rod. Wound up pulling the whole mess out through the chamber. 

 

As for the parts kits, I've seen them around on a couple of websites. One of the rifles that got the trigger kit (the one that got stuck) is the one we put together a few years back. The second, I bought from a friend who decided to do something else. :)

[Dolomite_supafly]

My kits are available and ready to ship. No shortage here, no price hikes and a 100% money back guarantee.

 

Dolomite

[rab]

My kits are available and ready to ship. No shortage here, no price hikes and a 100% money back guarantee.

 

Dolomite

 

Would your kit work in a S&W 15-22 for my trigger is so heavy that it not much fun to shoot. How hard is it to install,and how much does it lighten the trigger and does it remove the creep? Price also.