Pore boy AR 15 tools

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I coud have bought these but what's the fun in that? I'm retired and my time is worth nothing. Dreaming up how to make something and then having is work helps me kill time during the winter. It's also cheaper than buying that slick looking stuff that is made in China.  In this case a lot cheaper because all I purchased was 4 flat head 1/4" x 1 1/4 " screws and a couple of 13/64" drill bits (that were probaly made in China). Everything else was just standing in a corner somewhere.In the foreground is a barrrel wrench. I was going to use 3/16" hi carbon acetylene rods for the pins and harden them so of course the pins were 13/64".  Ok, I have three good drill bits that size so I'll just grab two more. Three would probably have been good but the new barrel nut is aluminum and I wanted to spread the force on it out a little more. The hole for the torque wrench is kind of crude but it only has to stand 30# so I didn't take any pains with it. Those five round holes are what had to fit good. Behind is a vise block for an upper. Yes, I could have bought one of those slick plastic ones that works like this one or one of the hinged plastic one's but I had some 1/4" x 2" flat that needed something to do and a piece of 1/2" red oak for a spacer. Ah ha, a super duty vise block. Add a couple of cut off 1/4" bolts for pins and I'm in business.Eveything fit so I pulled the handguard and started to drive out the tapered pin that holds the gas block on. Brownell's says to use a 4 oz. hammer. Pin didn't move. Went to an 8 oz. hammer and the pin still didn't move. Applied some heat and got a bigger hammer, a 20 ouncer. Nada. Let it cool off and then appilied even more heat with the same result and a bent pin punch. Let it cool again. Found another punch, applied even more heat. The blankety blank thing is still exactly where it was when I started. That's a good pin. It hasn't mushroomed any. Guess I'm going to buy a new gas block. I can get this one off but it will be in two pieces when I do. I should have had everything changed out and been done in the time I spent on that pin. This picture shows how the vise block works. I may have to paint it so it wont be so ugly
Reply:Who makes that upper and that flash hider?! Looks like a stag arms upper?Owner G&S Mobile Welding & Millwright Services, LLCSpencerville, Ohio Adult Ed. Instructor at Apollo Career Center Lima, Ohio
Reply:Smith @ Wesson.
Reply:The gas block pin is tapered.  Drive it left to right as you hold it to fire.Gas block pin also takes more than a 4 oz swing to get it started.  Try a 32 oz, one hard swing to break it loose, then the 4 oz can tap, tap, tap it the rest of the way out.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:Yep like mark says, the pins are probably tapered. LMT is the only mfg that I know for sure doesn't use taper pins for the FSB/GB. Also on your barrel wrench, although you only need 35 ftlbs to install a barrel, you'll likely need ALOT more to remove most factory installed barrels. And lastly, I recommend that you throw that vise block back in the scrap bin and buy the clam shell model. I bent 2 uppers before I learned.Last edited by Gump; 01-02-2012 at 01:54 AM.
Reply:Thanks for the hints. This gas block only has one pin. It is tapered and I've been banging on the small end. It will get a little more attention today. The video on Midway USA makes changing a fore end look about as difficult as cutting a slice of pie. I knew it wouldn't be that easy but I didn't expect a pin that size that wouldn't move, especially one that small. I understand the weakness of this design of vise block but for a little time and almost no cost I decided to give it a try. I thought about it pretty hard before deciding. This free float fore end thing is probably the only time it will ever be used and just be something else laying around in the way after this mod. If the barrel nut is tough I intend to quit before I bend anything and get the one that goes around the action.