need a hand removing front site base
- Thread starter mdjamesd
- Start date
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GNLaFrance
RIP
How's it attached? Screws or solder?
GNLaFrance
RIP
Heat is your friend, hot enough to make the different steels expand and break the "sticking". Kroil is great stuff too. Proper sized drift pin tools. Barrel in a solid, padded vise on a solid work surface. Careful tapping with a small hammer. I assume these pins are horizontal and athwart the bore (pics would help a lot). They'll go from left to right as seen from the breech.
carryaglock
Active Member
I'm going to assume we are talking an AR, take a 1/16" roll pin punch supporting the barrel and sight solidly, tap them out doesn't matter from which side as the pin's aren't tapered. They do bisect the barrel which will have two channels cut in it. You will then need to remove the flash hider and muscle the base off. You will find that under it the barrel is not parked, are you replacing it with something different? You really don’t need any heat just patients. Good luck! And remember support!
E.Shell
Ultimate Member
Assuming we are talking about a standard factory installed mil-spec AR-15 front sight base, this is incorrect, the pins ARE tapered and must come out from a specific direction. A roll pin punch, with the projecting tip, is not the right tool for the job, and will be immediately ruined if used thus. They are solid taper pins, not roll pins, and closer to 1/8" at the small end.
The part about solid support, such as a steel bench block, is quite important. I have had to apply gentle heat and penetrating oil to get some of these pins loose, they are often in there tightly enough to damage a Starrett pin punch.
kalister1
R.I.P.
When you talk about heat, do you men a small propane handheld torch? Or are you talking something hotter, IE: Acetylene?
This might help - toward the bottom of the page
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=226782
Kevp
Ultimate Member
- Apr 17, 2008
- 1,874
+1 to what Ed Shell said. If you don't have the right tools and/or don't have experience working on stuff like this, don't try to do it yourself. I suggest you call Rich at Fulton Armory and plead your case with him. I know they've tightened up on walk-in stuff, but they might make an exception for you. You might check with Dan at Gun Connection to see if he has pulled FSBs and if he has, I'm sure he would take care of you.
Kevp
Ultimate Member
- Apr 17, 2008
- 1,874
Also- Are you planning on replacing it with a low profile gas block or railed gas block? If you've never done this before it can be tricky. You need the proper sized roll pin punch to knock out the gas tube roll pin. You then need to properly line up the gas port in the barrel with the gas port in the block and secure the block with what most likely will be set screws. You also need to ensure you have the gas port in the gas tube properly aligned in the block and repin that with a roll pin. If you don't get it right it will be readily apparent when your gun will not cycle due to lack of gas. The good thing about getting Fulton to do it is that they can test fire it right there to ensure it is cycling properly. Good luck.
alucard0822
For great Justice
With taper pins, the trick is that it takes a lot of force to knock them loose, but once loose, they tap right out with little effort. I use a small carbide center punch to make a dent on the "small side" of the pins. Then I clamp the FSB with about 1/4 of the width of the barrel outside of the vise jaws in a big plastic padded vise, line a 1/2" center punch with the punch marks, and smack it good with a 3lb mini sledge, this has only taken 2 or 3 hits to knock out the most stubborn pins, and has not marred or bent the sight or barrel. If you keep hitting the pins too lightly, they will mushroom over, and make it even harder for them to move. I avoid using heat as much as I can, but if you must use it, heat only the pins and lugs, heating slowly and evenly until a drop of oil on the barrel next to the FSB lugs (but not touching it) starts to smoke, then stop, you do not want it even close to glowing red.
It is not neccesary, but when I am installing a clamp-on FSB that does not require taper pins, I use a thin coat of red loc-tite in the pin channels, lightly hammer the pins back in without the sight base on, then gently grind the pins to the barrel's contour, and then paint over the exposed metal with the closest matching epoxy paint I can find, after this you can't tell where the pins start and the barrel ends. line up the sight, clamp it on, then you are set to go.
A trick I learned about how to line up the base is to use a spare firing pin from a newer model S&W revolver, put the small end of the pin in the barrel port, and the large end will barely fit in the new base, mark it's position, pull off the base, remove the pin, and reinstall, torquing the screws evenly.
You can also verify center and if needed tweak it slightly by bore sighting it with the rear windage set to the middle.
It is not neccesary, but when I am installing a clamp-on FSB that does not require taper pins, I use a thin coat of red loc-tite in the pin channels, lightly hammer the pins back in without the sight base on, then gently grind the pins to the barrel's contour, and then paint over the exposed metal with the closest matching epoxy paint I can find, after this you can't tell where the pins start and the barrel ends. line up the sight, clamp it on, then you are set to go.
A trick I learned about how to line up the base is to use a spare firing pin from a newer model S&W revolver, put the small end of the pin in the barrel port, and the large end will barely fit in the new base, mark it's position, pull off the base, remove the pin, and reinstall, torquing the screws evenly.
You can also verify center and if needed tweak it slightly by bore sighting it with the rear windage set to the middle.
Last edited:
JeepDriver
Self confessed gun snob
Bring it to the range tomorrow night and I'll get it off there.
GNLaFrance
RIP
Oh, jeez... it didn't occur to me he might have been talking about one of those black plastic Mattel mid-range varmint semiautos. I thought we were talking about a real rifle. 
GNLaFrance
RIP
canuck
Rifleman
+1
These pins are tough to get moving. Brownells sells a special block to hold and support everything securely. I pulled many of these and none are easy. The proper tools make a difference. They are tapered.
Hit 'em hard enough and they will move!
When I took some out of my J&T upper recently, I did have to put considerable effort into the removal process. Mine were straight pins, not tapered, so definitely not milspec.
A hydraulic press might be easier, if you have access to one.
When I took some out of my J&T upper recently, I did have to put considerable effort into the removal process. Mine were straight pins, not tapered, so definitely not milspec.
A hydraulic press might be easier, if you have access to one.
