AR-10 armorer's tool recommendations

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  • Sharpeneddark

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 20, 2013
    2,292
    Westminster
    So I've decided to take my MOE handguard off and replace it with a free-float rail. One part for being a longer handguard and heat shield, one part hiding the old FSB gas block's pin holes.

    Anyways, I have this tool (TAPCO AR Armorer's wrench). It worked great installing a free-float onto my AR-15. It even managed to get the standard barrel nut off the AR-10. However, the 3 pegs on the back side of it (used for installing free-floats) only fit AR-15s. The 3 pegs are not spaced far enough for the 308 AR barrel nut. Has anyone used an armorer's wrench to install a free-float barrel onto a 308 AR-10? If so, can you tell me which one you used? I'm looking at this one but there are some reviews saying it doesn't work for 308 barrel nuts. Of course, those people may have overlooked that the description said that it is not meant for standard barrel nuts and just free-float style nuts and tried to install standard ones with it.

    Also, if anyone lives near Westminster and wouldn't mind letting me borrow yours (either me coming to you or you coming to me, the difference wouldn't matter to me) to see which one fits my barrel nut, I'd appreciate it!
     

    DaemonAssassin

    Why should we Free BSD?
    Jun 14, 2012
    23,970
    Political refugee in WV
    So I've decided to take my MOE handguard off and replace it with a free-float rail. One part for being a longer handguard and heat shield, one part hiding the old FSB gas block's pin holes.

    Anyways, I have this tool (TAPCO AR Armorer's wrench). It worked great installing a free-float onto my AR-15. It even managed to get the standard barrel nut off the AR-10. However, the 3 pegs on the back side of it (used for installing free-floats) only fit AR-15s. The 3 pegs are not spaced far enough for the 308 AR barrel nut. Has anyone used an armorer's wrench to install a free-float barrel onto a 308 AR-10? If so, can you tell me which one you used? I'm looking at this one but there are some reviews saying it doesn't work for 308 barrel nuts. Of course, those people may have overlooked that the description said that it is not meant for standard barrel nuts and just free-float style nuts and tried to install standard ones with it.

    Also, if anyone lives near Westminster and wouldn't mind letting me borrow yours (either me coming to you or you coming to me, the difference wouldn't matter to me) to see which one fits my barrel nut, I'd appreciate it!

    The problem with the AR10 is that there are so many proprietary patterns out there, that they require the use of proprietary parts. You need to find out what pattern you AR10 is, before you look at the tools you will need. There are many out there, but not limited to Rock River, Armalite, DPMS, and many others. The reason for this, is that there is no uniformity in the AR10 world, due to not having an industry standard, like the AR15 is required to have, because of military specifications. If you don't know the pattern, call the manufacturer of the rifle to find out what pattern it is.

    I am planning on an AR10 build, using the DPMS pattern, which will allow me to use a lot of AR15 parts in the build process. The hand guard I have spec'ed for my build is a DPMS pattern with barrel nut, so I can use a AR15 wrench.
     

    Sharpeneddark

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 20, 2013
    2,292
    Westminster
    I'm aware of the differences. Mine is a "DPMS low profile" upper. Standard 2-piece AR-15 handguards fit on the upper using the OEM barrel nut. Which I was able to pull off with an AR-15 armorer's tool. So yes, if I were just attempting to swap the barrel nut with another "standard" style barrel nut, the AR-15 tool would work for it.

    The problem is now that I'm attempting to attach a free-float handguard system to it. The barrel nut that came with the handguard threads onto the upper with no probem. The handguard rail matches up to the upper's rail well. I just have no way of torquing it because the barrel nut for the free-float system is larger than the AR-15 free-float nut. There are a number of .308 armorer's tools, none of them specify which pattern they fit.
     

    brianns

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 29, 2015
    3,559
    Montgomery County
    Sometimes the free float tube requires a crows foot or some non AR specific. I had to grind down a crows foot to fit in between the sides of the flat spots on barrel nut once.

    So determine the barrel nut threads are for your upper abd then ask what tool works from tge float tube manufacturer. Some make the tool head for it.

    If you are building an AR with a Delta ring then you may just need one of the AR style tools built for .308 or .223.
     

    Sharpeneddark

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 20, 2013
    2,292
    Westminster
    Sometimes the free float tube requires a crows foot or some non AR specific. I had to grind down a crows foot to fit in between the sides of the flat spots on barrel nut once.

    So determine the barrel nut threads are for your upper abd then ask what tool works from tge float tube manufacturer. Some make the tool head for it.

    If you are building an AR with a Delta ring then you may just need one of the AR style tools built for .308 or .223.

    The new nut is completely cylindrical, nothing that will allow a crow's foot. The former barrel nut was a delta ring and was removed with my current tool. I also thought about asking the manufacturer, but I was hoping someone here may have a tool.
     

    brianns

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 29, 2015
    3,559
    Montgomery County
    The new nut is completely cylindrical, nothing that will allow a crow's foot. The former barrel nut was a delta ring and was removed with my current tool. I also thought about asking the manufacturer, but I was hoping someone here may have a tool.

    It may be you have one where the gas tube goes through the nut? If so you may just need to get the 308 sized one similar to the tapco one. Maybe someone has one near you that hasn't read this yet. I'm kind of far but it's not a bad idea to get one to have.

    I'm building an AR308 now also. Im bogged down with painting some parts but it will go up on my channel see below.
     

    Sharpeneddark

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 20, 2013
    2,292
    Westminster
    It may be you have one where the gas tube goes through the nut? If so you may just need to get the 308 sized one similar to the tapco one. Maybe someone has one near you that hasn't read this yet. I'm kind of far but it's not a bad idea to get one to have.

    I'm building an AR308 now also. Im bogged down with painting some parts but it will go up on my channel see below.

    Yes, the tube goes through. I plan on getting my own, but I wanted to see if it would work before taking the plunge. I think I'll order the one from Amazon, anyways, because Amazon has the really good return policy.

    Thanks all.
     

    brianns

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 29, 2015
    3,559
    Montgomery County
    I think I have the Aim Sports PJTW1G. I got it from Cheaperthandirt. Gray powdercoat. It has 3 studs on the back side of the side with the teeth. Pretty sure it fits on my 308 barrel nut teeth; been awhile since I checked.

    Brownell's has a no questions asked return policy too.
     

    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    I purchased a tool similar to the one Deamon linked to for installation of the nut when I installed the freefloat on my LR-308 HBAR.

    I did have to buy the AR wrench with all the little teeth cutouts on it to loosen the standard nut. The pin type didn't do much good because the original nut was one tight mo-gator
     

    clandestine

    AR-15 Savant
    Oct 13, 2008
    37,031
    Elkton, MD
    I have about every AR .308 barrel nut wrench made with exception to the SR25 Tool.

    I can arrange a meet at my mobile shop in Glen Burnie for a fee for those that want me to remove or install a handguard or barrel
     

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