ARBuilds

Assembling an AR Lower – Step 6 of 11: Installing the Hammer Assembly

The hammer assembly includes the pin, spring and hammer itself.  In the next photo, the hammer group is to the right.  This is an enhanced trigger group from Palmetto State Armory (PSA) that I really like and recommend for people wanting a decent low-cost trigger for a basic build.

It’s straight forward to install with one important detail to get right – put the spring on so the loop is to the back and top of the hammer and the legs wind down clockwise off the hammer.  Installing the spring the wrong way can have weird not always predictable results.  I’ve had rifles that fired fine and others that doubled.  Be sure to install the spring the correct way:

Now this next photo is of a fire control group installed in my Strike Industries jig that is great for tuning.  It’s not the PSA enhanced trigger but I wanted you to see the way the hammer spring’s legs must sit in the trigger pin’s groove.  This is very important as it locks the pin in place.  You may need a pair of needlenose pliers to adjust the leg to make sure it does rest in that groove.  By the way, the part the strikes the firing pin is the straight flat face so when you install the hammer, the face is forward as you see in the next photo.

To help line things up, I either use a punch or a little slave in.  The hammer spring is pretty strong and something to help you line it up while you install the cross pin will seriously lower your stress level.  Here, I am using my slave pin and you can see the actual hammer pin coming in from the left.  As a reminder, the trigger and hammer use the same pins.

Next, you need to function test the fire control group.  DO NOT LET THE HAMMER COME FORWARD AND SLAM THE MAG WELL!!  You need to use your thumb or something to ease the trigger up.  A steel hammer hitting an aluminum receiver’s magazine well is not a good combination.  Pull the hammer back and the trigger should catch it.  Next, pull the trigger while holding the hammer and the trigger should release the hammer letting it come forward.

Done!  On to the selector assembly.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

AR Parts Sources

There are a lot of reputable AR parts vendors online but beware of eBay and bargain basement dealers that sell airsoft parts and tell you they will stand up to firearm use – they will not. At any rate, here are my top sources of AR parts:

Uncategorized

Check Out Neal’s Two AKs with our Bulgy SAW Grips

Here are Neal’s two rifles with our grips!

On the left is a RAS47.
K-VAR upper handguard
Magpul cheek riser
Ronin’s Bulgarian SAW grip in Dark Russian Plum

On the right is an AK74 NODAK SPUD.
Ronin’s Bulgarian SAW grip in Dark US Plum (Similar to the color of KVAR’s US plum furniture)
Russian mag and upper handguard.

 

ARBuilds

Assembling an AR Lower – Step 5 of 11: Installing the Trigger Assembly

An AR trigger assembly is four parts not including the pin that holds the assembly in the receiver.  I like Palmetto State Armory’s Enhanced Trigger Group that has a polished nickel boron finish for my basic AR builds.  My favorite trigger manufacturer is Geissele and have used a number of their models over the years but they are pricey.  The PSA enhanced trigger is $39.99 and a nice improvement over the normal Mil-Spec trigger.  I should note that even the regular trigger from PSA is not bad.  I have used build kits from others, such as Anderson, where the trigger felt very “gritty” until it wore in whereas the PSA triggers have not had that feeling out of the bag.

So, when you get a trigger group from PSA, as well as most other vendors, they will have the components in a bag. Pour out the contents and organize them to make sure all the parts are there.  Notice I am using a green fabric work mat.  These are made by several companies and the benefit is that the fine nap of the mat softens the impact of small parts so they don’t fly/roll all over the place.  It helps keep stuff from getting scratched up.

In the next photo you will see the trigger and hammer assemblies and all the parts that should be there.  On the left is the trigger assembly – disconnector, trigger pin, small green disconnector spring (note that the vendors do not always color this spring but it is uniquely shaped), the trigger itself and the trigger spring.  On the right is the hammer assembly and starting at the top you have the hammer pin (the pins are identical by the way), the hammer itself and the hammer spring.

Even though this trigger is polished, I polish the mating surfaces to a mirror finish with a Dremel, felt wheel and a fine polish such as Flitz.  I also remove any burs/rough endges that I encounter with a fine stone. I don’t change the geometries – my goal is just to get things nice and smooth.  Note, if you skip this the trigger will need to wear in to smooth out.

Next, install the trigger spring.  Note the orientation of the front of the spring under the nose of the trigger:

Now if you look at the disconnector spring and you will notice that one end is wider.  You push that wider part down into the round pocket that is machined in the back of the trigger.

See how the bottom is wider? This particular spring is colored green. Rarely are the colored – you need to go by the shape.

Now you have an option that will make your life way easier – assemble the trigger group outside of the receiver using a slave pin.  I’m just going to talk about modern ARs and not all the ban-era Colt hijinks or oversize pins for worn rifles.  In general, the trigger and hammer pins have a diameter of 0.154″.  This is the same size as a #23 drill bit. You can go, buy a cheap bit, cut the shaft off so the length of the pin is the same as the width of the trigger.  I would recommend using sandpaper to round the edges of the pin so you wind up with the following:

The silver pin above is a slave pin. The purpose of the slave pin is to hold the trigger assembly together. When the actual fire control pin is inserted, the slave pin is pushed out the other side of the receiver and its job is done. We do make and sell slave pins – click here to open our store in another tab.

You can function test the disconnector and make sure that it smoothly rocks back and forth with the spring supporting it.

Now, if you do not want to go the pin route, you will need to juggle everything in the receiver but I would still recommend using a 9/64″ or 1/8″ pin punch to help line things up from the right side as you are looking down at the receiver.  They are smaller than the normal pin so just expect to do a bit more positioning.  This method works fine – it’s just not my personal preferred method any longer.

Ok, so let’s say you did take my advice – now place the trigger assembly down in the receiver with the trigger facing forward.  Put some pressure on the top of the trigger assembly with your thumb, line up the slave pin with the hole and push in the real trigger pin from the left to the right.  Note how I have the groove on the left side – one of the hammer spring’s legs will lay in that groove and lock the pin place.  Now it just becomes a matter of wiggling thins around and pushing the pin all the way through.  Be sure to catch your slave pin before it falls out.  This does not take a ton of force.  If the pin isn’t going in all the way and things are lined up properly, use a rubber or plastic faced mallet to tap it in.

 

Note how the slave pin is exiting the receiver as the actual trigger pin is inserted.

Once installed, squeeze the trigger and make sure to is going back and forth with the spring.  Double-check also that the disconnector rotates also.  In both cases you should feel the springs doing their job.

So you now have the trigger installed and next up is the hammer – click here to open the hammer post in a new tab.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

AR Parts Sources

There are a lot of reputable AR parts vendors online but beware of eBay and bargain basement dealers that sell airsoft parts and tell you they will stand up to firearm use – they will not. At any rate, here are my top sources of AR parts:

AR & Related Rifles and Pistols

Cold Dead Hands Ambidextrous Charging Handle Left Me Cold – Don’t Buy It

Folks, I saw the Cold Dead Hands (CDH) ambidextrous charging handle ad on Facebook and figured for $34.94 delivered I might as well give it a try so I ordered it on 6/22/17.  The first thing I noticed after I placed my order was that it was shipping from China but was hopeful that wasn’t a bad thing.  Well, it arrived today (6/28/17) in a brown cushion mailer and I immediately noticed the bare bones generic packaging it was in and was still hopeful because it looked pretty good.

  

  

Here it is next to my favorite model of charging handle, the BCM Gunfighter Mod 3 Large Latch.

  

It fit just fine in terms of installation and locking in place.

The problem is the unlocking.  It is a tad rough from the left side (the non op side looking down from the top where the normal handle release is) but it works.

From the right side (where the ejection port is), if you pull back slow using the right tab the handle’s catch hook pretty much digs in and locks the handle in place.  If I yanked hard and fast from the right, it would release.  If I went slow, it would not release.  This pretty well defeats the ambidextrous function claim.

There’s nothing odd about the upper – just a normal Palmetto State Armory upper.  In the next photo, I stopped the handle short on purpose to take the photo of the locking area on the upper.

So, the CDH handle was gritty on the left and unpredictable on the right.  Out it went and the BCM Mod 3 went in.   By the way, a Mil-Spec charging handle worked just fine as does the BCM.  I had a Mil-Spec handle in there before trying the CDH unit.

Bottom line, based on my experience, I would recommend against buying the Cold Dead Hands model.  Stick with Mil-Spec or a name brand charging handle.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

ARBuilds

Assembling an AR Lower – Step 4 of 11: Installing the Pivot Pin Assembly

The AR is a modular rifle system wherein the upper half connects to the lower half via two pins.  The front pin is known as the “pivot pin” because when the rear pin is opened, the upper half can pivot up allowing for maintenance or to allow the operator to open the pivot pin also and entirely remove the upper for a different model thus allowing tremendous versatility.  This is why AR owners can readily swap calibers, barrels, etc. to really tailor their weapon to the task at hand.

Now, when it comes to assembling the lower, there is one big headache when installing the front pivot pin.  To keep it from falling out, there is a spring and a tiny detent pin in front of it that will want to launch like a rocket across the room if you aren’t careful.  This is one step where I would tell you to wear eye protection – you may think this is a joke but it honestly is not.  That detent is tiny and it seriously can come flying out.  Some day if I clean out my shop, I will find a handful of these springs and detents hidden from when the flew across the room.

Let me give you a big tip – detent springs and pins are very cheap.  Buy spares for those “where the heck did it just go” moments that inevitably happen.  You get tired, your mind wanders and then it’s Houston we have a launch!  I keep spares – plural – of all small AR parts in my AR parts bin.

Don’t even think about trying to install that pin without a tool to help. I am going to give you a real strong recommendation – buy a pivot pin assembly tool or at least buy a 1/4″ universal clevis pin if you are just doing a single build.  The purpose-built tools are dirt cheap and you can find them everywhere – Amazon, Brownells, Primary Arms, Midway USA, etc.  I think I bought my first off eBay but I have several because several armorer’s kits I have bought over the years included one.  They all basically look like this:

I’ve used this on a ton of builds. It’s aluminum and I’ve since switched to a tool made from steel. I don’t recommend plastic.

If you don’t want to spend the money on the tool, a 1/4″ clevis pin works just fine.  A regular 1/4″ clevis pin is $0.95/ea and a universal pin is a $1.50 at my local Ace Hardware & either will work just fine.  You then use a punch or an allen/hex wrench to push the detent and spring down.  Some of the commercial tools on the market are nothing more than a clevis pin with an allen key so it is up to you as to which to use.  Note, if you go the clevis pin route, just go to your local hardware store and get one.  They are a fortune on Amazon unless you are buying in bulk.  For example, $6 for one from some sellers or $13.50 for 10 from others.

There are two sizes to reflect the two types of receivers that are out there and most AR receivers will use the smaller 1/4″ end.  The bigger pin was a Colt ban-era move they did to try and prevent a M16 upper from being put on a sporting lower.  For anyone doing a build today with a current upper and lower – it will be the 1/4″ size.  You will see there are two pins with your lower build kit,  The relatively flat one is for the rear and the one with the large shoulder is the front pivot pin.  So in the next photo, the pivot pin is the lower pin.  You can also see the small double ended detent – either end can be first down the hole – and one of the detent springs.  Both takedown pins use the same detent and spring.  By the way, I recommend buying one of the reputable spare parts kits and throw it in your tool box just in case. I can’t tell you how many springs, pins and small parts I have dropped and lost over the years.

The top pin is for the rear, the middle pin with the large head that is flat on one side is the pivot pin and they use the same springs and detents.
That tiny thing is a detent pin that hasn’t decided to launch into orbit yet.

To make life interesting, a detent spring is inserted into this receiver hole followed by a detent pin on top of it.  The detent pin is what actually makes contact the pivot pin.  This is always the case with AR rifles and it makes sense.  If the spring contacted a rotating pin directly it would break down over time.  In terms of pins, I prefer enlarged takedown pins.  The ones I use the most are Yankee Hill Machine (YHM) pins that I get at Brownells.  They just make it easier for me to disassemble whatever rifle or pistol I am working on.

The spring goes in first and then the detent. If the two will not easily go down, use a small drill bit by hand to clean out the hole. Sometimes there can be debris in there.
The detent will slide into the small recesses at either end of the slot. Grease the channel for smooth movement. This is a Yankee Hill Machine pivot pin with an oversize head.
Front and rear Yankee Hill Machine (YHM) pins with their oversize heads to make them easier to grab.

    

The actual installation is very straight forward if you have tool or clevis pin.  Push the tool in so the hole of the tool is over the hole in the receiver and then insert the spring and the detent pin.  The pin will stick up some so you then push it down with the little plunger tool.  Simply rotate the tool and the spring and pin are adequately captured – now leave the tool there for the next step. Note, in the photo with the spring, it is at an angle just for the photo.  To drop in, everything is straight up and down the axis of the receiver.   Also, wear eye protection – if that detent pin comes flying out, you don’t want it to hit you in the eye!

All tools work the same. Insert them from left to right so the hole in the tool can line up with the hole in the receiver.
When the holes are lined up vertically, drop in the spring. I turned the tool just a hair so you can see the spring. Normally it drops in out of sight. If not, the hole needs to be cleared/chased with a bit.
Now the pin will go in part way and you need to use the plunger of your tool, 3/32″ hex key or something to push the pin in far enough that you can rotate the body of the tool thus trapping the spring and detent in place.
The nice thing about purpose-built tools is that everything fits and works as intended.
With the detent pushed down, slide the plunger out just barely enough to rotate the body of the tool. With most tools, the plunger can enter the receiver hole and you can’t turn the tool until you withdraw the plunger just a tad.

I always grease the channel in the pivot and rear takedown pin so they can slide easier.  I like Tetra Gun Grease so that is what you see in the photo but you could use whatever grease you prefer.  Always keep the old saying in mind – if it slides, grease it.  If it rotates, oil it.

Grease the channel for smoother operation.

Now this is the only tricky part left.  If you have not done so already, remove the plunger so the tool can slide back out but leave the main part of the tool in place with the spring and detent pin captured.  Take the pivot pin with the channel facing up (so the pin will not engage it), carefully line it up with the tool, push down and forward to slide the tool out and replace it with the pivot pin.  You need the slight downward pressure to keep the detent pin and spring from flying out.  Once you see the pivot pin coming through the left lobe/hump, you can remove the tool and rotate the pivot pin into final position with the detent pin riding in the channel.

You need to carefully line up the pivot pin with the tool and slide the pin in while the tool is being pulled out. Honestly, this takes practice. As soon as you withdraw the tool enough, you will feel the detent and spring try to push the pivot pin out of the way. I just go slow and apply even pressure with the pin carefully butted right against the tool.
At this point, the pin is being held in place by the receiver. I can then push the tool out the rest of the way and rotate the pin around such that the detent will snap into the channel – you can hear and feel it when it does.
Done

That’s it!  The pivot pin should slide open and closed with the detent catching at either end.  Note, this may be a tight fit as the parts wear in.  I would not recommend sanding the pin or reaming the hole unless you know for sure the hole is out of spec.  Grease the pin and work it in and out.  It should loosen up with time as the parts get to know each other.

I do like to grease the pin. It will likely be a very tight fit initially until the parts get to know each other a bit more.

For folks who choose to do this with a clevis pin, it is the same procedure but with the clevis pin and a punch or allen key to do the work.  These next photos are just so you can get an idea of how it works.  I simply grab whatever punch or allen key that will fit down the hole of the clevis pin to serve as the plunger.  I didn’t grease the mil-spec pin as I just did this to take photos.  Here I am just using a plain $0.95 clovis pin and a small punch to serve as the plunger.  If I had rotated the pivot pin at the end, it would have been a done deal but I took it back apart as I will use the YHM pin when I decide how I want to build this next lower.

See, a dirt cheap 1/4″ clovis pin will work just fine.
Done – I just need to grease the pin and rotate it.

So this step is done!  I hope it helps.  In the next step I’ll install the trigger assembly.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

AR Parts Sources

There are a lot of reputable AR parts vendors online but beware of eBay and bargain basement dealers that sell airsoft parts and tell you they will stand up to firearm use – they will not. At any rate, here are my top sources of AR parts:

Miscellaneous, Shooting in General

Remembering My Dad – Carroll Spafford & The M1 Garand Story

Well folks, yesterday was my dad’s birthday and he would have been 91 years old.  I owe him a lot and often think of him.   The pain of losing him is less but I miss him.  He started me shooting when I was so little that he had to hold the .22 rifles and BB Guns and help me aim.  He taught me the basics of shooting rifles and shotguns along with a very heavy dose of how to keep them clean and oiled plus firearms safety.

At any rate, I want to share a special story with you – how a great bunch of guys on AKFiles cared in amazing way and helped me get a Garand for my dad.  It’s a very, very special memory for me so I am combining two posts I did back in 2011 telling the guys there how things went with the purchase and the first trip to the range.  I’ve wanted to do this for a long time just in case something ever happened to the original posts.  So, here they are in memory of my dad.

This first part of the story is from a post I did on AKfiles on February 15, 2011, telling guys how things went — I can’t believe it’s been over six years:

Well gentlemen,

The Garand arrived today via FedEx from CMP and was in fantastic shape. The finish is great, fittment seems solid, action is smooth and the wood is in pretty good shape. I’d say the CMP outdid themselves. You know what, they shipped it FedEx Priority Overnight because they knew why I had ordered this rifle from the very start. I am so very impressed by the staff I talked to there.

So, after looking the rifle over around 9:30am this morning, I called my parents to come over for lunch. My dad had no idea what was going on. I had them sit down on the couch and gave my dad a 1960s Garand tech manual I told I had found and let him read it while my wife and I finished getting things ready.

So he’s looking at the manual and my mom and wife are in the room and I ask him – “Isn’t that the rifle you had in the Army but could never afford?” My dad said “Yes” and was thumbing the pages of the manual while I went downstairs. He really had no idea.

So I went downstairs, got the rifle in its CMP case and came up to them without my dad seeing what was in the case and he really didn’t pay it any mind. So I told him “I think its about time you have one” and at first it didn’t really hit him what I said. He even took the rifle from me without really saying anything.

I told him “Dad, this is your rifle and we are going to enjoy it together this summer.” At that point, I think it registered and he asked “It’s mine?” and I told him it was and that it was a real Springfield Armory M1 and not a reproduction. The government Springfield Armory has always been special to him because he grew up in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and I guess because it was close to home.

He was looking it over and while he did that I told him about all of you and what you did to help. The prayers, the well wishes, guys wanting to send money, the stories of their fathers, what the CMP did to help and at that point, the only time in my life I have ever seen it, my father started to cry. He told me he never thought he would hold one again.

After a few minutes, we got ourselves together and he started really looking the rifle over. He pushed down the follower assembly, or whatever you call it, in the magazine well and carefully pushed the bolt closed saying he didn’t want to get “Garand thumb” and he explained what that meant to us and then the stories began.

Towards the end, he looked at the rifle again and tears started one last time.

Guys, thank you so much for all you have done. He was so excited – so happy. It was amazing and I am not a good enough writer to tell you how he looked other than to say he was profoundly touched by all that you guys did to help, what the CMP did and so on.

I have a lot to learn about M1 Garands, that’s for sure and I look forward to learning about this one with my dad.

Tomorrow we go to find the results of his bone marrow tests and I told him that no matter what he and I have the Spring and Summer to look forward to so we can take his new Garand out and test it.

Never take your loved ones for granted and do whatever it takes to be able to spend some time with them. Life is precious and time is short.

Thank you my dear, dear friends. You are all amazing.

The second part of the story is from July 27, 2011 when my dad I finally were able to take the Garand to the range:

It’s funny how fast time flies by. As you know, I bought an M1 Garand for my dad and gave it to him. Getting to the range with him was always on the “to do” list but never quite made it to the top due to job conflicts, health, kid stuff, and so on. Before I knew it, time flew by. You don’t realize how fast time slips by until you look back.

On June 27th, my father in law fell over a small 18″ tall dog fence, cracked a neck vertabra hitting a couch and compressed his spinal cord. He will not recover from the injury and subsequent complications caused by kidney and heart disease. It was such a freak accident because he was only 75 and full of energy. Now, he is sedated and kept alive by machines in ICU but still able to think and move his eyes. Calls and well wishes from you guys really, really helped. Bubbazan, Elkaholic, Ding … you guys are great. I can not thank you enough.

I told my wife that it really showed me that we can’t take loved ones for granted or leave loose ends undone. I told her I absolutely had to take my dad to the range with the new Garand. We are home this week catching up on bills and work while my wife’s family takes turns watching my father in law. Thus, I got an opportunity and seized it. Sometimes, and this was one of them, you need to make things happen and that’s what I did.

It’s been real dry and hot here which, for my dad, is perfect because there are fewer mosquitos – when they bite him he swells up huge because his compromised immune system goes nuts. Monday night I had a crash course in M1 Garand disassembly, cleaning and lubrication. Youtube videos and some web pages people had sent me helped tremendously. The CMP armorer knew about the situation with my dad and other than cosmoline in the stock, the rifle was immaculate. The trigger group was gun metal grey and lightly oiled inside. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn I was looking at a new rifle based on the quality of the parts, lack of wear and cleanliness.

I used Mobile synthetic grease to lubricate the rifle. It really made the rifle nice and slick. I was very concerned about recoil hurting my dad so I installed a medium Limbsaver Slip-On Pad just to be safe. It fit great and really cushioned the butt. So, I packed it up and made sure I had the ammo, targets, hearing protection, and so on for the range.

On Tuesday, my dad arrived and we loaded his van up and headed to the sportsman’s club for an afternoon of shooting. When we got there we had the range to ourselves as it was 3pm. It was sunny, hot and no mosquito in sight – things were looking great.

We set up on the range. My dad was definitely excited – he’s always been a big one to understate things but I could tell. Bear in mind an 85 year old man doesn’t move too fast and he was clipping right along. We set up on the 50 yard line to do our testing.


Now I had cleaned and inspected the rifle as best I could. Even so, we installed it in a stand and fired a test round with 25′ of string. Of course, my dad had the honor of pulling the cord and doing the first test firing.

The rifle functioned flawlessly on Greek M2 ball ammo. No bulges, primer looked great – the cartridge looked just fine. We inspected the rifle and everything looked great. My dad had this huge grin on his face.

Of course, the next thing to do was to fire for effect! The old man got down on the bench and lined up. He did it so smoothly that you just knew he and Garands knew each other. I was running around taking photos.

He squeezed off his first shot from an M1 Garand since the last time he fired one in Korea in 1945 – literally 65 years ago. Now bear in mind this was round #2 from the rifle – no changes to the sights plus my dad hasn’t been shooting for almost a year.

That definitely excited both of us so he got down to business


He fired 7 rounds – each time we’d unload the rifle and walk down to look at the target (I forgot my spotting scope). He was happy and talking about the rifle, how to adjust the sights, it was great. My dad got tired and asked that I shoot the rifle. I went on to fire 9 rounds realtively quickly from 50 and 100 yards before we had to leave. Not one single failure or problem of any kind – not one. The rifle functioned perfectly. I got a real nice note from the lead armorer at CMP wishing my dad well and I think they are an awesome group – all of them.

After shooting the rifle I was amazed at how little recoil there was. More of a push than a slam plus the recoil pad made it a joy. My dad said it didn’t hurt at all. We were able to spend about two and a half hours at the range and just had a great time. I’m definitely going to take him more this summer. We have a checkup on his cancer at the end of August and we’ll need to decide whether to keep watching, or just what. When we were packing up, I told him that I couldn’t afford the fishing boat but at least I could get him a Garand and that brought out a big smile. It was a great day – I was so happy and he was too.

Again, I want to thank all of you for your awesome support. We all have our own personal trials but having people go out of their way to help is an amazing thing. I feel very lucky to have a wonderful family and to count so many of you as friends.

God bless all of you and your families.

Sincerely,

George

In closing

Never miss a chance to spend time with your families.  Just before my dad passed away on September 20, 2014, we were planning on taking the Garand out to the range.  The day we were to go he decided against it as he didn’t feel up to it.  A day or two later he passed away in his sleep.  I really wish we had that one last shooting session but I do have some great memories and they outweigh the regrets.

We miss you dad.

 

In case you are wondering, here’s a bit about my dad:

Carroll Spafford, 88, of Stevensville, formerly of Battle Creek, MI, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 20, 2014, at the Hanson Hospice Center.

Born in Boston, MA on June 26, 1926, to George RH Spafford and Hazel Holmes (Mr. & Mrs. Spafford) of Everett, MA.  His parents, older brother (George Kendall) and younger sister (Phyllis) moved to a farm his parents bought in Derry, NH, when he was a young teenager.  While there, he attended Pinkerton Academy in Derry and graduated in 1945.

On March 30, 1945, Carroll enlisted in the US Army and was sent to Korea to join the 6th infantry division guarding against any attempts by the Japanese to retake Korea.  While there he rose to Corporal overseeing a seven man heavy machinegun squad.  He was honorably discharged on December 30, 1946, and returned home.

As part of the GI Bill, he attended the Wentworth Institute of Technology and obtained his MC&TD degree in 1949.  After several years working, he then attended Ohio State University and received his MBA in 1955.

Carroll’s career took him to Detroit and Ford Motor.  While in Detroit he met and married Alpha Lee Turman on November 26, 1964.  Following a brief stint working in research at the University of Michigan he then accepted a rewarding position at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, MI, where he taught business management and economics/

In 1967 he and Alpha had a baby boy, George, who was joined by his sister, Rebecca, in 1971.  They had a small farm North of Battle Creek with a collection of dogs, cats, horses and gardens plus summer car trips all over the US that occupied their time.

In 1986, he retired from KCC and he and Alpha volunteered at Junior Achievement in Battle Creek.  In 2002, he and Alpha moved to Stevensville, MI, in order to be closer to their grandchildren.

In 2012, Alpha passed on and Carroll continued on with the help of many talented and much appreciated care givers.  He is survived by his son, daughter, three grandchildren (Paolo, Alyssa, and Erika), his sister (Phyllis) and a very large extended family who all love and miss him greatly.

ARBuilds

Assembling an AR Lower – Step 3 of 11: Installing the Bolt Catch Assembly

In this step, I’ll install the bolt catch.  This is the part that catches the bolt when the magazine is empty or the operator wants to lock the weapon open.  In terms of risk, this step has probably caused more blemished receivers than any other.  What I hope to show you is a method to minimize that.

The assembly is made up of the catch itself, a cross pin that secures it in the receiver, a spring and the bolt catch buffer.  In this post, I am actually installing a Strike Industries bolt catch.  I like to have a slightly larger paddle to operate the catch and Strike model is a nice size.  If you ever want a giant paddle, Wilson makes one but it is just too big for my taste.

Here is the catch, it’s roll pin directly underneath and then the spring and detent to the right.

 

Where we are working on the receiver is right here – just above the mag catch:

The spring followed by the detent go down in the hole just above the magazine catch. The bolt catch is then inserted in the slot and the pin secures it. This is when you wonder if a third arm is needed 🙂

Now, this step is really risky.  One slip and you will mar your receiver so take a minute and put some duct tape on just in case.  I like duct tape because it is thick and sticks really well.  I’ve used other types of tape in the past and it really is just cheap insurance.  If you do this and what you use is up to you.  You are mainly worried about the receiver, to the right of the humps/lobes where the catch is going to be installed.

If you want to lower your risk of scratching your receiver, put a heavy tape around the assembly for protection. I’d recommend a duct tape – I’m using Gorilla Tape in this photo.

Now I use three punches for this.  I bought two rubber coated mag catch punches from Wheeler.  They work but I wish they were longer and you still need a third to make it easy.  Let me explain a bit more.  The Wheeler punches are half circle designs which gives you better clearance but I still use my long Astro Pneumatics 1/8″ punch to reach down and drive the pin the rest of the way in. Like I said though, you do need three punches for this.

The two black punches make up the Wheeler 710906 bolt catch tools and I literally use them with every build. Above them is a longer roll pin punch that I use to finish the install. I wish the Wheeler punches were about an inch longer and they would be perfect for me but note I do use them on every build.
The Wheeler punches are must haves for three reasons – they are flat on one side to let you get in closer to the receiver, they are rubber coated to protect the finish and you have both the 3/32″

Ok, so first take the roll pin starter punch and install the pin on the right side part way.  By getting it started you have less to try and mess with as the assembly comes together.  See how the punch is right next to the receiver?  You need to lightly tap this with a small hammer to drive it in while not hitting your receiver – this is why the tape is cheap insurance.

The Wheeler starter punch lets you easily begin the pin with zero drama and swearing.

I like to put a dab of grease in the hole to hold everything gently in place.  This is not a normal step and just something I do.  You then insert the spring first and the buffer on top.  You’ll notice with the AR design that a spring always has a detent or buffer between it and a moving surface to protect the spring.

I put a dab of grease in the hole to hold the spring and detent in place.

  Next, I use the roll pin punch from Wheeler to align bolt catch and hold it in place so the roll pin can be driven further in.  If you do not use something to align the catch holes for the pin you will drive yourself nuts.  Another option is to use a 3/32 drill bit’s smooth end to help line things up by inserting it through the front hump.

Use the pin punch to keep the catch properly positioned as you drive the roll pin through. Just short of bottoming out the starter punch, use a pin punch to drive the pin in the rest of the way.

Next, you need to use the roll pin punch and a small hammer to drive the pin the rest of the way in.  You can use the Wheeler block to hold the receiver or whatever works for you. Having a firm support makes it much easier.  My Astro Pneumatic roll ping punches are long.  My 1/8″ punch is 7″ long so I would recommend looking for something like that so you can clear the receiver when you are hammering the pin all the way in.  I don’t think the Astro set I have is made any longer because I could not find it on Google to share with you.  I use my Tekton punches.

See how much longer the Astro Pneumatics roll pin punch is? This lets me reach in and easily drive the roll pin in the final bit of the way. I can do the same with my Tekton gunsmith set’s punches.

With that you are done.  You can function test the unit by pushing on the top paddle.  You should feel the spring compress and release as you rock the catch back and forth.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

AR Parts Sources

There are a lot of reputable AR parts vendors online but beware of eBay and bargain basement dealers that sell airsoft parts and tell you they will stand up to firearm use – they will not. At any rate, here are my top sources of AR parts:

ARBuilds

Assembling an AR Lower – Step 2 of 11: Installing the Trigger Guard Assembly

The second step is to install the trigger guard.  Now I do not use the kind with a detent that allows you to open the trigger guard.  I prefer aluminum trigger guards from either Magpul or Brownells.  The one you see here is from Brownells and is made from billet 7075 aluminum.  I like how it is slightly oversized for gloves and Brownells prices it quite reasonably at $8.47. The front is threaded with a set screw and the rear has a roll pin – they include both in the package.  A polymer Magpul unit came with the lower build kit and I just put it in my box of spare parts.

Take a minute and check the fit.  The threaded part goes forward and the hole that goes all the way through to the rear.   Just ensure it is going to line up appropriately.

I like to first install the front set screw to help line everything up.  Just use a quality allen wrench – I have been burned with cheap allen wrenches that round the socket so now I pretty much stick with Bondhus and Eklind though there are probably many other good enough brands out there.  I snug the set screw down but do not go crazy torquing it in.  Bear in mind you are threading a small screw into aluminum and that allen key is giving you quite a bit of leverage.

Once that front screw is in and the trigger guard is better held in position, it is time to install the rear roll pin.  Now you have a number of options to install the rear pin and I am going to tell you about the two I use:

Option one, use a starter and roll pin punch to drive in the roll pin.  Now there is a real important thing you need to do – be sure you use a block to support the lower “ear” of the receiver or you may snap it off.  If it breaks off, you just ruined the receiver – game over.  I use a Wheeler block to support the receiver and you can use just about anything – over the years I have used generic gunsmithing blocks and even pieces of wood. For the last 2-3 years I’ve used the Wheeler block and like it.

Don’t try to use a generic punch.  I like to use a Squirrel Daddy roll pin starter to get the first part of the pin installed and then an Astro Pneumatics 1/8″ roll pin punch to hammer it in the rest of the way.  Of course you can use whatever brands you want but the bottom line is that you need to line the pin up vertically to drive it straight in and you must be careful not to slip and mar your receiver.  This is why using the correct punches matter.  The starter punch gives you a lot of control and by using the roll pin punch, you can keep your punch on the pin.  Because of my tremor, I am not very good with hammers and punches but can do this provided I use the two types of punches mentioned.

The Wheeler 156945 bench block does a good job helping you both hold and support work.  You want the “ears” on the receiver to be supported.  There are plenty of stories of guys not supporting the ears, trying to tap in the roll pin that holds the trigger guard in place and then breaking off an ear.  Whether you use the Wheeler block or even a piece of wood – be sure to support the ears.

Note how nicely the Wheeler 156945 bench block supports the AR lower.
This is a roll pin starter punch. This one is made by Squirrel Daddy.

Option two:  Wheeler Engineering makes a nice simple tool to install or remove that roll pin.  Boy does it make it easy and this is my preferred method.  The little tool is super simple – it has two pins that fit into the end of the screw.  A long one for removing the pin and a short one for installing the roll pin.  You just line things up and then tighten the screw.  The pin goes into the hole in a very controlled manner and your finish is protected.  Stop once your pin is flush with the receiver.

Other options:  I have seen guys use pliers with the jaws wrapped in tape, modified C-clamps, and more.  You can Google around or search on Youtube to see a variety of approaches.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

AR Parts Sources

There are a lot of reputable AR parts vendors online but beware of eBay and bargain basement dealers that sell airsoft parts and tell you they will stand up to firearm use – they will not. At any rate, here are my top sources of AR parts:

When Strength and Quality Matter Most