How To Remove Ar15 Front Sight

By Gunsmith Barry B. Snell
This article gives you a footstep-by-pace pictorial how-to guide on removing a AR fifteen A2 Front Sight.

How to Remove an AR 15 A2 Front Sight

USA – -(Ammoland.com)- Information technology's a familiar, all-American story: You bought a basic AR-15 burglarize awhile back and it came with the archetype triangular-shaped fixed front end sight base pinned onto the barrel.

You've been shooting it and your rifle works fine, merely you keep seeing these cool ARs on the Internet, with the free float handguard tubes and other accessories, and you're starting to think that perhaps it'due south fourth dimension to modernistic your gun as well. The boys and girls downwards at the range tin can't have a cooler AR-fifteen than you do, after all.

Well, I have good news: No, you do not need to take your AR burglarize to a gunsmith to become the stock-still front end sight off, and yes, yous can do all these steps yourself.

How practise I remove an AR 15 burglarize forepart sight post?

To remove an AR15 A2 front sight you remove the handguard, remove the flash hider, loosen the gas tube, then remove the front sight base pins. Follow these illustrated how-to steps, below, on removing a AR xv A2 front sight. This gunsmithing procedure generally takes less than 1 hour to complete.

How to Remove a AR 15 A2 Front Sight:

1	Remove AR Burglarize Handguard or Guards
2	Clamp Upper AR-15 Rifle Assembly Into Vise
3	Remove AR 15 Rifle Flash Hider
four	Loosen & remove the AR 15 Gas Tube
five	Remove the Ar15 Burglarize Forepart Sight Base Pins
half-dozen	Remove the Ar15 Forepart Sight From The Butt

Step 1: Remove the AR Burglarize Handguards

If yous have a not-standard handguard installed on your AR-15, such equally a free-float tube, yous may exist able to skip this step if removing your handguard too requires removing the front sight base first.  However, if you have the standard 2-piece handguards on your AR-15, yous'll demand to remove them, and at present'southward the fourth dimension.  Grab your handy cracking Brownells AR-fifteen handguard removal tool (SKU #080-000-487WB):

Effigy v: The Brownells AR-xv handguard removal tool, ready for action.

Place the "hook" of the handguard tool into the front of the magazine well, and slip the "arms" along the sides of the delta ring.

Effigy six: AR Rifle Handguard removal tool installed on the rifle.

Now pull the artillery of the handguard tool back, towards the rear of the burglarize, thus compressing the delta ring spring and allowing the rear of the handguard halves to move freely outward.

Figure 7: Rearward pressure level being applied to the AR handguard removal tool, pulling the delta ring dorsum, and releasing the halves of the rifle handguard.

Step ii: Clamp Upper AR-fifteen Rifle Assembly Into Vise

Y'all'll need to go your AR-15'southward upper one-half clamped into a vise, so you can remove the flash hider.  Flash hiders are typically installed with a cupped crush washer that puts forrard tension on the flash hider, which prevents it from unscrewing while you shoot.  Because of this sprung crush washer, a good fleck of torque is typically required to install the flash hider and get information technology aligned and clocked properly, therefore requiring some kind of clamping mechanism to hold the upper secure then yous can wrench on the wink hider during removal.

Figure 8: The AR 15 rifle flash hider trounce washer

Thankfully, Brownells' AR-15 activeness vise block gear up (SKU #080-000-659WB) makes it an easy task while removing a AR 15 A2 forepart sight.  To apply it, you need to remove the upper one-half of your AR-15 from the lower half, then remove any rear sights, carry handles, or optics you have installed.

Then, remove the bolt carrier and charging handle and replace them with the Brownells action insert, included with the AR-fifteen action vise block prepare.  The Brownells action insert provides some internal structural back up for your upper receiver when it's squeezed tightly in your vise, preventing it from existence crushed or plain-featured.

Figure nine: With the AR15 Rifle bolt carrier and charging handle removed and the receiver cleared of sights or optics, slide the activeness insert into the upper receiver.

Now place your upper receiver into the vise block itself.  The vise block is milled out to fit the receiver's contours exactly, and so the first time yous use it y'all'll probably have to wiggle it around a little to find the right spot.  It will merely close completely one time you've got it set correct.

Figure 10: The AR15 Burglarize upper receiver in the activeness block, fix to exist closed and clamped in a vise before removing a AR fifteen A2 front end sight.

Now close the action block up and clench the whole assembly into your demote vise.

Effigy 11: The AR-xv upper receiver clamped into the Brownells AR15 activity cake, and inserted into a securely mounted bench vise.

Step iii: Remove Your AR 15 Rifle Wink Hider

Grab your Brownells AR-15 armorer's wrench (SKU #080-001-208WB), place the jaws on the flats on the side of the flash hider, and unscrew information technology. Think righty tighty, lefty loosey!

Figure 12: Once you lot've got your Ar15 Armors wrench firmly placed on the flash hider's flats, apply gradual and firm pressure to loosen the wink hider and unscrew information technology.

Step iv: Remove the AR 15 Rifle Gas Tube

Earlier we can remove the front end sight base of operations, nosotros have to disconnect it from the gas tube.  Simply one tiny little coil pin is all that stands between you lot and front sight liberty, so identify your barrel in the Brownells front sight bench block (SKU #080-000-252WB), and grab your #2 whorl pin punch (SKU #230-100-002WB) and derlin tipped contumely hammer (SKU #080-001-220WB).

A couple notes are necessary hither.  First, exist sure to use the special curlicue pin dial if you tin can, considering using a standard flat tipped punch tin deform the end of your roll pin and ruin it (if y'all do damage information technology, no big deal replacement gyre pins are available).  The special #2 roll pin dial has a niggling nub on the tip that fits inside the roll pin and prevents the edges from squashing inward equally you lot hit it with a hammer.

Figure xiii: The business organization terminate of the #2 roll pin punch, specially designed to keep your gas tube whorl pin in practiced shape. Annotation the little nub on the tip.

2d, exist certain to use a brass or plastic hammer to hit your punches in the upcoming steps.

Yep, I know y'all've got a perfectly skillful steel claw hammer ready to practise the work of removing an AR 15 A2 front sight, and buying a new brass hammer seems like a waste of coin.  Just at that place'southward a darn good reason every gunsmith worth their salt has brass and plastic hammers at hand: Hitting a hardened steel dial with a hardened steel hammer tin cause one or both to chip or even explode similar a grenade.  We all know that Murphy'southward Law says that the final resting place of those piffling steel chips flying effectually at 200 mph volition be in your eyeball.  So let's just agree to reduce the take chances of that happening, and keep alee and buy that contumely hammer—but don't forget to habiliment those safety glasses!  The brass hammer but reduces the risk, it doesn't eliminate it completely!

Lastly, let's take a closer look at that fancy Brownells front sight demote cake.  Remember what I said at the beginning about the tapered and straight tapered pins while removing a AR 15 A2 front end sight?  Well, the onetime standard pins will have a taper, significant that they get in but one way and come out the other mode.  Then when you take your barreled upper out of the vise and action block and place it in your front sight demote block, detect that it has a "PINS OUT" side and a "PINS IN" side.  You'll also find that the bench block is machined out specifically to fit the front sight block, and then your barrel will merely fit in one way.

This is because the expert folks at Brownells made their forepart sight bench block to exist directional as well, only like the pins, which makes it about incommunicable to screw up the pin removal. Genius, eh?

Now, I'll admit, the gas tube roll pivot is not directional like the front sight block taper pins are, but it is practiced exercise to ever knock it out and put it back in the same mode.  So lay the bench cake down with the "PINS OUT" side facing up, and place your barrel in with the muzzle to the left so it fits in the machined space, correctly.

Effigy 14: The proper placement of a AR 15 burglarize barrel in the Brownell's bench block. Note the "PINS OUT" label. This is the side you desire to knock the pins out from.

Identify the #2 roll pin punch in the gas tube whorl pin, taking care to ensure it is centered and the little nub on the tip is seated firmly within the hollow eye of the ringlet pivot.

Ar15 Rifle Front Sight Pins : Figure 15: Have care to ensure the punch is centered in the gas tube roll pivot.

Give the punch a few firm hits with your brass hammer.  It shouldn't accept a lot of strength to go the gas tube pin moving, then don't go total beast mode on the little guy.

Driving out the AR xv front sight gas tube roll pin. Figure 16: Use caution confronting using excessive force in driving the pin out. You may take to hitting information technology firmly, but if y'all have to striking it hard, stop what you're doing and investigate before you damage your tools or burglarize.

And just like that, the fiddling gas tube roll pin drops out.

AR xv Front end Sight Gas Tube Gyre Pin Now Out: Figure 17: The pin will fall straight through the Brownells bench block and go on information technology from flying across the room and disappearing into the grit bunnies and domestic dog hair forever.

In one case the gas tube curlicue pin is knocked out, y'all may find that your gas tube is now loose and you tin pull it back out of the AR 15 A2 front sight base.

Figure 18: The AR15 gas tube may now be free from the front sight base

If your gas tube is gratis, you can carefully wiggle information technology out the back of your upper receiver and remove information technology and set it aside to go on information technology from adventitious damage in the side by side steps.  Y'all may detect, nonetheless, that your gas tube won't motion; the carbon fouling from shooting can glue it in there pretty well.  No worries if information technology won't budge though.  It'll come up loose when you lot pull the front sight base off the front of the butt.

If information technology won't motion, leave it be.  Practise not become a pair of pliers and yank information technology out!  Yous'll probably trounce your gas tube and stop up back on Brownells.com with credit card in hand again.

Pulling Out Your AR15 Rifle Gas Tube: Figure 19: If your gas tube is free, you can skid it out the dorsum of the upper receiver and set it aside and then it doesn't accidentally become damaged.

Step v: Remove the Ar15 Rifle Front Sight Base Pins

Now it's fourth dimension to get down to the chief result in removing a AR xv A2 front sight!  Double-check to brand sure you've got your demote block with the "PINS OUT" side still facing up, and lay your barrel back in.  Grab your punch and hammer, and prepare to knock the pins out.

(NOTE: in that location are ii (2) types of pins in the front sight cake review this part of the article before proceeding)

You may discover it useful at this time to identify your upper receiver dorsum in the vise block to back up that stop of the barreled assembly while y'all hammer on the other cease.  This will prevent your upper from bouncing effectually and make the process go a lilliputian smoother.

Supporting the AR15 Upper Receiver: Figure 20: Supporting the receiver end of your barreled assembly while yous hammer pins on the muzzle stop will make the process get smoother.

If your front sight base has the round headpins, brand sure y'all employ the taper pin starter punch with the "dished" tip.  This will prevent deforming the head of the pin while you smack information technology with a hammer.  Also, if your front end sight base has flat headpins, you'll want to apply a apartment-tipped punch.

Dished Taper Pin Punch: Effigy 21: The "dished" taper pin dial is for use with the round head taper pins.

Flat Tipped Pivot Punch: Figure 22: A flat-tipped punch for use with flat head taper pins.

Identify the appropriate punch on the caput of the pin, advisedly centering it to keep from hammering the pivot into the front sight base itself.  Keep the punch completely vertical, so brainstorm to give it a few proficient, firm hits squarely on the base of operations of the punch, driving all the force direct downwards into the pivot.  It will probably take more force to remove these taper pins than it did for the gas tube roll pin, but information technology yet shouldn't require whatever feats of superhuman strength either.

If the tapered tip of the punch itself prevents information technology from driving the taper pin all the style out, just pull that dial out and follow it up with the flat-tipped 3/32" punch.  It won't take much to shove the pin the balance of the way through, and so in that location'due south no risk of damaging the caput of the pin at this point.  Only tap it lightly with your hammer.

AR 15 Rifle Front Site Retaining Pivot and Punch: Figure 23: Center the dial and hold it directly upwards and down, then strike it firmly.

AR fifteen Rifle Front Site Rear Retaining Pin Takeout: Figure 24: The dial should drive the pin direct through the pinholes. Knock out one pivot, then the other. The order makes no divergence.

Pins Volition Drib Straight Through The Cake: Effigy 25: The pins volition drib direct through the cake, just like the gas tube scroll pin did.

Pivot-Free Ar-15 Front Sight Base: Figure 26: A newly pin-gratuitous AR-15 front end sight base.

Even though you shouldn't have whatever problem knocking these pins out, tolerance stacking sometimes means we get a pivot a couple ten thousandths too thick, simply it's still inside tolerance, and it was pressed into a hole a couple ten thousandths likewise small, that likewise is nevertheless within tolerance.  Farther, not all gun companies and gun parts are created equal; there's a reason some cost more than others, and manufacturing precision and quality control usually come at a price.  Too, if whoever assembled your rifle used tapered pins and installed them astern, y'all may encounter difficulty as well.

If it seems like the pins aren't moving and yous're just chirapsia information technology to death, terminate what you're doing, take a breath, and investigate before you damage something.

Practise you lot have the punch centered and pointed directly upwards and down, or are you off-center and corking the sight base at the border of the hole instead?  Are y'all hammering on a firm surface?  If y'all're working on the kitchen tabular array and everything is bouncing around similar popcorn in a skittle when you strike the punch, yous're losing a lot of energy into your piece of work surface.  If yous don't have a proficient, solid work surface, try moving to the floor or your concrete driveway or sidewalk out front.  The more mass beneath the bench block, the improve!

A fox I've found that can assist is to put a little Kroil Oil or other penetrating oil on the caput of the pins.  Only utilize a little dab and let information technology sit for a couple of minutes while you lot calm downwards and the urge to cuss and throw your pretty new brass hammer subsides. This is likewise an instance where, yeah, a heavier hammer can aid to remove a AR 15 A2 front sight if you've got 1.  Sometimes striking a punch a bit lighter with a heavier hammer is more effective than hitting harder with a calorie-free hammer. It'south because of all that physics stuff from loftier school that yous forgot.

Penetrating Oil Applied to AR15 Forepart Site Pin Heads: Effigy 27: A little penetrating oil applied on the pinheads can help get those pins moving. Just a dab'll do ya!

Step vi: Removing a AR xv A2 Front Sight – Remove the Ar15 Rifle Front Sight from the Barrel

Once y'all've got all the pins driven out of the forepart sight base, information technology is gratis to move frontwards and off the end of your barrel.  How hard the removal is depends entirely on your rifle.  Information technology could be every bit elementary as but grabbing it and giving it a bit of a twist, and off information technology comes in your hand, piece of cake peasy.  Or, you could take to hit it with a hammer and bulldoze information technology off the end.  Between the gobs of front sight bases I've swapped for Uncle Sam and my own rifles over the years, I've encountered both ends of the spectrum and everything in between while removing a AR 15 A2 front sight.

Filly Ar 15 Burglarize Forepart Sight Base: Figure 28: This Colt front sight base twisted off this Colt butt by paw pretty easily.

If yous have to apply forcefulness to the front sight base to convince information technology to move, apply that force judiciously.  Upward-finish your barrel so you can hitting the front end sight base from behind, only be certain to protect the muzzle by placing it on a not-marring surface that won't gall or damage information technology.  Concur your barrel firmly and carefully rap the flat spot on the dorsum of the front sight base of operations with a soft hammer.  A plastic-faced hammer is preferred every bit shown here, however, contumely volition work; it will just get out brass marks that will need to be cleaned off afterwards.

Removing a Ar 15 Rifle Front Sight Base of operations: Effigy 29: You lot're almost habitation costless, don't screw it up now!

Later yous're rewarded with that sudden jolt equally the front sight base finally overcomes friction and pops loose, you should be left with something that looks like this:

How To Remove a AR 15 Burglarize Forepart Sight: Figure xxx: Congratulations! You fabricated it!

Ar fifteen Burglarize Gas Port Comments

At present you're free to install a new gas block, put that cool ultra-lightweight free-floating tube on, or any information technology is yous're up to.  Just be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for the new part, and you should be gilt.  Before you install a new gas cake though (or the old one for that matter), I recommend inspecting the gas port first, which is that niggling hole on the top of the butt.  This is where the gas escapes behind the bullet afterwards it's been fired, and rushes back downwards the gas tube into the receiver, cycling your bolt carrier.

Ar xv Rifle Gas Port: Figure 31: A nice, make clean, mostly new gas port.

As y'all shoot, the gas port will erode over time.  This erosion is acquired by the repeated blitz of loftier temperature, high-pressure level gas blasting through this hole.  Mil-spec for an M4 Carbine gas port bore is 0.063", or 1/16", and the M16 Burglarize gas port spec is 0.093", or 3/32".  Other manufacturers will have different specs, which they should be able to tell y'all.

There are pin gauges you lot tin can get to measure out your gas port, however it'due south really non necessary unless y'all're a gun geek like I am, or you build ARs professionally and you require perfection.

Ar 15 Rifle Gas Port Close Up & Clean: Figure 32: In the immortal words of the late, peachy Bob Ross, "it's a happy petty gas port!"

The principal thing is merely to see if annihilation looks unusual.  Use your common sense: Is there excessive-looking flash cutting on one border of the pigsty or another?  Is the port going ovular?  Is it totally misshapen?  Does it expect more similar a dished-out crater than a neatly drilled hole?  Does the area around the gas port look super filthy and crusty?  All of these things could mean something, or they could hateful absolutely nothing except maybe your butt is getting erstwhile or perchance you use a suppressor a lot.  It's just a data point to keep an eye on if something seems amiss.  If yous starting time having mysterious malfunctions, knowing your gas port was looking a fleck funky last time you saw it might bump checking it out higher up the troubleshooting listing.

Bare AR-fifteen Barrel Steel

Lastly, you may observe that removing a AR 15 A2 front sight base leaves two shiny bands of blank barrel steel behind.  This is because some companies parkerize their barrels after the front end sight base has been installed.  The trouble is merely corrective, all the same, you lot'll nonetheless want to provide some protective finish to the exposed steel as a rust preventative.

The best affair of grade would be to remove the barrel entirely and send information technology off to a gunsmith to exist reparkerized.  If that's not an choice though, you could always become a tin can of Brownells Aluma-Hyde and utilize a couple of coats.  Cerakoting is another option and volition be the well-nigh durable over time, but Cerakote also comes at the highest toll and application difficulty.  Or, if you're not worried nearly any pocket-size color differences, and then I'd recommend a quick application of Brownells Oxpho-Blue.  Oxpho-Blue cold bluing has been used by gunsmiths for decades for touch-up jobs only like this 1, and it will serve you well too.  Merely tape off the area effectually the bare metal and so you lot don't go the Oxpho-Blue on the parkerizing, and follow the instructions on the label. In that location'due south null to it!

AR 15 burglarize with unfinished butt steel: Figure 33: Depending on why you're removing a AR 15 A2 front sight, you may need to deal with unfinished barrel steel underneath your front sight base. A quick and practiced fix is Brownells Oxpho-Bluish.

Well, folks, that'south information technology! Yous successfully completed all the steps in removing a AR 15 A2 front sight  Class dismissed.  Best of luck on your AR-15 black burglarize project!

---

Safety, Front Site Pins Types & Tools For the Job

Rubber.

Since you're going to be taking a firearm apart, make sure y'all've properly unloaded and cleared your AR first, and remove the ammunition from the room so there'south no mix-ups.  In one case you've made certain your AR rifle is unloaded, check it once more, and so check it once again.  Guns don't suffer fools, and nosotros're going to be dealing with the business concern end for this project, then don't become a news headline the antis can apply against the rest of us.

Then, when yous're gathering together the tools you'll demand, catch your safe glasses too.  Yous'll exist hitting hardened steel punches with a hammer, which has been known to result in some high-speed flying shards of metallic on occasion.  Furthermore, you'll be hitting fiddling steel pins with those punches as well, and it's not hard to transport those things flight.

Tools for Removing a AR xv A2 Front Sight

So aside from the safety glasses, what tools will you lot need for the task?

You won't need much, so this is a very budget-friendly project.  I've seen people grind downwards a boom to make an impromptu, ersatz dial and use their big xxx ounce Estwing framing hammer to drive information technology.  That'll certainly work in a pinch and I'd be a liar if I said thousands of ARs all across America hadn't been successfully shade tree gunsmithed in just this way, but every bit usual, merely a few specialty tools will foreclose accidents, practice the chore better, make your life easier, and produce a ameliorate-finished event.

There's getting the task washed, and in that location's getting the job washed right, right? Besides, modifying AR-15s is addictive, and then trust me: You'll use these tools once again and again!

Head on over to my friends at Brownells.com, "THE source for all your gunsmithing needs", and check out these specialty tools (annotation: these links and SKUs are valid at the time of writing merely may alter).

Gunsmith Tools You Will Need:

• Brownells front end sight demote cake (SKU #080-000-252WB)
• Brownells derlin tipped brass hammer (SKU #080-001-220WB)
• Brownells AR-15 armorer's wrench (SKU #080-001-208WB)
• Brownells AR-15 action vise block set (SKU #080-000-659WB)
• Brownells AR-xv handguard removal tool (SKU #080-000-487WB), or the required wrenches or tools if you have a non-standard handguard that requires removal to take the front sight base off
• Brownells #ii curlicue pin dial (SKU #230-100-002WB)

And so, if you have round head taper pins holding your forepart sight base on, you'll desire the following punches:

• Starrett taper pin starter (SKU #827-530-320WB)
• Starrett 3/32" pin punch (SKU #827-525-790WB) If you have flat caput pins holding your front sight base on, all you'll need is the iii/32" pivot punch.

AR 15 A2 Front Sight Pivot Types

How practice yous know if you're got round caput or flat head taper pins?

Easy.  Only await closely at the ii pins belongings your front sight base of operations onto your barrel, and run across whether they have a rounded caput or a flat head.  They await like this:

Figure 1: Roundhead taper pins on a Colt AR 15 rifle front end sight

Effigy 2: Flathead taper pins on a Rock River Arms AR15 rifle front sight

Effigy three: AR15 Rifle sight round caput (top) and flathead (lesser) taper pins from the side.

Note that the round headpin on the top of Figure 3 has a very slight taper, with the narrow end to the left and the thicker finish to the right. The flathead pivot on the bottom has a straight taper.

The top style pin used to be the specification for military machine rifles and they were what I was familiar with equally a pocket-size arms repairman for the Army's Colts, FNs and LMTs. However I'm told that this has changed, and military machine contractors are at present shipping rifles with straight taper pins in the forepart sight bases. This certainly appears to be the example for the rifles those contractors are selling on the civilian market place.

Both types of front end sight pins work just fine and at that place's no reason to be concerned if y'all take one or the other. The difference is noticed when installing or removing the pins, equally the tapered pins have the potential to be easier to work with due to the taper. However, if they're accidentally installed backward, they can exist a existent nightmare to bargain with. If the war machine specification has indeed changed, this would be why; straight taper pins can't be put in astern, and any downside of needing actress force to install or remove them is compensated for by non beingness able to spiral them up.

Moral of the story: Pay attention to your pins, and remove and install them accordingly!

AR 15 Front Sight Removal Tools Figure four: The writer's collection of tools and rifles for this project.

The prototype in a higher place is the collection of the tools and items used for this project—and no, you don't need two ARs. I just used the 2 here because they each accept the different front sight base pins, shown above. Unless noted, all the steps are identical regardless of the rifle used for the photo.

Click here to return to the commencement of the Step by Step Guide.

Virtually Barry B. Snell

Barry Snell is the executive managing director and lobbyist for the Iowa Firearms Coalition, Iowa's most constructive Second Subpoena advancement group, whose legislative victories include legalizing suppressors and making Iowa a Shall Effect state. Barry is besides a part-time gunsmith for Controlled Chaos Arms, an 07 FFL/03 SOT in Baxter, Iowa, and a contributing writer for Brownell'southward publications.

Some of the links on this folio are affiliate links, significant at no additional cost to you, Ammoland will earn a commission if yous click through and make a buy.

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