Essential Tools

Maintaining An AR Can Be Painless
With The Right Stuff.

By Glen Zediker

A few AR-15-specifc tools make some essential disassembly operations borderline effortless, well, at least compared to the effort without them. Right. I could live without them. Technically. I could also live without tacos, just not happily.

This tool collection has saved me various consternations, ranging from frustration and irritability to puzzlement and blood-blisters. Some are for cleaning, some for routine maintenance, some more for builds.

All the Sinclaire Bolt Vise does is compress the ejector, but, man, that’s a lot. The vise works effortlessly to assist in disassembly and reassembly. Anyone who has done this job with the “suggested” 1/4-inch wooden dowel quickly learns they need at least one more hand. The tool even has a hole for the pin to dislodge through.

The Sinclair AR-15 Bolt Vise makes disassembly of this component
a snap. Otherwise, you usually need 3 hands—just not as quick or easy.

The Mark Brown Carrier Scraper removes crud from places all but inaccessible
in the carrier. Get it from Brownells. And do get it, unless you don’t shoot
much, or at all. Then you can wait.

Carrier Scraper

I’ve gone on and on about the Mark Brown Carrier Scraper for years because it does a difficult job in a few seconds. The area, way back in the bolt carrier, where the tail of the bolt lives gets filthy—caked with carbon. This tool cleans it completely away. I’ve had folks try it on what they said was a “clean” carrier and then just shake their heads at the resulting pile of black residue it removes. The reason this tool is so valuable is this area is one of the prime causes of those “mystery malfunctions” that baffle AR owners.

These “M-M’s” show up at about 1,500 and 2,500 rounds (usually) and many are restored to full function after 5 or 6 turns of this scraper. Without such a tool, we’re forced to apply some serious carbon-cleaning chemicals (like GM Top Engine Cleaner), but because a round bristle brush will not reach in the recesses, there’s still residue. I run mine each cleaning. It’s that easy.

I’ve used pretty much all the upper receiver clamps or blocks out there. I do not like the “clamshell” varieties, even a little bit. The better designs fit inside the upper receiver and use pins through the receiver front and back to secure the part against stresses. And there’s a lot of stress installing a barrel, tightening the collar onto the upper receiver.

The best thing about the XS AR Upper Receiver Armorers Block is they can be used with any upper. That’s because only the inside matters to its fit and security, and all AR-15 uppers are the same on the inside. Outside, there can be big differences, especially among the billet-made parts.

The MOACKS Carrier Key Staking Tool isn’t cheap, and it may seem like an excessive purchase for most of us, but it does a very important job perfectly. That job is to stake the carrier key screw heads in place against possibility of rotation. I have increasingly encountered carriers with screws not staked, but glued. That’s not enough. I’ve seen this on rifles sold whole and in a few carrier assemblies I’ve had here of late.

Back to “mystery malfunctions,” another common cause is if the carrier key screws get even a little bit loose, there goes some gas—too much gas. It’s also a troubleshooting tip, and if yours are loose, this tool prevents that from happening again.

This is the latest take on upper receiver blocks or “clamps.” It’s different because
instead of fitting into the interior of the upper, it’s got cutouts for the receiver
bottom lugs. The push-through pins then snugly retain those. It’s stout and secure
containment. This block can work for an AR-10 or AR-15: one on one side, the other
on the other.

Cleaning “clips” are available from various sources, and this one is from Sinclair.

Trigger Pin Punch

Well, it’s not really used as a punch. It’s a rod with a rounded end to replicate an AR-15 trigger pin (same diameter) and locates and retains the trigger or hammer in place so you can install the pin. The punch is pushed out as the pin replaces it.

Hammers—especially ones with an extremely stout spring—can be a bear to install without this. It’s hard to get the pins through the hammer hole and then through the other side receiver hole with everything in alignment. Your thumb will thank you because it won’t have to crank back and hold the hammer nearly as many times.

Here is the MOACKS staking tool (above). It doesn’t look impressive, but it aids
staking the gas key screws firmly in place. If they aren’t, they come out. This tool
works with all configurations of key screws. It’s goof-proof, which really helps (below).
Otherwise it’s going to usually be an ugly job, albeit effective, done with a punch and
hammer (unless you’re a diamond cutter by trade).

Cleaning Clip

A few different outfits make these. It’s simple. All it does is separate the upper and lower receivers and hold them fixed, while we clean the bore and chamber. But it’s all we need! Without this, the ever-hinging receivers require constant attention. Combine it with an AR-specific cleaning “cradle” and routine maintenance just became way easier.

Even though it’s not specifically an AR-15 tool, I use the Hornady LNL OAL Gauge continually for mine. It’s a handloading tool technically, and it allows you to find the bullet seating depth (cartridge overall length, actually) so you can seat your bullet to touch the lands in your chamber. I say “your” because that’s the whole point of the tool (for me): it helps define your chamber dimensions. That matters, even if you never seat bullets to touch the lands.

It’s easy to determine the chamber throat specs in a rifle, and you can compare the amounts of “jump” different bullets have (distance the bullet has to travel to get into the lands). I use it to keep up with throat erosion, too. After a few reads and a few notes, you’ll easily distinguish between a SAAMI and a NATO chamber, for instance, and those in between.

It’s also of value to some who shoot the long match bullets. We can’t always safely load these to a length allowing them to fit into the magazine, and call it a day. In order to avoid the bullet being jammed into the lands, because of the ogive (nosecone) dimensions or profile, some bullets will need to be seated more deeply into the case than what would give the usual 2.260-inch maximum cartridge overall length of the AR-15 magazine. That’s a dangerous mistake you needn’t make.

There are more special tools to be sure for those who build AR-15’s, and we’ll discuss those in the future if there’s enough interest. Write the editor and tell him. He might listen. Or not.

This is the Trigger pin “punch” at work. It’s from Brownells, and
makes standard trigger and hammer installation a whole lot easier.

The Hornady LNL OAL Gauge was formerly the “Chamber-All Gauge” from
Tom Peterson at Stoney Point, and Glen was the first kid on the block
with one. There are angled or straight versions, and either will work
with an AR, but the angled version gives significantly more consistent
readings.

Shameless Self Promotion

The preceding was a specially adapted excerpt from The Competitive AR-15: Ultimate Technical Guide, from ZedikerPublishing.com or BuyZedikerBooks.com.

Brownells
200 South Front St
Montezuma, IA 50171
(800) 741-0015
http://americanhandgunner.com/company/brownells-inc/

Hornady
3625 West Old Potash Hwy
Grand Island, NE 68803
(800) 338-3220,
http://americanhandgunner.com/company/hornady-manufacturing-company/

MOACKS Michiguns
P.O. Box 42, Three Rivers
MI 49093

Sinclair Int
200 South Front St
Montezuma, IA 50171
(800) 741-0015
http://americanhandgunner.com/company/sinclair-int-l-inc/

XS Sight Systems
2405 Ludelle St
Fort Worth, TX 76105
(888)744-4880
http://americanhandgunner.com/company/xs-sight-systems-inc/

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