So I have been patiently waiting to assemble my first AR… finally get the lower receiver and barreled upper in today… I start putting the LPK in… and launch the f’n pivot detent across the garage when it slips from under my box cutter… an hour later and I’m throwing in the towel… looks like Brownells will be getting some business I didn’t want to give any one…
Sorry for the rant… This really has no purpose…
When I assemble lowers, I work inside a big clear plastic bag.
Zip
I bought the tool from Brownells. It was worth it.
There’s a detent tool? Figures.
I use an allen key to hold the detent, and do it in the shower (make sure you close the drain).
LOL - especially with your current avatar…
Good thing I didn’t order from Brownells… I finally decided to go out and put everything up and just give up on the rifle and the damn thing landed way out of the blast zone on the lip of one of the panels of the garage door… just happened to notice it out the corner of my eye whilst walking by… Next time I build a rifle I’m ordering that tool.
A word of advice, get a couple, it saves on shipping for next time. If you are planning on building any other lowers, it usually takes me three to get one lower together it seems.
Search for “pivot pin install tools” to find a thread in this section with that title.
Unfortunately my forum-fu is weak so I don’t know how to post the thread thingie that you can click on to get directly to that thread. (Not to hijack this thread … but anybody want to help me out here and tell me how to do it so next time I don’t look like an idiot?)
I have made “in a pinch” detents out of coat hanger wire and also JB Weld. When I was a college student and too impatient to wait, and had time to go shooting the next day.
Try this…
…or, go to your nearest hardware store and by a 1/4" x 2" Clevis Pin which will work just as well for about $1.
At the hardware store they have brass rods, pick up one and it will last you for ever-should
atleast you lost something cheap… its not like you lost control of the barreled upper and launched it down the street never to be found again… think of it that way
Most LPKs I’ve received have an extra detent or two included.
But I pride myself on not having to go to ARFcom-esque measures to get a job done. Someone gave me the tool, but I could get it done without if I had to.
C’MON!! 
Hey, I got it in… after I found it… The rifle sits assembled minus the BCG, CH, and buttstock…
These things happen,
I have a buffer retainer and spring that is still somewhere in orbit.
As a previous poster said, a clevis pin works great. I polished mine up, as they often have rough edges. Also put the end to a grinding wheel to obtain a nice flat perpendicular surface to butt against the taketown pin, so detent pin cannot hold up movement of takedown pin as it slides in.
Prefer to save money and be inventive. Also, no waiting for item to arrive.
MP
i got me one of those, but everytime i want to build a lower, i forget to use it.
I’ve always used a pivot pin installation tool, and all my installations (four so far) have been problem-free.
For future reference, Stag/CMT lower parts kits come with an extra detent “just in case.”