I’m having a bear of a time trying to tap out the pins in my Noveske FSB and want to confirm whether they’re straight or tapered pins. They look tapered to me, but I don’t have a caliper.
I found some posts from 3-5 years ago saying Noveske was using straight pins then, but I’d be surprised if they still do. My rifle is a 16" N4 midlength made in 2012.
Does anyone know whether they use standard or tapered pins?
Taper I believe. Either way, always treat the pins as if they were taper and drive the pins out with the barrel pointing to the left (as you look down on it).
Have someone press down (on top) of the upper (or barrel) while you hit the pins.This removed the vibration out of it and will make the job much easier.
C4
Thanks Grant. That’s what I’ve done except for having someone hold the upper. I guess I’ll wait for my wife to get home then recruit her.
I’m afraid one of the pins has flattened out a bit. If the worst happens and I can’t get the pins out myself, should I just send it to a gunsmith?
Unfortunately I was unable to get them out even with someone holding the upper. Anyone have a suggestion for a good gunsmith I can send my upper to? I’ll need the FSB removed and probably the appropriate replacement pins.
Take a break for awhile and come back to it, knocking pins out isn’t as hard as many people make it seem.
Are you using some type of fsb block and working on a solid surface like a concrete floor? Most work benches will have enough flex and vibration to make the job nearly impossible. Taper pins are visibly larger on one end; you could see the difference with a tape measure.
If you’re using a standard punch, get a meaty one - like 5/16" so it doesn’t slip off the pin. You don’t need a huge hammer, an 8 oz’er will work fine just don’t be afraid to whack it sharply. A few solid whacks and the pins will be flush then switch to a smaller punch and tap them the rest of the way out.
Warm up the taper pins and squirt some lube on them. Then use the largest punch you have which will help you when hitting it. Once they loosen then use the smaller punch to drive them out.
Thanks for the advice, everyone. I realize this is a newb question but I’ve committed to learning more about the AR platform by pushing my limits and working on it myself.
I must not be hitting it hard enough. Here are the details on what I’ve done so far. I read a couple dozen threads around the net to make sure I’m not just missing something obvious:
[ul]
[li]Using Brownells FSB block and a piece of hard foam to support the upper receiver, [/li][li]Using a steel 5/16 punch [/li][li]Hitting it with a good-sized hammer[/li][li]Someone’s holding the upper still[/li][li]I’m banging the pin from left to right[/li][li]I put it in the freezer for two hours[/li][li]I warmed it up with a heat gun until it was too hot to touch[/li][li]I let gun oil sit on the pins for a couple hours.[/li][/ul]
Unless the spirit of John Noveske’s eternal beard has taken up residence in my taper pins, I have no explanation short of being too weak with the hammer. I’ll give it another shot tomorrow, trying the heat and oil route again.
A carpenter’s nailset with the cupped face is the ideal taper pin driver.
Once the pins get moving you can switch to a narrower punch.
Thanks for that suggestion. I’ll drop by the store and pick one up tomorrow.
Take a look at the face…it will be a medium or large depending on the maker.
BCM Method…
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_2_138/181708_Removing_BCM_FSB_Taper_Pins.html
Once you are all set up on a SOLID work surface (use the floor if you have to), you have to whack them with conviction. Little baby taps or “I don’t wanna scratch my gun” hits won’t do. Be in control of the hammer, but don’t give those pins any slack.
I did everything you you recommended except warm the pins. I also used Kroil. I also found that a 4oz ball peen and some well placed whacks did it for me. They’re not like roll pins, they’re really jammed up in there. As others have stated, as long as everything is properly supported, some hard whacks aren’t going to hurt anything. I’ve also found that about 2-3 beers before the job helps loosen up your inhibitions and you won’t feel as uneasy bashing on your FSB.
4 oz ??
That’s a watchmaker’s hammer.
I have used an air hammer before as a last resort. It’s a tricky business as you run the risk of banging up the FSB or barrel with several blows if and when the punch slips off the pin. I addressed that by taking a piece of kydex heated and molded to the shape of the FSB and drilling a hole to expose only the pin. I also drilled a little cup in the end of the punch. In my only experience with the air hammer technique, it zipped those pins out of there with one squeeze of the trigger each.
Supporting the barrel is critical. Any movement and it can seem impossible. A quick sharp blow with an over sized punch is best to get it started. Guys can start mushrooming pins. I will also note in my experience that generally Noveske has some of the toughest pins to deal with. I am not saying this is a bad thing.
The carpenter’s nail set and a minimum 3# hammer is what we used last time. They came right out.
Words cannot express my level of frustration.
I’m going to have to send the upper off to someone who can get these pins out. I used penetrating oil, heat, a nail set, and a 3 lb. hammer against a FSB block and the concrete floor with somebody holding the upper, and all I’ve earned myself is this:
Does anyone have a recommendation for who can do this work for me in the central part of South Carolina?
Basically, I want the FSB pins removed, the NSR rail installed, and the FSB shaved and reinstalled.
I was going to call ADCO if no one has other ideas.
Robb Jensen on here should be able to do this easily. http://m4carbine.net/member.php?u=394
Thanks for the recommendation. I just left him a message.
EDIT: I’m sending it to Robb. Thanks everybody for the help. Hopefully someone else finds this thread useful.