Every AR-15 owner needs a couple of tools in their toolbag to maintain and upgrade their gun confidently. Today we’ll discuss several must-haves for maintaining and upgrading your AR-15 in the home shop. This isn’t every piece of tooling I have, but I tried to make it the best list possible for those buying an AR-15 for the first time.
Cleaning Kits
“If it’s for life and liberty, keep it clean.” This quote is one of the sayings I try to pass along to folks, especially new shooters. A cleaning kit is the first thing you’ll want to get your hands on. You can build them out yourself or grab one of the universal kits. The universals are a great place to start but can be improved over time as you find what you like.
CLP
First things first, CLP stands for Clean-Lubricate-Protect. CLPs are all mostly the same. Find an oil you like and stick with it. Oils have not improved in the last 50 years, so don’t waste time trying every flavor on the market unless you have a specific use case. Many will even swear by used engine oil as it’s got all the goodies baked right in. Birchwood Casey makes a great CLP.
Brass Jags
The plastic jags that come with the universal kits tend to bend break over time. Upgrade to a nice set of brass jags and never look back.
Solvents
Hoppe’s #9 is a great cleaning solvent among many other great options. Did I mention it smells great? Crack open a beer and a bottle of Hoppes and enjoy a Friday night cleaning fest.
Patches
Keep plenty of extra patches around; you’ll be going through them. Old rags or undershirts work great as well.
Scissors
I keep a set of cheap sheers in my cleaning kit to cut patches to smaller sizes if necessary. Grab a dollar store set and keep them around.
Rags
Here’s a shop secret; Most big towns will have a “rag dealer.” Head to a local mechanic and ask whom they buy rags from, then call that person and buy some. My favorite is the 40-gallon bag of cut-up hospital sheets/blankets that our Tampa source sells; One bag of rags lasts me many years.
Must Have AR-15 Tools
Let’s talk about the AR tools of the AR-15 trade that you should have in your toolbox.
Brass Hammer
You can also go for one of the nylon hammers. The main thing you want is a non-marring hammer of some kind. I prefer all brass because it’s a bit heavier and gives a nice thwack when hitting punches or pins. Wheeler has a great set that includes a hammer and roll pin punch set.
Punches
A universal punch set is great to have on hand. You will need at least one nice brass punch and multiple steel punches. Roll pin punches are also great for when you decide to replace certain pinned in parts.
Screwdrivers
Buy a top-notch set of screwdrivers and get a full set of different sizes. Please don’t use your big box set; get some that are properly ground and hardened. Once you have them, ensure you use the right size for the right screw to avoid upsetting the metal. No one likes upset screw heads.
Allen Key Set
A nice Allen Key set with extended handles is excellent. Magpul grips always come with screws that use hex heads and sit too deep for a regular screwdriver or Allen key. Look for the longer ones that have nice t-handles at the top. They will save you loads of time and headaches in the long run.
Torque Wrench
A torque wrench is excellent for two specific tasks, setting screws for an optic mount and tightening barrel nuts to the proper spec. Inch pounds for the optics and feet pounds for the barrel nut.
Armorer's Wrench
An AR-15 armorers wrench is invaluable. The more universal ones come with barrel nut prongs on the front and a castle nut wrench on the rear.
Reaction Rod
This style of upper fixturing is my absolute favorite. The reaction rod was made famous by Geissle, but many places are making them now. The grooves in the front fit perfectly in the barrel extension on an AR-15 and allow you to torque on parts and spin the upper around so you can get to the sides or bottom. The barrel extension is rugged and made to take some abuse, so I say spend the money on this and avoid the next option.
Upper Receiver Vise Block
I have an upper vise block that I bought from PSA probably ten years ago that I’ve used 3 or 4 times. They work if you are working on a bone stock AR-15 upper receiver without a handguard attached. There’s a place for them, but the rod-style holder takes first prize.
Lower Vise Block
The simple mag well blocks work great and get used constantly in my shop. Even for cleaning or mounting optics, I’ll often drop a lower block into my vise and snug it down, which frees up a hand. A lower vise block is an absolute must for any shop.
Vise
Get a nice old American or German vise and bolt it down to your workbench. They are expensive but will pay dividends very quickly. As I said above, if you don’t have room for a nice wood workbench, get one of the smaller vises that clip onto the side of a surface like the Real Avid Master Armorer's vise and rock on.
Work Bench
If you have a garage or work area, get a decent workbench. The one I have was a prebuilt from Home Depot that my wife bought me years ago. It’s held up great to the torture I put it through. Ensure your bench is solid; wobbles make you want to pull your hair out. I bolted mine to the garage wall studs to beat on projects. If you need to convince your better half, remind them this isn’t just for guns. I clean dirty carburetors on mine, sharpen kitchen knives, and make fun toys. Get one, and don’t look back.
Closing up shop talk for today. I think I gave y’all a pretty good list of items you want to keep around for working on your AR-15. This list is not exhaustive, so if you have recommendations, drop them in the comments below so other guys can chew them over. Remember, keep your gun clean and in good working order; you can’t predict when you’ll need it.