Admittedly, I am a newb to the AR platform, so please be gentle … with the PA-15 16" Nitride M4 Carbine 5.56 MOE EPT as my first one.
I am attempting to install some Strike Industries Anti-Walk/Anti-Rotation pins. I followed the instructions and tips for using the stock pin as a slave… the trigger pin went smooth as butter. However, the hammer pin hasn’t cooperated and has been nothing but a royal PITA, to he point of binding up and then breaking. Now I can’t even get the stock pin back in place.
It looks and feels like there is something catching/slightly blocking the channel through the hammer. What’s going on? What am I missing? Any and all help, suggestions, and tips would be greatly appreciated.
Use a punch as a slave. Make sure the springs are correct in their orientation also.
Put the punch in from the right side with the gun pointing away from you. Then using a gun smithing hammer, slowly tap the pin in from the left to the right with the pin staying as close as possible to the tip of the punch.
I use a slightly smaller punch as it gives me the chance to manipulate the hammer and make sure the holes are aligned.
Fwiw, i do not and never have used anti-rotation pins. If i was firing full auto and worried about them coming out then maybe i would. But the pins have the grooves to keep this from happening.
Plain and simple the hammer pin wasn’t fully lined up. When it stopped moved you should have tapped it out from the opposite side and tried again
When you’re working with AR controls, you need to be delicate. Get ham fisted and you start breaking things, or worse, destroy your lower
In my opinion, the most difficult part of assembling a lower receiver is the bolt catch roll pin. Everything else is easy if your patient and take your time
Get yourself a proper set of punches while you’re at it
1 Like
I haven’t destroyed a lower, but I can’t be the only one that’s severely, ahem…marked a couple because of that roll pin.
Painters tape in multiple layers is your friend.
2 Likes
Yeah, can vouch that one layer of painter’s tape is definitely not enough.
Layers of painters tape and this
1 Like
I’ve been lucky 
The stock pins should not walk or rotate to begin with.
If you modify your PSA lower, you probably void your lifetime warranty.
I never seen any pin come loose, whatever on M-16/4 in military, or with my two PSA lowers.
If ain’t broke, don’t fix it…
If you are a noob I would study the workings of the trigger and sear. I would make sure you can take it out and reinstall it. You need to fully understand everything that’s happening that would make replacing the pins much easier after you know what is going on inside
1 Like