PSA stores always seem to have a few in stock (which is of little consolation to those of you who do not live in SC).

I have a wrench...I forget what brand it is but I just looked for it...it doesn't have a brand name or a symbol on it.  It is a solid piece of metal, I really do not see it breaking in the near future, and if I paid $80 for it...shame on me.

I just got my GemState wrench in and it is definitely the way to go.It is made of very heavy duty bar stock with a parkerized finish.It has different attachments for about any job you might need to do.One cool feature is the base wrench is magnetized so you don't have to worry about the attachments coming loose/becoming lost. I got the idea they do these in runs and fortunately I only had to wait 2 weeks.It was $52 to my doorstep and would have been a good deal at $80.

I bought one form Bushmaster and it works for me, though I have only used it three times.

I was hesitant to buy the Magpul wrench because of the price, but it is a damn nice wrench that does everything.  The castle nut side is better than anything else on the market.  I paid $60 something for mine.  Bought the bev block too, which is also an excellent piece that doubles as a mag block.

Normal use of the reaction rod does not damage pins and slots, in fact it protects them from damage.

As Bill Geissele replied to one of your posts on this topic a couple years ago:

"A variation of this tool has been used for years at various DOD armorer shops I have visited, with no problems.

When tightening a barrel nut or flash hider the barrel extension is being "tightened". No problem with this scenario.

When loosening a barrel nut or flash hider the barrel the barrel extension is being "unscrewed". However barrel extensions are tightened to 150 ft*lbs so unless it was not installed properly the barrel extension will not unscrew. Barrel nut torques may be in the 80 ft*lb range, flash hiders considerable less.

And if a barrel extension unscrews at a low torque it would be a good idea to know this sooner then later when it could cause issues when firing.

This tool is designed to eliminate the need for barrel clamps and receiver blocks. Use of a receiver block will put the torque right into the index pin, causing it to loosen or smash into the receiver groove."

Magpul's own Mr. Hanky? Does it count if they have left Colorado and it's manufactured in Texas now?

Have the Gem State Wrench., Armalite and PRI Blocks