When removing a Bushy front sight which way do you punch out the pins?

Does it matter?

I thought they may be tapered a certain direction, rather than just trying it and boogering something up, I thought I'd ask.

They are tapered.  Hit them on the side that is smaller in diameter.  This is usually the left side, but check to be sure.

all pins on an ar15 come out the same side as the ejected brass

Now there is something that should be taught in the public school system!

I wonder exactly why that is, except of course for that being the default standard way of putting the taper pins in.

I had to get a new A2 sight tower (from Fulton Armory, Bushmaster wouldn't sell a part to me that requires gunsmithing because they wouldn't want to take a return on a part I might screw up) because I had picked up a Busy 20" national match barrel for a great price, but the sight tower was gone.

I have a small milling machine and plenty of measurement tools, and the right reamer,  so I was able to drill and ream a set of holes in the tower to exactly match the sight tower to the existing holes in the barrel.   It's not a job you should attempt without a mill and some related tools.   It went quite well, and the rifle shoots fine, with the sights centered as well as your average AR.

I'll tell you one thing, though:  If you go to take out the taper pins, your best bet is to clamp the barrel very securely in a massive vise and use a very good, well finished flat faced punch of the correct diameter when you take the pins out, because if you don't get a true hit on the end of the taper pins, you may start mushrooming the small end, in which case you're going to be grinding with a Dremel or maybe even drilling the pins out.  That'd be a bad scene, so make sure your barrel is rigidly held and make sure the pins get hit accurately and cleanly with a sharp but not excessively hard blow.  If you have to hit them more than 3 or 5 times, they're already mushrooming.

The pins are inserted from the right side of the tower.  That's SHOOTER'S right.   So drive them out from the left.

At least, I have yet to notice an AR where this was incorrect.


CJ

Yeah it would fit right in with new math and revised world history. What about the windage knob pin, the forward assist pins, the ejector pin, the charging handle latch pin, or the bolt catch pin?

The only concern with the H/T pins is that the end of the pin [b]without[/b] the annular groove should be inserted first and removed first. This prevents either the hammer spring leg or the J spring from dropping into the first groove during installation.

The taper pins I've seen mushroom weren't properly hardened when tested laster. Haven't seen one in awhile but I know they're out there.

[spelling]

When looking at the rifle from the rear, with the top up, hit the pins on the left side and remove them from the right.

When you reinstall them, insert the pins and lightly tap on them, then tap the FBS with a plastic mallet until you are happy with the verticle alignment before setting the pins.

I use new pins. Get a bunch and keep them around for when I decide to "personalize" my weapons.