The detent pins in the kit that came with my Model1 kit are pointed on one end.  Should the pointed in go into the spring or into the takedown/pivot pin?  I've read through the assembly guide and a book or two, but none of the pictures I could find really went into any detail. In most of the pictures the detent pin didn't even seem to be pointed.

Thanks!

I put mine point end to the spring. Seems to be working alright.

I think the safety selector detent is pointed on one side, and the pointed side should go towards the selector. The other two detents should be kind of rounded on the ends.

If they are all pointed, I would think it would be more logical to put the point towards the pin.

Right the selector detent I did put point end to the selector. The directions I used said to do it that way. That front take down pin I put point end to the spring however. After the damn thing got launched about twice. I was lucky and found it however.

Yes, the safety selector detent is pointed on one end too and the point goes into the safety.  The detents I'm speaking of are the takedown and pivot.  Is my Model1 kit, they are not pointed at both ends.  I too launched one of the detents across the room, into the ether/another dimension some where, never to be seen again.  So, in preparation for launching another one, I bought a DPMS pin kit.  It's detents are pointed/rounded at BOTH ends.

I did notice that (for the takedown detent) that it was almost impossible to move the takedown pin when I used the pointed end INTO the takedown pin.  A little lube might have helped, but it was VERY hard to used.  With the flat side into the pin, there was a bit of resistance, but the take down pin was able to move.

Anyway, I'll keep the pointed end into the spring.  Thanks for the help!

Quoted: Yes, the safety selector detent is pointed on one end too and the point goes into the safety.  The detents I'm speaking of are the takedown and pivot.  Is my Model1 kit, they are not pointed at both ends.  I too launched one of the detents across the room, into the ether/another dimension some where, never to be seen again.  So, in preparation for launching another one, I bought a DPMS pin kit.  It's detents are pointed/rounded at BOTH ends. I did notice that (for the takedown detent) that it was almost impossible to move the takedown pin when I used the pointed end INTO the takedown pin.  A little lube might have helped, but it was VERY hard to used.  With the flat side into the pin, there was a bit of resistance, but the take down pin was able to move. Anyway, I'll keep the pointed end into the spring.  Thanks for the help!

The pointed end goes into the takedown pin.   The point is supposed to make it easier to move it in and out of engagement with the detents in the takedown pin.

Early pins had one pointed end and one flat end.  The point eventually wears out and will make the takedown pins very difficult to move.  On the bright side, it takes a long time to wear out.  I had to replace a number of pins on late '60s rifles and mid/late '70s rebuilds, and this was in the mid/late '90s.

I don't know if the switch in designs came about to enable armorers to simply reverse a worn pin, or to prevent them from installing the pins backwards.  Probably the latter; I had to replace a lot of detent pins and I always pitched the old ones on the grounds that they were very cheap and if I had to do the work, why bother using a less than perfect part if I didn't need to?

The take down pin with point towards the take down pin makes the pin work REAL stiff when you take it all one way. I tried fitting the rounded end into the front take down pin and it fit the two holes where it snaps into to hold pin in place. I finally made a tool like the one in the ARMY M-16 manual to put the detent and spring in place. Made it out of a L shaped hex key wrench. Works great and I got the detent and spring in place first time with it. Cost virtually nothing. Just drill a hole in end of hex key wrench and is close to diameter of pin itself. Next time I do this however I will have some extra detents and springs. Model 1 gave me two detents however. I appreciated that.

Put some oil on the pin and spring, they aren't designed to work without some lubrication.

Great info guys, thanks!