I am about to pull my hair out trying to pound the pins out of my front site base. Anyone have any tips, pointers or ideas? I really want to put it right back on when I get done, but I'll break the biatch and get a new one if thats what it takes.

I use an oversized punch and a big hammer and I hit them very hard for the first couple of hits, to get them moving.  Once they are unseated and moving, I use the proper sized punch and a smaller hammer and tap them out.  Don't pansy around with the first couple of hits, all that will do is mushroom the ends and then you are FUBAR.

Oh, and BTW, make sure you are hitting the small end, because you can't drive the bigger end through the smaller hole on the opposite side.

Quoted: I use an oversized punch and a big hammer and I hit them very hard for the first couple of hits, to get them moving.  Once they are unseated and moving, I use the proper sized punch and a smaller hammer and tap them out.  Don't pansy around with the first couple of hits, all that will do is mushroom the ends and then you are FUBAR. Oh, and BTW, make sure you are hitting the small end, because you can't drive the bigger end through the smaller hole on the opposite side.

Yep, what he said, they are tapered, so make sure that you drive them in the correct diretion.  And just like he said, hit the MF hard to get it started.  Also, use a piece of wood to set the FSB and barrel on, so the FSB takes all the force from the hammer blows and not the barrel, if you get what I'm saying.  Goosd luck!!!

Thanks guys! I was starting to eye the Dremel

All better now!

A simple way to remember which way to drive the taper pins out--they go out in the same direction that your pivot and takedown pins do when you separate the upper and lower receivers.

In a recent armorer's course, we had 24 AR-15 rifles from various manufacturers, and only ONE SINGLE pin refused to budge. That means only one pin out of 48 didn't want to come out. We didn't have the means to heat it, or I'm sure that it would have come out as well. The others came out with a few strikes from a 16-ounce ballpein hammer and a 3 /32" nail set.

Quoted: A simple way to remember which way to drive the taper pins out--they go out in the same direction that your pivot and takedown pins do when you separate the upper and lower receivers. In a recent armorer's course, we had 24 AR-15 rifles from various manufacturers, and only ONE SINGLE pin refused to budge. That means only one pin out of 48 didn't want to come out. We didn't have the means to heat it, or I'm sure that it would have come out as well. The others came out with a few strikes from a 16-ounce ballpein hammer and a 3 /32" nail set.

That's great info.  Thanks, I'll remember that one!!!