What kind of special tools are needed to build an ar15 from a stripped lower?

All I've used is a 3/32 punch, piece of flat wood, rubber mallet small flat (blade) screw driver and needle nose pliers.  Flat wood is what I rest the lower on while driving the roll pins.  

I suggest you to not buy or do a thing without reading this:

www.ar15.com/content/guides/assembly/lower/

needle nose pliers, allen key, punch and hammer.

Pliers optional.

It is all covered at the top of this forum.

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=202467

Thanks for the info, should have read that first!

Quoted: It is all covered at the top of this forum. www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=202467

FALARAK... my hats off to you for your how to threads...  

I'm about to put my first flash hider on...  I searched an burned my eyes out reading the standard discussions about peel washers vs, crush...

What I want to know is if a barrel vise is necessary or if I could do it with the upper in my upper blocks...  any advice?

Think you could add this to your awesome how to threads?

Thanks,

Tom

Quoted: Quoted: It is all covered at the top of this forum. www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=202467 FALARAK... my hats off to you for your how to threads...   I'm about to put my first flash hider on...  I searched an burned my eyes out reading the standard discussions about peel washers vs, crush... What I want to know is if a barrel vise is necessary or if I could do it with the upper in my upper blocks...  any advice? Think you could add this to your awesome how to threads? Thanks, Tom

Well, my experience diverges from conventional wisdom here.  Maybe this is a good idea for a how to thread.  Hmmm......

Anyway.... the "right" way to install a muzzle device is to grip the barrel in barrel vise blocks.  However, I dont do that.  I have never dounf the torque involved being that high, so I set mine using just a vise.  If I have a pinned FSB, then I just grip on the FSB (between two blocks of wood) and then tighten until I am happy.  If it is not a pinned FSB, then I grip on the barrel, covered in some leather or cardboard to prevent damage (I use a chamois) and then tighten.

Crush washers are really self explanatory.... you just tighten until cruching just begins, then stop when it is aligned as you like.  Peel washers you use trial and error loosely, until the muzzle device is timed as you like, then torque down.  Its too simple.

Quoted: Its too simple.

Should I be insulted!

I actually said, screw it, and put the FSB between two blocks before even checking if you responded to this thread.   I had to 'tap' the washer some to get it started as it wanted a ton of torque before it wanted to start deforming... once it started the torque stayed pretty constant till it was timed correctly.  

As for whether it would make a good how too....  I think atleast  a one stop thread should be hot linked on some how to page,  perhaps a foto or two and be done with it.  You can find the info with a search and buring your eyes out.

but thats just my $.02


either way, thanks for your helpful posts FALARAK!

Tom