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11/12/2007 7:44:31 PM EDT
i was putting my lower reciver togther. was putting in the front detnet. used the clevis pin worked fine till i was pusing the take down pin in and the two pins skiped off and ping.....the detent and spring went flying. found the spring but not the pin....
11/12/2007 7:50:01 PM EDT
[#1]
You are not the first or the last to have accomplished this error.
11/12/2007 8:15:14 PM EDT
[#2]
I did the same thing myself, but luckily my hobby room has tile floors, and it was easy to sweep up.  

Good luck finding it.
11/12/2007 8:44:11 PM EDT
[#3]
I picked up a good tip somewhere on here. Put the lower in a gallon freezer bag. That way, if it does fly off, it will stay in the bag.
11/12/2007 8:50:47 PM EDT
[#4]
I did the same thing, but lookily mine fell right in front of my cat.  I was looking for it and noticed him staring at the ground, at something.  I walked over, looked down and there it was.  I guess he's not totally worthless afterall.
11/12/2007 8:51:01 PM EDT
[#5]
I hang a towel off the front of a chair, then put the pins in while sitting on the floor pointing at the towel.  If they go ballistic, they hit the towel and fall to the floor.

I had to buy not one, but two extra detents before I learned that particular lesson.  
11/13/2007 12:17:33 AM EDT
[#6]
I do the same but use a Homer Bucket (Home Depot Orange Bucket)....towel in the bottom....that works real well (BTW use a white towel)
11/13/2007 3:36:43 AM EDT
[#7]
Putting a lower together is like rebuilding and cleaning a winch on a sailboat..  Old trick there is to cut a hole in the bottom of a cardboard box, tape it around the winch, line it with a towel so when the pawl springs go wizzing around, they get caught in the towel and don't commit suicide by leaping overboard!

:)

Semper Fi
Ed
11/13/2007 5:31:45 AM EDT
[#8]

Quoted:
I did the same thing, but lookily mine fell right in front of my cat.  I was looking for it and noticed him staring at the ground, at something.  I walked over, looked down and there it was.  I guess he's not totally worthless afterall.


+1

Valuable cat!!

What is his opinion on chrome lining?
11/13/2007 6:19:59 AM EDT
[#9]
A chrome lined cat?  I might have to try that...


I used a box to install mine (receiver, not cat).  Worked great.
11/13/2007 6:24:04 AM EDT
[#10]

Quoted:
i was putting my lower reciver togther. was putting in the front detnet. used the clevis pin worked fine till i was pusing the take down pin in and the two pins skiped off and ping.....the detent and spring went flying. found the spring but not the pin....


Big magnet.

Couple ways to go bout it.  Sweep floor with magnet or.

Vac the floor using a new vac bag and run the magnet over what got sucked up.
11/13/2007 7:34:57 AM EDT
[#11]
I put my lower together in a shower and just tape the drain. That way when it flies away it doesn't go very far.
11/13/2007 7:38:46 AM EDT
[#12]
Yeah, we've all done that.  Assuming you're talking about the pivot pin.

I just use the end of a bic pen to install them.  I put the spring and detent in, and come in with the bic pin on the opposite side that the pivot pin goes in.  Then pull the pen out while replacing with the pivot pin.  Has worked on several builds so far.
11/13/2007 7:43:21 AM EDT
[#13]
well i found the detent lol. i gave it one more shot and looked with a flash light and found it under my fridge. then i promptly put it in the reciver. used a razor blade to hold down the pin and in it went im happy now
11/13/2007 10:29:26 AM EDT
[#14]
Anyone know the cheapest source for the detents? Midway charges $3 if the order is less than $25.

Mine has flown god knows where, that will teach me to get cocky on my second build.

I was seriously thinking about buying $25 worth and re-couping my money by selling them for $2 shipped.
11/13/2007 11:26:09 AM EDT
[#15]

Quoted:
Anyone know the cheapest source for the detents?



Usually there's a table at the gun show that sells individual small parts.

11/13/2007 11:47:20 AM EDT
[#16]
the nice folks over at rbprecision include an extra detent and spring when you order a lower parts kit, or at least they used to.

very considerate of them. i needed it
11/13/2007 12:42:57 PM EDT
[#17]
You should be able to get a DPMS pin kit for $10 at your local gun store.
11/13/2007 2:29:34 PM EDT
[#18]
I was assembling a lower at my mom's house last year.

I did the same thing you did, and that little bastard shot off so fast, I had NO idea where it went. I knew it hit three walls, but after that, who knows. The floor was covered in wood fragments and bark flakes from the wood bin, so there were hundreds of fragments for it to hide in. I looked for an hour or so, but it was futile.

I was visiting her 6 months later, and she said "Is this yours?" and held up the pin. She had FOUND it in the bark while cleaning the week before.

SIX MONTHS LATER.

Fucking astounding.


Now I assemble that pin under a bedsheet.
11/13/2007 4:19:32 PM EDT
[#19]
Could have been worse...

...the doctor could have removed it from your eye!
11/13/2007 4:21:32 PM EDT
[#20]
BM has all sorts of misc kits, to include a mega repair kit for about 40 bucks.

Their pin and detent kit is $7.50 and a "Lost Parts" kit is $13.50.
11/15/2007 3:35:17 PM EDT
[#21]

Quoted:
Anyone know the cheapest source for the detents? Midway charges $3 if the order is less than $25.

Mine has flown god knows where, that will teach me to get cocky on my second build.

I was seriously thinking about buying $25 worth and re-couping my money by selling them for $2 shipped.


IM sent to help a fellow Arfcommer.
11/15/2007 5:43:28 PM EDT
[#22]

Quoted:
I put my lower together in a shower and just tape the drain. That way when it flies away it doesn't go very far.



Whew - I thought I was the only one that did that. I was putting my lower together in the bathtub when the wife walked in on me. She gave me a look.
11/15/2007 5:44:53 PM EDT
[#23]

Quoted:
Could have been worse...

...the doctor could have removed it from your eye!



Is there a story you would like to share?
11/15/2007 6:42:42 PM EDT
[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Could have been worse...

...the doctor could have removed it from your eye!



Is there a story you would like to share?


Don't know if V8Astro's got one to share, but my detents came out of the receiver at about warp 8.  I'll never do that without wearing eye protection.
11/16/2007 4:07:53 AM EDT
[#25]

Quoted:
I put my lower together in a shower and just tape the drain. That way when it flies away it doesn't go very far.


... but how do you keep your chocolate chip cookies from getting soggy?

-WhyTanFox
11/16/2007 6:35:38 AM EDT
[#26]

Quoted:
well i found the detent lol. i gave it one more shot and looked with a flash light and found it under my fridge. then i promptly put it in the reciver. used a razor blade to hold down the pin and in it went im happy now, but I'm only missing two fingers.
11/16/2007 12:20:09 PM EDT
[#27]
I drop the spring into its hole, then insert a 1/4" punch thru the front lugs, but not so far that it hits the spring.

I then use a pair of really small, fine-tipped needlenose pliers to push the pin down into its hole, compressing the spring. Push the punch thru so that its over top of the pin, and remove the pliers.

Use the front pin (situated so that the retaining pin's recess is facing the retaining pin) to push the punch out.

Works like a charm. Havent lost one yet.
11/16/2007 8:10:00 PM EDT
[#28]
Somewhat related.....

I cleaned and swept my gunrom floor the other day, behind/under the benches and everything. I found 4 buffer retainers and springs...no lie
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