Anyone have a good way to remove the M1A bolt stop pin?  I want to use my SEI extended stop and I can't!    It looks as if the hole in the front is not fully drilled which prevents me from getting a punch in straight.  HELP!!!

My $0.02, if it is that ornery, I'd send it to warbird (TX) or Ted Brown (OR).  The bolt stop pin "boss" can be broken easily if it's difficult to line up the pin punch with the pin hole.    

Yes you can break off the Boss if you aren't carefull.
 Easiest method if you are just going to change the stop is to use a small 1/16" punch through the front hole and tap the roll pin out about 1/4" being very carefull to not wedge the punch in the hole. Than grab the exposed roll pin with some pliers and tap the pliers to pull the roll pin far enough out to remove the stop. Next line up the rooster whatever stop and tap the roll pin back in flush, putting some masking tape on the recvr side will prevent accidently scratching the finish...

In case anyone else has a pin that won't budge, here's how I finally got it out:

First, I slipped a hacksaw blade between the bolt stop and bosses on either side, cut the pin and removed the stop.

Next, using a 1/16" punch I was able to remove the remnant from the front boss.  At best, you can get this small punch in at an angle, so you can't tap the pin back too far or exert much force on it at all.  This may be dependant on how far the hole was drilled.  It's not technically a blind hole, but it's not a through hole either.

Lastly, using a 3/32" punch, I knocked the rear remnant out in the forward direction.  This part of the pin was in tight and was causing my problems.  I had to trade in my brass hammer for a ball peen, squirt in some oil and give it a good whack.

The new pin gently tapped right in as it should, leaving me to believe SA overdrove the original pin and effectively swaged it into the rear boss or they used an oversize roll pin.

Quoted: In case anyone else has a pin that won't budge, here's how I finally got it out: First, I slipped a hacksaw blade between the bolt stop and bosses on either side, cut the pin and removed the stop. Next, using a 1/16" punch I was able to remove the remnant from the front boss.  At best, you can get this small punch in at an angle, so you can't tap the pin back too far or exert much force on it at all.  This may be dependant on how far the hole was drilled.  It's not technically a blind hole, but it's not a through hole either. Lastly, using a 3/32" punch, I knocked the rear remnant out in the forward direction.  This part of the pin was in tight and was causing my problems.  I had to trade in my brass hammer for a ball peen, squirt in some oil and give it a good whack. The new pin gently tapped right in as it should, leaving me to believe SA overdrove the original pin and effectively swaged it into the rear boss or they used an oversize roll pin.

They ( SA Inc ) probably used alittle Loc-Tite during assembly to keep the roll pin from walking out.

Quoted: They ( SA Inc ) probably used alittle Loc-Tite during assembly to keep the roll pin from walking out.

I didn't see any residue, and previous efforts to heat the boss up with a propane torch didn't yield better results.  It wouldn't surprise me if they did that on some guns, though.