I've launched a few and said a bad word or perhaps two. Haven't launched any lately though. One of my neighbors who is really a fixit guy and always has all sorts of things disassembled with tiny parts scattered all over his workbench has resorted to using one of these. ******* https://www.harborfreight.com/17-in-mini-magnetic-sweeper-62704.html
I used to have a name for them myself. Reason was when they went flying through the air I would respond Jesus ******. I found a better way was to assemble inside a clear plastic bag. Pin would fly and stay in bag.
I can remember having to hunt through lots of grassy spaces in basic when the spring from the bolt of an M14 went flying while trying to put it back together. Still hear that DI scream about it also.
Now I'm starting to get a bit concerned that the folks from those OTHER words I used after the sproink ding might start showing up...........
In the spare parts Plano case and have been used. I have put the M9 in a plastic bag when doing work on it.
lol in the armorers classes Ive been too (for other guns too not just AR15s) I would just take the big course materials handout book or binder and stand it up right making a "V" with the pages and then face the open part of the V towards the gun I was working on off to my side. Then I would just point all the parts with springs into the "V" while I was sitting there working on it and any springs that might shoot out would just fly into the book trap I made lol. Saved me from having to the the infamous "armorers crawl" countless of times.
You will never launch another take down detent if you buy one of these. https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-4-in-x-2-in-Zinc-Plated-Universal-Clevis-Pin-815418/204276164 It's very easy to use.
When you get like me, you wind up getting lots of spare springs and pins (this isn't always possible for every gun but is for some like ARs). That way when they go sproink I just reach in the bag and grab a new one. Without getting the blood pressure up too much. And if I ever move or get a magnet in this room I'm sure I'll be tempted to do another build from all the stuff I recover.
I was looking in my little gunsmithing shop a few weeks ago. I have acquired so many extra AR spring and pin kits. They sometimes call them spare parts or field kits. Also a few firing pins and bolts.
Ever tried to put a M1 Carbine bolt together without the bolt dissasembly tool? It causes colorful language.
That's a great solution. I've made up one of those using a copper welding contact tip that happens to be a tad under 1/4" diameter. I drilled a hole in it and use that. Just line up the hole with the cavity for the spring; push in the spring and detent with the pin punch; twist 1/4 turn to capture them; and insert the hinge pin so that it pushes out the insertion pin.. But your solution is more elegant - it's a ready made, easy to get part.
Yes! ^^ those things make life so much easier. This is how you do it without the tool lol. still a pain but works well enough without it. Ill usually use a small pair of tweezers or needle pliers though to hold and guide the detent in so you dont fumble it like this guy does the first three times lol But same technique he uses to get the pivot pin in.
