BROWNELLS AR-15 Front Sight Bench Block

Makes a difficult job much easier. It will hold the barrel in place and also show you which side to drive the pins out. I still use mine whenever I need to do gas block work.

You would think a bench block designed to be used with the standard front sight base would fit said front sight base. There is far too much rotational play in this block to justify the price tag. Still usefull for the gas tube roll pin I guess but it didn't really help me at all with stubborn taper pins. I'll keep it around since I already bought it but would pass on this if I were you.

I had a S&W M&P-15 in a couple days ago to remove the original hand guard & front sight/gas block, and replace with a low-profile gas block & free-float hand guard. On the front sight bench block it is labeled "Pins In", and on the other side "Pins out." The problem is on this S&W the large end of the pins is the opposite of the standard Colt.

basic plan... Install FSB on barrel, gas port must be located / place tool on FSB using pin holes as guide drill out with proper carbide drill.

I see some of the reviews were less than thrilling, however I have found this to be of great use for what it is intended. It might not work on all variations, but what tool does when it comes to the AR platform due to its diversity. This worked perfectly on a Colt that I did some work on, and was worth every penny making a sometimes difficult task relatively easy. I wish I had purchased this much sooner than I did.

I just removed 2 of my LE6920 FSBs, this block helped support underneath while I punch out the taper pins. I don't think I will be using it anymore for other builds. My opinion is a block of wood would do fine if only doing couple of builds requiring front sight removals. The gas tube roll pin removal/installation is also supported by this tool.

I was removing a front sight on a Colt 6920. The front pin was removed without much problem or effort. The rear pin was a monster to get out. After using a sledge hammer for a couple of hours and ruining two cheap punches I ordered the block. Was it a perfect fit? No. But with my son stablizing the barrel in the front sight bench block, the rear pin popped right out. It did what I needed it to do and was a time saver.

Had to modify to fit lug into block. Barrel rotated during pin removal. Had to drill one new hole and enlarge another to allow pins to drop into. Helped getting pins out but could not use after install a new quad rail. Costs to much and helped to little. Not recommended for others. I too could have used an old leather sand bag instead of this block.

Does not work with a free floating forend, does not work with a basic m4 forend. Even if you manage to clear the handguard your barrel will simply roll in this block.

What would have been nice is a block that actually was fit to this oh so common gas block.

Want something better? Try drilling a couple holes into a board and using that to remove your pins.

Barrel rocks pretty bad, making it nearly impossible to strike the taper pins squarely and with sufficient force. Honestly I think plain sand bags would be better.

I could have spent most of an afternoon making a sight bench block from wood and epoxy. Instead, I purchased this one. I have since dissassembled and re-barreled two AR15 upper receivers with this item. It has work as avertised.

I wish there was a special bench block for installing the trigger guard roll pin in lower receivers. I will make that bench block myself.

Haven't use it yet but I can tell from past experience I've need this for a long time. Perfectly cut to hold front sight housing

The block is machined flat but the FSB and barrel are curved so the block does not hold the barrel from twisting when hitting the taper pins. Any movement in the barrel significantly decrease the force applied to the taper pins. This may be acceptable for manufacturers with loose taper pins but for very tight ones this block does not work.

Worked great removing the pins from two pre-ban rifle length uppers and one carbine length upper. All were Bushmasters. After the YHM Diamond Pattern Free Float handguard tubes were installed I was able to position the bench block to provide support while re-installing the pins. The rails prevented a proper fit. I'll have to check and see if I can't dremmel a relief cut in the block for the tubes and rails but that is a project for another day. Useable as is though.

This block is designed to fit a variety of front sights, which means that it does not fit many of them perfectly. It is still better than trying to drive out the taper pins using any other method. The barrel wobbles a bit and had to be held in place in order to get a clean strike on the pins. Still a worthwhile investment if you are going to work on AR's.

You can make your own jig out of wood, but why complicate things, if you have $1000+ to buy a rifle why not spend a little more and do the job right.

I don't know why people give this such a bad review, if it does not lay flat when in the block put a sand bag under the receiver!!!

Nothing in life is easy or perfect, if it was we would not need anything.

The product may not fit all AR's or M4's front sights but that has a simple solution, call Brownells they will help. I have called them three times and they have done everything possible to provide me with the right info.

I thought brownells knew something I didnt when I tried removing the pins from my Stag Arms FSB. Admittedly I am a rookie with tools which can be dangerous.

Unless pin removal direction is universal, which it isnt, the words "Pins In" and "Pins Out" should not be printed on the thing.

Useful tool otherwise......

Unlike some, I took the time to read the instructions and descriptions carefully, then talked with Brownells Tech Support, which passed along a couple of ideals about using this tool.
For me, it earned it price the very first time I used it. Had a Colt HBAR that had front sight pins that were unbelievably tight! I ended up getting the pins to move after I got out my custom 2.5# hammer! True, I did have to use a couple of sandbags to hold the upper in alignment on the block, but this was a minor thing and I am sure I would have damaged the sight and barrel without having this block set!
Since then, I have used it several times with confidence on other customers "AR-15" rifles.
This set of blocks do not fit every front end out there, and yes, it could use some improvements, but for what it was designed to do, it was well worth the price to me at this time.
I am sure the fertile minds at Brownells, or somewhere will come up with a better idea or design, but for now, I will recommend this to anyone that is working on a lot of "AR's" because there will come a time when you will need these blocks. I would give it a 5-Star rating but I feel the design could be improved and that is the only reason I gave it a 4-Star rating.
Hope this helps.
Cordially,
Coyote
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Used to remove standard A2 front sight in order to install free float tube and low profile gas block. Worked just like it is supposed to. It kept sight from moving around while you use punch to remove pins. Did not use to reinstall due to using low profile gas block but would think it would install with even less trouble. Two taps with punch and 4oz. hammer per pin. Well worth the money and lack of aggravation.

I should have read the user reviews before buying this because the product description is very vague. This block is designed for use on AR's that have the factory two-piece handguard removed. Unfortunately my AR has a one piece free-float handguard which makes this bench-block useless without major modifications. I'm very mech-inclined but haven't yet decided to modify or return this product. My gas-block pins are very tight so I need something like this tool to remove them.

Worked great. I did add a tiny piece of steel stock under the bayonet lug on FSB to prevent any twisting under hammer strikes. No need to dremel fit. I removed taper pins from the notoriously difficult BCM FSB (light weight contour, no less, so no barrel contact on the block). Five wacks on the front pin and the pin was flush - five light ones more with an undersized pin punch and it was out. The rear pin needed no shimming and the block fit perfectly on this portion of the FSB. I am not giving it five stars because I agree with other posters that it would be a fairly easy improvement to provide that additional support in that front sight pin area. I understand that it isn't there to accommodate an non-milspec pin hole location.

I gave this product 2 stars only because it does not support entirely the FSB especially at the critical points. When FSB is laid, it is tilted thus the pins are not perpendicular to the base which will make it harder to punch out, especially if the pins are real tight. Brownells should made this bench block from the mould of FSB so that all critical points are properly supported instead of milling it out from the blank.

As others have found out before me, this block has limited uses. If you have a Stag Arms AR, your tapered pins go in and out of the FSB from the opposite side. Please look at the pins before you start and make sure you are tapping on the small ends to remove. That also makes the holes in the block not align properly. None of this is the blocks fault, however, and it is handy for it's intended purpose. I will modify mine, as others have done before me, to fit my application.

Works just as intended for removing pins with the factory stock retainer. It cannot be used when re-installing pins after addition of railed free float tubes. Needs more think time.

This is the third hand that I never had. Only problem was clearance with some hand guards,(Which if needed could be fixed with a Dremel tool).

As others have said, this has very limited use/application. To use this bench block (without modification), you must have 1)Milspec FSB, 2)NOT have FF hand guards.

It is easy enough to clearance areas on the block with a Dremel tool though (except for the mess of orange plastic shavings that get everywhere...)

Word of caution... if your taper pins are moderate to very tight (and beyond), you MUST ensure your barrel/FSB does not move AT ALL while pounding out the pins. This bock does not (without modification - see Dremel tool) hold the FSB steady enough - and I had to clamp the block/FSB to a sturdy bench with a c-clamp until I made some clearance passes with the Dremel.

Good design and easy to use, just watch out if your using on a Stag Arms Barrel. The pins came out on the oppisite side than normal.

Works well on barrels without handguards, but with free float tubes it will not work without a few mods on a milling machine to the block for clearance of the large handgaurds.

This block is just the thing when you are working with mil spec front sights. It's not much help with any other type of gas block.

This is a great product if you have a mil spec front sight. Unfortunately I did not. The Smith & Wesson M&P15 front sight looks very similar to a mil-spec sight but the taper pins are put in in the opposite direction and they do not line up with the holes on the bench block. Just be sure you have the right parts before you start pounding!