Brownells' special Bench Block and Taper Pin Starter Punch make it much easier to remove an AR-15/M16 front sight. (Photo: Gus Norcross)

Fixed front sights are normally pinned to the barrel, although there are exceptions, such as the Army's SDM-R. Some manufacturers, such as Rock River and DPMS, use straight pins, while others like Colt and Bushmaster employ tapered pins.

Moving these pins requires a strike from a hammer and punch, so the front sight must be solidly supported to prevent it from walking around on the bench. If the sight's allowed to move, you may end up with unprofessional-looking dings in the steel around the pins where the punch slipped.

Brownells produces a special polyethylene bench block (part No. 080-000-252) designed to aid both removal and installation. The block's machined to accommodate most front sights, although I have seen a couple that were too big to fit the recess.

Keep in mind that taper pins must be driven out from left to right. The ends of the pins are rounded and a standard punch will tend to slip off each time it's struck. To make life easier, use Brownell's Taper Pin Starter Punch (part No. 827-530-320) if possible.

The end of this tool has a concave face designed to fit the radiused ends of the pins. And remember, this is only a starter punch. Once the pin begins to move, a standard 1/8-inch punch may be used to drive it out.

Before reinstalling the front sight, a size 2/0 taper pin reamer may be used to clean up the holes if they're burred.

Notable