Reddit reviews Stanley 16-226 6 Piece Punch Kit

I just built exactly what you're describing. I can share some of my experiences.

• Torquing things:
  
  
  • An AR-15 armourer's wrench is a dedicated device for AR-15 assembly and will be needed to attach the barrel, buffer tube, and flash hider. I initially got a super cheap one that couldn't take the torque and the tool's teeth snapped off while stripping a few of my barrel nut's teeth. I now use a TAPCO-brand model and it's very well made.
    
    
  • A torque wrench ensures you are tightening the barrel, flash hider, and castle nut to the correct minimum amounts using an objective indicator of applied torque. The minimum values are in the 25-35 ft.-lb range, so get a wrench that can exceed this by a healthy margin.
    
    
  • You need a vise to hold your upper and lower receiver at the individual stages where you're attaching parts, especially anything that needs to be tightened to a specified torque level. C-clamps and speed clamps are also helpful here.
    
    
  • A pair of plastic blocks clamp your upper receiver tightly to your vise. A block of magazine-shaped plastic goes into your magwell to hold your lower receiver in place on your vise. Get a combo pack of both.
    
    
  • Molybdenum-based anti-seize (greasing) compound is necessary when attaching your barrel to your receiver. It makes things easier when torquing the barrel nut and prevents the barrel from chemically bonding to the receiver. I made the mistake of attaching the barrel without it, had great difficulty tightening the nut, found that I couldn't align the gas tube properly, and then couldn't remove the nut again. Had to toss the thing into a freezer overnight to allow thermal contraction to separate the parts.
    
    
• Pushing in roll pins:
  
  
  • You want a mallet with a non-marring head for driving in roll pins without damaging your weapon's finish.
    
    
  • A roll pin starter set will save you so much trouble getting the pins aligned for the first few hammer hits. Buy it.
    
    
  • For most of my roll pins, I used a roll punch set instead of a standard punch set to drive in the pins. Roll pins are hollow and a roll punch has a small indentation that fits inside the hollow area which makes driving the pins much easier.
    
    
  • A standard punch set came in handy to keep high-tension parts aligned while I punched in roll pins from the other side.
    
    
  • A bench block is useful in holding your parts in place while hammering in roll pins, but it's not needed if you have a friend to provide spare hands at some stages of assembly. I started off using it, but a roommate's hands plus a roll of tape (to rest the work piece on) worked just as well.
    
    
• Specialty / miscellaneous
  
  
  • If you're installing a handguard that uses the standard delta ring, you will want snap ring pliers to manipulate the snap ring part of the delta ring assembly. I initially tried using improved tools. Save yourself the cursing and just get the pliers.
    
    
  • I saw a video guide to installing the front pivot pin using a clevis pin. It looks like a good technique to use and would have saved me a lot of trouble.
    
    I'm super happy with the results of my build. The process is fraught with a lot of cursing and you're probably going to lose a couple of the tiny parts (like detent pins and tension springs) but the end result will be totally worth it. You'll be intimately familiar with the insides of your AR-15 and share a sentimental connection with your firearm thanks to its DIY nature. Enjoy!

Fuck it lets order everything off amazon if possible.

punches $10 you might use two of them

hammer $6 and this is over kill you need it to set like 3 roll pins. One in the trigger guard, bolt release, and forward assist

Masking tape Like a dollar at walmart only need a little while installing pins.

Grease same stuff from ebay little cheaper. Will likely only need a 5ml container but two are only $5

Magpul Bev block. Different site but free shipping and a quick google search will show you who to contact for usually a %10 off

Torque wrench and vise you are on your own but someone you know should have them and you can usually get away without a torque wrench depending on what handguard you choose.

this is a punch starter kit. I don't believe these are meant to punch out pins. You may be thinking of a punch set such as this Stanley set for $10 + free ship. I also just ordered this set.

For lower assembly, all you really need is a a rubber mallet and possibly a willing helper. As far as anything else, you'll want:

Armorer's Wrench, mostly for the castle nut

Punch pin set for driving pins in.

You'll also probably need an Allen wrench or slotted screwdriver to put the grip in.

For the upper, you'll need some C-clamps and a vise block, as well as some decent moly grease and a torque wrench.

Literally the only things I've had to spend on are the armorer's wrench and the vise block. Everything else is stuff you should have lying around the house.

Would a simple set like this suffice for the extractor? https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-16-226-Piece-Punch-Kit/dp/B000NIBFSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468090941&sr=8-1&keywords=Punch+set