View Full Version : AR15 Armorers Wrench....
Razorhunter
02-17-07, 18:59
Guys,
A while back, I spoke with someone, who told me that he owned the best armorers wrench for an AR15, that he's ever seen. It even had an NSN #, and was marked "USMC".
He paid about $40-$50 for it, and said he purchased it at a show a while back, but it definitely wasn't one of the cheapo type wrenches you show at many shows today, of course.
That is all that I know about it, and I would like to know if anyone here, can tell me where an armorers wrench such as the above mentioned NSN #'d model might possibly be found???
I assume that all armorers wrenches are NOT created equal, but then I don't know this for sure. I'm just basing my assumption on what this guy said. To his credit, he is some type of LEO Armorer, and he knows his stuff. Can anyone help me find these wrenches???
Thanks so much guys...
limaechofoxtrot
02-17-07, 20:59
Email sent! Check on Ebay. I saw one there earlier today.
-Len
While not what you're asking about, I saw this thing (http://www.cjweapons.com/aspcart45/prodetails.asp?prodid=3583&start=1) at SHOT and it looked promissing. Kind of a Leatherman for the AR.
http://www.cjweapons.com/aspcart45/images/mk16.jpg
Robb Jensen
02-18-07, 09:29
While not what you're asking about, I saw this thing (http://www.cjweapons.com/aspcart45/prodetails.asp?prodid=3583&start=1) at SHOT and it looked promissing. Kind of a Leatherman for the AR.
http://www.cjweapons.com/aspcart45/images/mk16.jpg
I saw and handled that at SHOT, it's Chinese made and sucks. If it were of the quality of Gerber or Leatherman I'd already own one. IIRC it was $130 but it's probably worth about $30
Smith Enterprises makes the USMC one I have sitting here. It's built like a tank. The DPMS one is decent also, but the stock wrench sucks and the little cast tit always breaks. FWIW, the SEI one doesn't have the stock wrench at all. It has 3 prongs on the opposite side of the barrel nut wrench that fits KAC, Daniel Defense, etc. FF tube barrel nuts.
http://www.smithenterprise.com/products12.html
http://www.smithenterprise.com/imagesprod/M4-M16_Arm.Wrench_Retail.lg.jpg
It's fairly cheap also.
Robb Jensen
02-18-07, 12:12
I use a DPMS, USGI, PRI, YHM, DD-Lite barrel wrenches. I'm also going to get one of these from Bushmaster.
http://www.bushmaster.com/shopping/gunsmith/Images/1570-4.jpg
For M4 stocks I use my Tonys Custom Upper M4 castle nut wrench.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v408/gotm4/M4stockwrench.jpg
I use a DPMS, G.I., PRI, YHM, DD-Lite barrel wrenches. I'm also going to get one of these from Bushmaster.
http://www.bushmaster.com/shopping/gunsmith/Images/1570-4.jpg
I imagine I'll wind up with one of these as well. I currently have the DPMS wrench after breaking the GI wrench I had trying to remove an LMT barrel that had apprently been installed with red Loctite.:eek:
Robb Jensen
02-18-07, 12:20
I imagine I'll wind up with one of these as well. I currently have the DPMS wrench after breaking the GI wrench I had trying to remove an LMT barrel that had apprently been installed with red Loctite.:eek:
On a couple of LMT barrels I've had to cutoff the delta ring & weld spring with a mondo set of bolt cutters and use a large plumbers pipe wrench to loosen the barrel nut. It works everytime but ruins the barrel nut, but it's easy to replace as LMTs have very easy to remove pins in the FSB (non-tapered just like RRA).
I wound up freezing my upper and got it off that way. Since the aluminum receiver contracts more than the steel barrel nut, it loosened it right up.
On a couple of LMT barrels I've had to cutoff the delta ring & weld spring with a mondo set of bolt cutters and use a large plumbers pipe wrench to loosen the barrel nut. It works everytime but ruins the barrel nut, but it's easy to replace as LMTs have very easy to remove pins in the FSB (non-tapered just like RRA).
Replying in this old thread because I just wrecked a YHM wrench trying to get the barrel nut off an LMT upper. Going to try again with a Smith or DPMS wrench after a few days of soaking with Kroil.
I don't expect to find any red locktite, but you never know. Barrel nuts take anti-sieze, not threadlocker, and no doubt LMT knows it.
Glad to see the old thread resurrected for my education. Just got an M4 and am in the process of selecting a supply of tools, parts, etc. Will probably buy the tools suggested by the mfr. and try to get the best discount I can.
I really started to jump at that multi-tool but then saw the reviews on the Midway site. That won't be happening. I'd love to see a co. like Leatherman, with their quality, come out with some specialty tools related to guns or marine use - real selection of tools, not just one related to the specialty and the rest the generic multi-tool.
Replying in this old thread because I just wrecked a YHM wrench trying to get the barrel nut off an LMT upper. Going to try again with a Smith or DPMS wrench after a few days of soaking with Kroil.
I don't expect to find any red locktite, but you never know. Barrel nuts take anti-sieze, not threadlocker, and no doubt LMT knows it.
Did you try freezing it? Worked like a charm on the one I did way back when.
Glad to see the old thread resurrected for my education. Just got an M4 and am in the process of selecting a supply of tools, parts, etc. Will probably buy the tools suggested by the mfr. and try to get the best discount I can.
I really started to jump at that multi-tool but then saw the reviews on the Midway site. That won't be happening. I'd love to see a co. like Leatherman, with their quality, come out with some specialty tools related to guns or marine use - real selection of tools, not just one related to the specialty and the rest the generic multi-tool.
You might look at Multitasker (http://www.multitaskertools.com/). More of a field tool than a bench tool though.
IMHO it's just like any other tool, you're better off with dedicated tools when at home or on the bench, and the folding/pocket/compact tools are best for expedients away from the bench. Just like I'm not going to use a Leatherman to work on my car at home, but will use it in a pinch on the side of the road to fix something that broke while driving.
Did you try freezing it? Worked like a charm on the one I did way back when.
I'll try that and report how it works out! Thanks for the tip. Currently wrench-less until the Brown Truck o' Happiness brings a spare.
When I was working with mine I had the upper clamped in a vice block, the GI barrel wrench held against the spring tension with a set of Quick Grips, a breaker bar on the wrench, and a pipe on the breaker bar, and climbed up on the bench to put my weight on the pipe with my feet. Wrench pins sheared off, nut teeth rounded off, and I wound up laying on the floor.
Given the choice of methods, I suggest the freezing. ;)
You might look at Multitasker (http://www.multitaskertools.com/). More of a field tool than a bench tool though.
IMHO it's just like any other tool, you're better off with dedicated tools when at home or on the bench, and the folding/pocket/compact tools are best for expedients away from the bench. Just like I'm not going to use a Leatherman to work on my car at home, but will use it in a pinch on the side of the road to fix something that broke while driving.
That looks interesting. Have you handled one in person - is it decent quality? I've located one but hope someone can tell me if it's better than that NcStar thing further up before I order it.
I agree with you re: tools for bench or field. But, I often find myself reaching for a Leatherman or Gerber equivalent even when the "real" tools are in the next room - not for gunsmithing but general..
The barrel nut soaked overnight in Kroil and broke loose without too much struggle. I used a Smith Enterprises "USMC" forged wrench with the encapsulated end. No wimpy pins.
To LMT's credit the barrel nut had been installed with some kind of dark gray grease or paste. No locktite :) Probably aluminum/moly anti-seize compound. I reinstalled with more of the same. Torqued to 50 ft-lbs and backed off 3 times, then one more final torque to 50 and all was well. Was reinstalling a DD Lite barrel nut so I probably didn't need to snug 3x, but it's good mojo and probably helps mate the threads more evenly.
Oh, and the Smith Enterprises armorer's wrench is truly the BFH (BFW?) of wrenches. I love it.
brownell's doesn't carry crap for armorer wrenches??:eek:
Does anyone have a best source for a wrench? Thanks
I got both the YHM (which broke) and the badass Smith Enterprise wrench through Brownell's. The only wrench that's listed as out of stock was the 5-pin PRI wrench.
I must be going blind---I can only find a Smith Ent .308 armorer's wrench, not 223/556 at Brownells
Right here: http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=50720/sku/_223_Armorer_s_Wrench
Part #851-000-068. No dealer discount, unfortunately.
Thanks!
And you're right, no discount:mad: Weird, if you look up all parts from Smith--36 things show up and that's NOT among them...The smith reviews are not encouraging either.
I had a smith enterprises one from Brownells like 4 or 5 years ago. I sent it back to them. At least at the time they had a funny grayish glossy thick splatter-coat finish on them and they would not fit any of my barrel nuts I had at the time (tried on several) due to the thick and uneven coating on the wrench messing up the tolerances. I sent it back and got the DPMS since it had a thin even finish to it and fit all the barrel nuts I had. I don't know how they are now.
Yeah I was skeptical too but the Smith was the only option with an encapsulating multi-tooth style of barrel nut wrench.
The one Brownell's sent me is parkerized just like a gun barrel. No splatter paint. The 3/4" flash hider and 1/2" torque/breaker-bar wrenches on it are machined square and true and worked fine. Those cutouts appear to have been machined post-forging.
From what I've seen and heard though, a DPMS wrench would be fine too.
I must not be a responsible enough human being to operate any of these encapsulated armorer's wrenches.
Everytime I have attempted to tighten a barrel with a USGI style barrel nut, the darned wrenches always slip, and I end up rounding off a few teeth.
I was searching for an armorers wrench myself. All I could find at the time were the NCStar wrenches, and I wasn't impressed. While I intend to pick up the Smith and Tony wrenches, I found a wrench at AIM that met my immediate needs: AIM wrench (http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=XARTool&search=wrench)
It's not pretty but it got a castle nut off of a Rock River... locktite for the loss. If just "feels" better than the NCStar wrenches I checked out at fun shows. I'll be trying out the barrel portion of the wrench later in the year.
The one Brownell's sent me is parkerized just like a gun barrel. No splatter paint. The 3/4" flash hider and 1/2" torque/breaker-bar wrenches on it are machined square and true and worked fine. Those cutouts appear to have been machined post-forging.
That is good to know. I will have to get one one of these days to add to the toolbox. 2 is 1 and 1 is none. Goes for tools like this too. And the way I misplace things maybe 3 is one and one is none
When I was working with mine I had the upper clamped in a vice block, the GI barrel wrench held against the spring tension with a set of Quick Grips, a breaker bar on the wrench, and a pipe on the breaker bar, and climbed up on the bench to put my weight on the pipe with my feet. Wrench pins sheared off, nut teeth rounded off, and I wound up laying on the floor.
Given the choice of methods, I suggest the freezing. ;)
Sounds like a youtube moment for sure.:p
So it seems like the trick is to freeze the upper before even attempting to remove the barrel nut? Im going to be install a free float rail in a few weeks here and need to remove my barrel nut with minimal chance of tool breakage.
Freezing helps. You should also give it a good soak overnight with a penetrating oil.
Just so Im clear as well, the torque spec is 40-80 ft lbs right?
I use a DPMS, USGI, PRI, YHM, DD-Lite barrel wrenches. I'm also going to get one of these from Bushmaster.
http://www.bushmaster.com/shopping/gunsmith/Images/1570-4.jpg
For M4 stocks I use my Tonys Custom Upper M4 castle nut wrench.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v408/gotm4/M4stockwrench.jpg
I recently purchased one of these wrenches.
Never again will I buy from Tony. Horrible customer service, and he overcharged me on shipping.
The wrench does work, though.
-Vic
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