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Thread: Midwest Industries New Professional Armorer's Wrench

  1. #1
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    Midwest Industries New Professional Armorer's Wrench

    For those of you looking for an armorer's tool that is designed to complete many of the tasks necessary in assembling or upgrading your AR platform firearms look no further.
    Our 100% US made tool is great for the professional and hobby builder alike.



    Designed to work with 5.56 and 7.62 AR platform rifles components
    Works with encapsulated and pin style barrel nuts including the GI style nut
    Drive end for all MI free float barrel nuts
    ¾ inch wrench for A2 muzzle devices and designed to work with the thin flats on many of the popular suppressor mounts
    Castle nut driver with 3 notch engagement
    Combat bottle opener
    Small hammer head
    Torque specs features on wrench handle.
    Constructed from 4140 heat treated steel
    1/2 Inch drive for torque wrench (2)

    https://www.midwestindustriesinc.com...-p/mi-araw.htm



    PETE
    MI

  2. #2
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    I am routinely blown away by the quality and usefulness of the Midwest MI-URR. Geissele used to be the king of useful tools but you guys are blowing them away with updated and quality machined gunsmithing tools. PLEASE keep it up!

    I will add this to my tool box just based off the quality and usefulness of the other Midwest tools I own.

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    Thanks for posting. Multi functional tools are nice to have for field repairs where don't have access to all your bench tools.
    You won't outvote the corruption.
    Sic Semper Tyrannis

  4. #4
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    Yup. The MI-URR is the correct tool. I look at the G version like they had a kinda basic idea of what a barreling spud looks like, but were unaware of how they work (I’m not sorry). Kinda like a Chinese knockoff MBITR remote antenna that doesn’t...antenna.

    Midwest, thanks for making this thing thin. It took a ton of focused grinding to get my current one where I like it for mounts. A lot of the older type cheapos were so thick they even sucked for A2s.

    Quote Originally Posted by themonk View Post
    I am routinely blown away by the quality and usefulness of the Midwest MI-URR. Geissele used to be the king of useful tools but you guys are blowing them away with updated and quality machined gunsmithing tools. PLEASE keep it up!

    I will add this to my tool box just based off the quality and usefulness of the other Midwest tools I own.
    RLTW

    Former Action Guy
    Disclosure: I am affiliated PRN with a tactical training center, but I speak only for myself. I have no idea what we sell, other than CLP and training. I receive no income from sale of hard goods.

  5. #5
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    Funny I should run across this just now.

    Last week, instructing an AR Armorer class, we were covering barrel change. I have an array of tools and demo several different wrenches for the barrel nut and tools for immobilizing the receiver. Some are not everything I think they should be and don't do everything I think they should do, but honestly, the worst among them seems to get it done.

    I was showing how the barrel itself has no role here-- we are working with the upper receiver, the barrel nut, and the barrel nut extension. To demonstrate, I tightened a barrel up and then screwed the barrel out of the barrel extension (which I had prepped to be only hand tight). The barrel being there or not makes no dif, it's not in play. I then took a barrel extension only, one with no locating pin, and using the Geissele Reaction Rod to immobilize the barrel extension, started tightening. Absent the locating pin, the upper wanted to spin with it-- illustrating my idea that when the pin is in place it prevents this but a lot of torque may be imparted to it-- that tiny little pin bearing on a tiny slot cut into aluminum. Is that a real problem....? Apparently not! But it has always bugged me.

    So-- I was lamenting to the students that one tool immobilizes the barrel extension, another immobilizes the receiver. And that the MagPul Bev block immobilizes both, in theory at least, so that only the nut spins, but I don't feel like it does it to the Nth degree. One student said "Hang on a sec."

    He produced the MI-URR and DAMMIT why didn't I think of that!! To me it's the cat's ass for this job, holding the barrel extension and receiver in precisely the right relationship to one another, preventing side loading of the locating pin, guaranteeing 1/4 MOA groups with Chinese ammo. OK, slight exaggeration there but I ordered one that night when I got back to the hotel and had it a few biz-days later. Good stuff...... with the AR market being so flooded with mundanery, I absolutely love it when smart people come up with a great idea and then make it to a high standard. Definite stamp of approval on this.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ned Christiansen View Post
    Funny I should run across this just now.

    Last week, instructing an AR Armorer class, we were covering barrel change. I have an array of tools and demo several different wrenches for the barrel nut and tools for immobilizing the receiver. Some are not everything I think they should be and don't do everything I think they should do, but honestly, the worst among them seems to get it done.

    I was showing how the barrel itself has no role here-- we are working with the upper receiver, the barrel nut, and the barrel nut extension. To demonstrate, I tightened a barrel up and then screwed the barrel out of the barrel extension (which I had prepped to be only hand tight). The barrel being there or not makes no dif, it's not in play. I then took a barrel extension only, one with no locating pin, and using the Geissele Reaction Rod to immobilize the barrel extension, started tightening. Absent the locating pin, the upper wanted to spin with it-- illustrating my idea that when the pin is in place it prevents this but a lot of torque may be imparted to it-- that tiny little pin bearing on a tiny slot cut into aluminum. Is that a real problem....? Apparently not! But it has always bugged me.

    So-- I was lamenting to the students that one tool immobilizes the barrel extension, another immobilizes the receiver. And that the MagPul Bev block immobilizes both, in theory at least, so that only the nut spins, but I don't feel like it does it to the Nth degree. One student said "Hang on a sec."

    He produced the MI-URR and DAMMIT why didn't I think of that!! To me it's the cat's ass for this job, holding the barrel extension and receiver in precisely the right relationship to one another, preventing side loading of the locating pin, guaranteeing 1/4 MOA groups with Chinese ammo. OK, slight exaggeration there but I ordered one that night when I got back to the hotel and had it a few biz-days later. Good stuff...... with the AR market being so flooded with mundanery, I absolutely love it when smart people come up with a great idea and then make it to a high standard. Definite stamp of approval on this.
    I'm very surprised that you've just discovered the MI-URR, but I'm happy you did! It's everything that the Geissele Reaction Rod should have been from the start.

    Believe it or not, the inspiration for the tool comes from the barreling jig that is part of the factory assembly line tooling at Windham Weaponry (made by JC Machine & Motorsports LLC) as seen in this video around the 3:50 minute mark from back in 2012. > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j_4t6Zu51I

    Of course this had a bunch of us over on TOS wanting them to be made and sold very badly, unfortunately it took a few years for a machine shop that's also in Windham Maine (2UniqueLLC) to come out with their version of the Windham Weaponry barreling jig. > https://www.2uniquellc.com/product-p...barreling-spud

    A couple of years later the the MI-URR comes out and even though it doesn't have the gas tube/barrel nut alignment through hole in the upper receiver support block I still think the URR is the best version of the tool for the ways that I use it.

    There is a long history of the Geissele Reaction Rod shearing indexing pins and damaging upper receivers ever since it first came out and the Windham/2Unique/MI barreling jigs completely put a stop to the issue and finished the half baked product that the Geissele Reaction Rod was.

    Watch this video, it's a great visual show and tell of the differences in the Reaction Rod style tools that are available out there. > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4AHiVGdfFQ

    And this was just interesting as heck... You have take a look at this awesome foreshadowing for all these tools. > https://www.ar15.com/forums/AR-15/An...g-/118-721634/ The hidden to be forgotten history is really neat... I don't think anyone knew about this old tool and somehow people came up with the same idea years later.
    Last edited by 556Cliff; 11-14-21 at 10:12.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by 556Cliff View Post
    I

    There is a long history of the Geissele Reaction Rod shearing indexing pins and damaging upper receivers and the Windham/2Unique/MI barreling jigs completely put a stop to the issue and finished the half baked product that the Geissele Reaction Rod was.
    It happens often enough that this should be common knowledge at this point. But, unsuspecting “home gunsmiths” keep falling victim to the assumption that G wouldn’t sell anything that is subpar, and for some reason, they continue to sell it.
    RLTW

    Former Action Guy
    Disclosure: I am affiliated PRN with a tactical training center, but I speak only for myself. I have no idea what we sell, other than CLP and training. I receive no income from sale of hard goods.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1168 View Post
    It happens often enough that this should be common knowledge at this point. But, unsuspecting “home gunsmiths” keep falling victim to the assumption that G wouldn’t sell anything that is subpar, and for some reason, they continue to sell it.
    Worse yet Geissele doesn't even really acknowledge the issue, but the fact that they came out with the Super Reaction Rod is an indication that the standard Reaction Rod isn't all that it should have been. And the SRR is way over complicated, doesn't work well and is a pain in the ass to use.

    But I do see what Geissele was trying to do, and that was to bring a tool to the market that was similar to the KAC barreling tool that works with standard parts and was more affordable. Unfortunately they just didn't realize the inherent flaws in that design.

    Something that I'm really not liking that I'm seeing is how the standard Geissele Reaction Rod is being used as the tool of choice by so many AR manufactures at this point that it will probably never go away. This further cements it as a good tool in peoples minds, which unfortunately it just isn't.
    Last edited by 556Cliff; 11-14-21 at 10:43.

  9. #9
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    Here is the tool that Midwest Industries needs to make. Like always Geissele only went halfway with their reaction block.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  10. #10
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    Good stuff. I saw a pic out of Bushmaster years ago showing a bench-mounted tool that was kinda a blend of the two above tools.

    I had not heard that people were shearing pins or damaging receivers but it always was in the back of my mind that "could be". I just don't change that many barrels I guess to statistically have it happen to me. I have a friend in the biz who installs barrels daily and early on actually ripped the threaded front portion out of a few uppers by radically over torquing but I don't believe he ever had an issue with the pin-- to my surprise. I guess I'm not nearly as strong as him because I end every barrel change session with my trying to do just that-- go full gorilla on the wrench to try and destroy the upper. It is already cracked from a blow-up but in maybe 5-6 tries now I cannot rip the end off it!


    My own setup for barrel change, even though I have the many available tools for it, is to use my mill vise, some 1-2-3 blocks, and an angle plate bolted to the mill table which I use to clamp the barrel to, to keep the barrel extension from trying to turn. This is an imperfect setup since I'm relying on the thread hookup between the barrel and the extension, but it has worked very well just the same. I will modify my URR to accept a length of gas tube to help with alignment and that'll probably be my default setup from now on.

    Again I will say the Bev Block (MagPul) is designed to immobilize both parts.... whether it does it as well or not, I do not have the time to explore as a stand-alone test. Having that big 1" shaft all the way through the upper with the URR sure makes everything seem good and solid.

    This is the little secret of who really benefits from me giving a class-- me! As often happens, this time I got a few guys from NY who are new to the AR15 and have climbed the learning curve super-fast by doing tons of research and taking lots of classes, and so, are more up to speed than me on everything new that's out there. Glad they showed me the URR.

    Even though Geiselle didn't put the key on top I remain a big fan of the company and always take pleasure in saying "extremely smart people interested in quality and utility way more than turning a buck, who come up with great ideas and turn them into quality products."

    One thing about any Rod-type tool I'd like to point out is that I've seen guys using them to install and remove muzzle devices, which in my book is sub-optimal (although admittedly very handy). But there again we are relying upon the thread hookup between barrel and extension to hold up to our efforts. True it should not affect anything because that is one tight threaded joint, but much better to immobilize the barrel itself since that's the part we're working against.

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