lost firing pin retaining pin.

[buckbustn]

Today during a thorough cleaning I somehow lost the firing pin retaining pin. I'm assuming they are the same pin and I can just order an ar15 pin. But I wanted to be sure by asking here.
Thanks.

[Drifter]

Yep, standard pin.

[buckbustn]

Awesome! Thanks Drifter.

[Hoot]

So, they're not just a cotter pin like you get from the hardware store?

I've never had to replace mine and always just assumed that if something happened to it, I could buzz into the Hardware Hank and buy a stainless steel cotter pin.

Hoot

[QuadCam]

So, they're not just a cotter pin like you get from the hardware store?

I've never had to replace mine and always just assumed that if something happened to it, I could buzz into the Hardware Hank and buy a stainless steel cotter pin.

Hoot

It's not exactly a cotter pin, but you probably could macguiver one in a pinch.

Some of the ones on the market suck and don't fit well. The one in my AA bolt fits poorly. It never wants to go back in. The pin on my Colt AR slips in like it's greased with butter. I'm thinking about trying one of the Armalite pins for my AA Grendel.

[bwaites]

It's not the pin, unless your AA pin is boogered up. I've noticed that some of the back side holes on some bolt carriers have a burr or odd angle lip cut or some other impediment to the pin sliding in easy.

One of my old AA carriers was like that, but I finally figured out that if I placed the pin at just the right angle, it would slide right in. I have a .223 carrier with a similar issue, but I haven't found the trick to it. My AA Beo and other Grendels are slick as glass.

I haven't found a good solution, so if anyone has one, I'm all ears.

[WillD]

I hadn't thought of a burr on the backside hole but I got tired of the cotter pin bending. I'm using this one now. It is much easier going in, it isn't as tight as the cotter, but I've had no difficulty removing as one reviewer did.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=890682

Cheers, Will

[LRRPF52]

I have one of those in my pre-forward assist, original Colt chrome bolt carrier for my Colt Model 605 project. That is the original design on the late 1950's Armalite AR15. Did your cotter-pin style firing pin retaining pin actually bend from firing pin impact? If so, that is a sign of hot loads...ask me how I know...I've bent both types in my .260 AR10 during load development towards the hot end.

[WillD]

It was not from hot loads. Half the pin went in the offside and the other bent toward the charging handle. That was after rounding and polishing the ends of the pin. The pin had an abnormal spread IMO at the end. The old style seems to be easier to insert?

[Mutt]

Just take your bolt to Lowes or Home depot and find a suitable cotterpin that fits. I do believe it is the 3/32 cotterpin that actaully works. All that thing does is keep your firing pin from falling out. If purchases at a hardware store, it will be way too long and you will have to cut it to length. But, any standard steel cotterpin (stainless even better) that is the right size will work just fine. If the head of the cotterpin sticks up a little too far, remove it from the bolt and just flatten it slightly with a small hammer till it sits flush. For the price of shipping you will pay for a simple retaining pin, you could probably buy 100 cotterpins. I do believe that they stopped using the KNS style pin and went to using a cotterpin due to cost. I can't remember the details, but we had a discussion about that part in the armory one day.

[warped]

BCM should have one or RGuns will

[LRRPF52]

This is one of the parts that is good to have as a spare. When I was still in, I always carried extra firing pin retaining pins, extractor pins, extractors, extractor springs, and extractor spring inserts. I also kept detents and springs for those naughty soldiers that performed unauthorized maintenance, just in case they did it while deployed. I saw too many M16's that would shotgun on the range when the takedown pin fell out because Joe thought he needed to remove the stock to get it extra clean to pass the stupid white glove inspections.

[Mutt]

Well, if you do decide to order one ............. might as well order 5 and at least make the shipping worth it a little.

[buckbustn]

I was able to pick one up at a shop in Tulsa yesterday. Tried to get a few spares but I got the last one he had in stock.

[usmc1371]

bought my spares at midway. been there,done that........