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Posted: 11/19/2009 6:57:21 PM EDT
From speaking with customers, it seems BCM FSB taper pins are harder to remove than some others. When we do it here, we can knock the pins free in under 60 seconds.
Here are some basic pointers on the way we remove them. 1) It takes Two. You will need a buddy to hold the upper group stable as you pound out the pins. You will not be able to get a good concentrated force on the pins if the upper is wobbling around (even a little bit). 2) Action Jackson. You will need a couple of action blocks (see Brownells for a good selection). These will be great platforms to stabilize the barrel. Also get the Brownells FSB block. You may have to mod the shape of the FSB block if using a free float. 3) Installed from starboard side. Milspec FSB are drill and the reamed for taper pins. The reamer runs from the right to the left (pointing the muzzle at the bad guy). So BCM pins need to be removed from left to right. Cannot be done the opposite way. 4) Secure that carbine. Using action blocks and the buddy system secure the upper group so the left side is facing up. 5) Get a fat one. We do not use those small radius head punches to break the pins free. We use a much fatter punch (5/16”). It’s a meaty sucker. Lots to hang on to, and enables you to put some force on the hammer. Using a 5/16” punch and a 12oz hammer, give her a smack. Anywhere between 1 and 6 smacks, and the pin moves. All you want to do is to get it to move to about flush. 6) Grab a skinny one. Now get the tiny little 1/8” punch to push the pins out of the FSB. They are already broken free, this just drives the fully out. Tap, tap, tap. 7) Celebrate. You are done. Do the banana dance. 
Hope this info helps... Thanks! Paul 
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Posted: 11/19/2009 7:54:28 PM EDT
[Last Edit: 87GN]
[#1]
Worked for me, took a little longer because I didn't want to ding it up, and don't have as much practice at it...Having a second person helped out big time compared to when I did it by myself.
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Posted: 1/18/2010 6:10:24 PM EDT
[#2]
I had to figure this out on my own. I had a bear of a time getting those pins out. Next time I order an upper Ill be all set.
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Posted: 3/17/2010 12:08:16 PM EDT
[#3]
This doesn't specifically relate to BCM's but here are a couple of things I have found help in removing taper pins. The bench that you are working on needs to be heavy and solid. If you don't have a heavy solid bench to work on then you might be better off doing this on a concrete floor? The second thing is if you don't have someone to hold the barrel, a clamp works just as well if not better but again this assumes you have a solid bench to clamp it to. Lastly I personally have had better luck with the trim nail punch with the dimpled head. I find that with that type of punch, the punch doesn't slip off the pin. Now that I'm not worried about the punch slipping off the pin, I feel much more comfortable really wacking it with the hammer.
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Posted: 4/5/2010 2:01:59 PM EDT
[#4]
I have found that the best surface to support the FSB is my vice...here is how it works-
You aren't pinching the FSB, just using the jaws in place of a block to support the FSB. Open it so that the Bayonet lug and sling mount are resting solidly on the bottom and the upper portionof the FSB is on the other jaw. Pins are in the open. While a buddy holds it solidly, whack it...done. Note- You want to cover the tops of the jaws with some tape or you will get marks on your FSB. Nothing a little cold blue won't fix though... |
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Posted: 4/26/2010 3:03:15 PM EDT
[#5]
Hello,
I have spent the last TWO WHOLE HOURS trying to remove my pins. I have carefully read and understood the orginal post. I had even measured the OD of each side of the FSB pins just make sure I have been hitting the correct side. Believe me it's great you guys make a tough rifle but honestly this is seriously over kill. I have tried calling to ask for help, but of course nobody to answer the damn phone. Please contact me, I'd like to send back my upper. |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 4/26/2010 10:44:49 PM EDT
[Last Edit: bud7h7]
[#6]
nvmd
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Posted: 4/26/2010 10:48:37 PM EDT
[#7]
Originally Posted By Colt_sporter:
Hello, I have spent the last TWO WHOLE HOURS trying to remove my pins. I have carefully read and understood the orginal post. I had even measured the OD of each side of the FSB pins just make sure I have been hitting the correct side. Believe me it's great you guys make a tough rifle but honestly this is seriously over kill. I have tried calling to ask for help, but of course nobody to answer the damn phone. Please contact me, I'd like to send back my upper. You don't need to send back an upper for taper pin removal. Just get a bigger hammer (like a 3 pounder) and a punch with a large face. Have someone else help you hold it and use the open jaws of a vice for a bench block with the pins in the open part and the FSB and Bayonet Lug resting on the jaws. Then give the pins a few good solid whacks and they will move. If that gets sticky, apply heat from a tourch to the pins. Some penetrating oil might help a bit. BCM pins are too tight IMO but it isn't a show stopper. |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 4/27/2010 1:15:21 AM EDT
[#8]
Just get a bigger hammer (like a 3 pounder) and a punch with a large face.
What happens if they're so tight all you do is flatten the pin so it's now wider than the hole? Then you're in real trouble. What you need is a good nail punch with the cupped tip so it won't flatten the pins. LOL, I get pissed just thinking about messing with it. They ARE too tight. They're more like seized up. Are these more "hard core" than regular tight pins? The tighter your pins are the more high speed you are? 
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Posted: 4/27/2010 7:20:17 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Colt_sporter]
[#9]
Yeah. no I'm sending it back, they want something so damn tight folks can't work on them, then they can do it themselves. I had the bbl in my vise, it (the bbl) wasn't moving. Those suckers are siezed.
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Posted: 4/27/2010 2:04:11 PM EDT
[#10]
Originally Posted By bud7h7:
Just get a bigger hammer (like a 3 pounder) and a punch with a large face.
What happens if they're so tight all you do is flatten the pin so it's now wider than the hole? Then you're in real trouble. What you need is a good nail punch with the cupped tip so it won't flatten the pins. LOL, I get pissed just thinking about messing with it. They ARE too tight. They're more like seized up. Are these more "hard core" than regular tight pins? The tighter your pins are the more high speed you are? You won't flatten the pins. They are uber hard...much harder than the FSB. Paul is right in his steps to removing them. Once I did it his way, I had pins out in short order. It really isn' t that hard once you figure out how. You just have to get them moving and then they slide out. The BFH, Solid Surface, partner to hold the upper steady, and big faced pin are the keys. It just isn't something you can improvise. You can't kitchen table gunshith those pins...you have to do it right. They are too tight though. You can work them...but they shouldn't be that tight. |
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Posted: 4/27/2010 10:27:29 PM EDT
[#11]
Well I tried again today. Once I started flattening my steel punch set, I said enough is enough. BCM doesn't like answering the phone. So I sent it off to ADCO. Shame. Oh-well Lesson learned.
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Posted: 5/17/2010 9:11:27 PM EDT
[#12]
Originally Posted By Colt_sporter:
Well I tried again today. Once I started flattening my steel punch set, I said enough is enough. BCM doesn't like answering the phone. So I sent it off to ADCO. Shame. Oh-well Lesson learned. I had the same problem with my middy. flattened a few punches and did the whole deal on a concrete floor with help. Moved up to a small sledge and still no go. I worked for years slinging a sledge on tracks and heavy machinery, so I knew when to give. I emailed Bravo and they replied in a few HOURS and had me send it off to them. They cleaned up all my goobers to the point I thought they sent me a new upper and packaged everything up and sent me another hat. I was happy with their work and it turned out fine. I can't get the taper pins as far in as they originally were, but they are still tighter than any other AR I've worked on. |
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Posted: 5/30/2010 11:34:14 PM EDT
[#13]
I found this tool to be helpful when removing the front sight base from a Bushmaster barrel. The front sight base did have standard taper pins. I did soak the pins with penetrating oil before I started.
Taper Pin Starter I also used the Brownells FSB block. |
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Posted: 5/31/2010 10:58:29 PM EDT
[#14]
Originally Posted By doctorfireant:
I found this tool to be helpful when removing the front sight base from a Bushmaster barrel. The front sight base did have standard taper pins. I did soak the pins with penetrating oil before I started. Taper Pin Starter I also used the Brownells FSB block. I flattened one of those on my bcm 
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OK, USA
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Posted: 6/5/2010 6:26:53 PM EDT
[#15]
Is It possible to order the uppers from Bravo with the pins already knocked out?
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WA, USA
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Posted: 6/9/2010 6:57:39 PM EDT
[#16]
Negative, I contacted BCM and asked that question about leaving the pins out. Was told no, they can't do that.
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OK, USA
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Posted: 6/10/2010 6:42:27 AM EDT
[#17]
I guess we will see. I ordered an upper, and request the pins be knocked out in the comment line. Should arrive tomorrow.
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OK, USA
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Posted: 6/11/2010 5:50:39 PM EDT
[#18]
Update. Upper arrived today. Not only were the taper pins removed, the front site base, pins and flash hider were all packaged seporately. And I even like my free hat.
Thank you BCM for your attention to detail. Many orders to follow. |
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Posted: 6/14/2010 2:51:12 AM EDT
[#19]
Originally Posted By doctorfireant:
I found this tool to be helpful when removing the front sight base from a Bushmaster barrel. The front sight base did have standard taper pins. I did soak the pins with penetrating oil before I started. Taper Pin Starter I also used the Brownells FSB block. The brownells block is crap. I know everybody has one...but it sucks bad. The surface in the cut out is FLAT....barrel isn't flat...FSB isn't flat...so how would a flat surface securely hold a round barrel? It doesn't. ADCO has one that is light years better...it is hard black plastic that cradles the FSB. I think Midway might as well...much better than the POS from brownells. |
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Posted: 7/8/2010 11:17:17 AM EDT
[#20]
Originally Posted By LockingBlock: Originally Posted By doctorfireant: I found this tool to be helpful when removing the front sight base from a Bushmaster barrel. The front sight base did have standard taper pins. I did soak the pins with penetrating oil before I started. Taper Pin Starter I also used the Brownells FSB block. The brownells block is crap. I know everybody has one...but it sucks bad. The surface in the cut out is FLAT....barrel isn't flat...FSB isn't flat...so how would a flat surface securely hold a round barrel? It doesn't. ADCO has one that is light years better...it is hard black plastic that cradles the FSB. I think Midway might as well...much better than the POS from brownells. Agree - I have a brownells, and it sucks. I still was able to get the pins out of my BCM uppers (by myself), but god it was painful. |
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Posted: 7/13/2010 3:15:28 PM EDT
[#21]
Hmmm... maybe I just got lucky, but the key to the whole thing seems to be to use an oversized punch to tap the pins flat with the FSB. From there, they came out easily with the correct sized punch, they are taper pins after all. I supported the barrel fore and aft the barrel, and under the FSB (where there were no pins) and had no trouble.
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Posted: 8/10/2010 6:37:36 PM EDT
[#22]
Working on mine as we speak. Can't seem to get it to bulge. It's in the freezer right now and then I'll try again.
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Posted: 8/10/2010 8:51:06 PM EDT
[#23]
Freezing, oil...it doesn't help.
You just have to have a perfect block (not the brownells one), a BIG hammer, and a BIG punch. You have to drive the pin hard and straight with all the energy going to the pin, not the FSB. |
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Posted: 8/30/2010 6:22:18 PM EDT
[#24]
So if the pins are peening my punches and heating did squat, I should just give up right?
Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 9/1/2010 6:39:32 PM EDT
[#25]
My BCM pins came out after just a reasonable amount of effort. I used a nail set, a Brownells FSB block with some custom Dremel cuts to fit better, a small ball peen hammer, and an action block wrapped around the upper receiver and taped in place. Against the concrete floor of my garage, I had both pins out in 15 minutes.
For you guys using punches, maybe switching to a nail set is in order... |
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WA, USA
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Posted: 9/9/2010 11:19:33 AM EDT
[#26]
I followed the directions above using a Schuster FSB base along with a 5/16" and 1/8" punch - worked great with no issues. Sorry Paul, I did skip the banana dance though
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USA
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Posted: 10/13/2010 12:12:09 AM EDT
[#27]
Okay, some of you will freak out, but I used a 2x4 as a base to drive my BCM pins out. I laid the upper on a brownells action block. I applied heat from a torch to the FSB, then drove the pins out with a 12oz hammer and a drift. Several whacks and they came right out. For those complaining they are too tight consider this:
1) Colt pins are driven in just as tight. FSB pins should be ridiculously tight. You don't want them to vibrate loose, and this also helps create a tight seal between the FSB and barrel surface to prevent any gas leak. 2) BCM uses mil spec hardened pins. This alone makes them significantly easier to remove. CMMG, for example, does not. Their pins are buttery soft (at least the barrel assy I bought was). The pins quickly deformed. I had to drill them out with a 1/16 drill bit about half way through. This relieved the tension holding them in and by using the 1/16 in bit as a drift, I was able to drive them out (this had the effect of pulling the pins instead of pushing them so there was no deformation). I reassembled with Colt pins and drove them in as tight as I could. 3) I had a pin on a RRA barrel work itself loose. Not good. Taper pins were designed to be driven in very tight. They don't work right if you don't so smack those suckers in there. The facts that BCM pins are tight and people are complaining about it is just more evidence that BCM does quality builds. 4) If you still think taper pins are hard to remove, then try changing the king pins on 1970 Ford F100 pickup. Yes, nothing like experiencing the worst kind of stuck/seized there is to put things in perspective. Now go and drive those pins out of your safe queen like you mean it. 
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Posted: 12/19/2010 12:56:41 AM EDT
[Last Edit: b_rogers]
[#28]
FWIW i just removed the pins and fsb from my BCM standard m4 on my kitchen floor with a set of harbor freight punches and a SET OF VISE GRIPS FOR A HAMMER. its all about technique...
Upper laid on phone book, FSB resting on a 1 1/2 inch pvc pipe coupler stood upright. A shot of clp on both pins and about 10 good smacks with the fat punch and the pins were flush, 10 light ones with the small punch and the pins were out. The a2 flash hider, now thats a different story, gotta wait till monday and go pick up a vise, that bitch is tight. Brent |
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Posted: 1/15/2011 1:17:19 PM EDT
[#29]
I too use a 2x4 , nail set and a 3lb drilling hammer to remove the FSB pins from over 25 BCM upper and many, many other MFGRs that have been "too" tight for students/customers to self service.
Heck I have (re)built rifles using a Bushy clamshell action block, 2 C clamps, a 24" pipe wrench and the standard armors wrench and tool kit in the middle of the desert on the tailgate of a truck or on a flatbed trailer in less than "ideal" conditions and have the weapons function perfectly. Would I have preferred to do it in my air conditioned shop? You betcha, but with the right mind set you can make lemonade shooters out of lemons. You need to hit the pins hard, like your name is Vinnie and the pin owes you some serious $$. If you are afraid of scratching your safe queen, by all means send it off and let Adco do it for you, but if you are like me and think that a scratch here or there that does nothing to affect functioning is A O K then have at it. I watched a guy use a 10oz ball peen hammer at a range try for 45min to get his FSB pins out, I handed him my 3 pounder and nail set and he had them loose in 2 hits he was then able to use his hammer and punch to finish driving them out. after he got his quad rail on he used the "man hammer" to reset the taper pins. There is no getting around force when force is needed, just don't over think stuff. Would I use the 3pounder to set my trigger guard, ah no that is what the 12oz ball peen and roll pin punch is used for. In my shop I use a 12ton hydraulic press to push the FSB pins out, really slick, no scratches and it only takes one finger 
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TX, USA
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Posted: 1/18/2011 9:49:21 PM EDT
[#30]
i have a 20 ton press at the shop. bring it on over and those stuck pins will be out in a flash. if your local ill do it for ya!
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USA
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Posted: 2/13/2011 11:53:05 PM EDT
[#31]
Of course YMMV but I had the taper pins on my BCM FSB flush with the FSB with just two good whacks using a regular 16 oz hammer and about a .25" diameter punch. One more whack with a smaller punch and they popped right out.
I just used a block of wood on the concrete garage floor to supprt the FSB and another back underneath the upper receiver. A piece of .25 thick steel placed on top of the wood, and under the bayonet lug and sling stud kept the whole thing from rolling when I hit it. After reading about how tight these pins are I was expecting a nightmare job but whole thing start to finish took like 5-10 minutes and was pretty simple. |
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CO, USA
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Posted: 6/3/2011 11:37:29 PM EDT
[#32]
Hey Guys,
I had a hard time getting mine out, but eventually they came pretty much like Paul said. Getting them in far enough was a different story. I whipped myself up a vise fixture real quick out of scrap steel. 
Works like a champ for getting them in and out. Just let the vise do the work. Put the fixture against the rigid vise jaw and use the moving jaw against the pins both taking them out and putting them back in. It's helpful to have a second person handy. Cheers. |
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Posted: 8/6/2011 3:12:27 AM EDT
[#33]
I also use a nail set, big hammer and concrete floor. Anything less is going to give you fits.
A good trick is to take an "Air Duster" can that Office Depot sells, turn it upside down and slowly spray the pins. What comes out is sub zero liquid that will freeze the pin and cause it to contract. It WILL burn(frostbite) your skin, so be careful! |
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AK, USA
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Posted: 8/25/2011 2:13:04 AM EDT
[#34]
ummm, i baked my upper at 500F... to remove, was that a bad idea
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Posted: 8/25/2011 9:00:55 AM EDT
[#35]
500 degrees is probably a little excessive
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AK, USA
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Posted: 8/25/2011 11:04:12 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Brewndude]
[#36]
I ramped the oven up to 500F, once the oven pre heat light went out i took it out. I thought it was excessive when i took it out b/c it looked like the delta ring was about to melt and it had a baked paint smell. I thought eff it b/c the gun should be able to get hot. everything seems fine, some molly grease dripped from the barrel nut.
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FL, USA
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Posted: 12/23/2011 9:41:52 AM EDT
[#37]
I read this thread over and over again to prepare myself for the job, so when I went out there yesterday, I was flabbergasted at how hard everyone made this seemed.
I found a wheel stud to my car that I had laying around (it's an extended wheel stud for use with wheel spacers), I'm pretty sure it's not even one of the forged ones from ARP or anything, and I used that as my big punch to get the tapered pins moving. I laid the upper receiver group on a couple of 2x4s on my concrete driveway, 1 right underneath the FSB, and 1 underneath the upper receiver. Wrapped the upper receiver in an old blanket that we had laying around. Like Paul said, with about 4 hits, the pins were flush with the FSB, and only a few more taps using the 3/16 punch and the pins were out. I was dumb though, and forgot about the fact that there's no room for the pins to drop out into, so I literally was hammering the pins into the 2x4, which made the pins seemed like they took a bit more force to take out then they actually did. I think it took about a minute and a half from start to finish. PS - I used a 2lb sledge that held with a way choked up grip for control, probably like almost right up on the head of the hammer itself. |
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Posted: 1/29/2012 7:08:12 PM EDT
[#38]
tag
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Posted: 8/5/2012 3:41:31 PM EDT
[#39]
Excellent post BCM!
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WI, USA
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Posted: 10/8/2012 8:35:37 PM EDT
[#40]
Bingo! That's the ticket! After ~45 min. of trying by myself I read this and got my wife to take a break from DWTS to come hold onto this thing for me. Two strikes and they were loose! Awesome!
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PA, USA
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Posted: 5/19/2013 5:49:07 PM EDT
[#41]
I use nail finishers to drive them out, also try putting dabs of oil on the pins and let it sit over night.
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Posted: 11/28/2013 7:28:16 PM EDT
[#42]
Thanks for the info BCM, had mine out in 5mins after reading this. Did it by my self with a large ball peen hammer and a good sized punch. Drove the pins flush with FSB and drove them out easily with a small pin punch. No problem. I used a 1/2" Delrin Cutting board to rest the FSB on. Got it all chopped down and shaped for my new foreend. Guys complaining they are too tight need to learn to use tools.
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USA
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Posted: 12/21/2013 8:11:59 AM EDT
[#43]
I've had this experience with Colt, BCM, and Noveske. Applying a little heat to the area helps a lot, also a second set of hands. Small propane torch was added to my build inventory.
S/F Al |
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IL, USA
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Posted: 3/1/2014 11:34:38 PM EDT
[#44]
Carpenter nail sets work great for removing them without marring the fsb, kinda like the inverse of roll pins....
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Posted: 7/24/2014 5:28:34 AM EDT
[Last Edit: wetidlerjr]
[#45]
I removed a BCM FSB yesterday. I had put Kroil on it a couple of days before. I punched out the two pins in less than a minute.
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Posted: 12/3/2014 12:41:11 AM EDT
[#46]
A well-known (and highly experienced) builder is having problems getting all three pins removed on a BCM Kino stripped upper I sent to him to have a LaRue rail installed. Despite his best efforts, he cannot get any of the three pins removed. He has read this thread and others like it and still hasn't had any luck. I trust him to know exactly what he's doing since he's done other builds for me in the past (with stripped uppers from LMT, Colt, etc.) and is well-known/trusted here, so when he says he can't get them out I get the feeling something is amiss.
I've e-mailed BCM to find out what the issue might be. Until I hear back from them, does anyone who has removed these pins on a BCM upper here recently have any suggestions? Thanks. |
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Posted: 9/11/2015 9:49:34 PM EDT
[#47]
The pins are obviously press fit. So the best way to get them out, is to press them out.
I used two washers to make enough room for them to move. 
Pressed the pins to break them free. They actually went "pop". 
And then pushed them through with a punch. I win!!! Now the wait for the RIS II FSP. 
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USA
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Posted: 11/3/2015 4:46:20 PM EDT
[#48]
I got impatient and cut them out. :(
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LA, USA
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Posted: 1/25/2016 6:13:23 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Mccray]
[#49]
Finally did it.. All these posts made me a bit reluctant. However, thanx to the OPs basic instructions, It was pretty easy . I Didn't have a bench block(If I did I would have used it) so I dremeled out a tracing of the barrel and sight I made on the side of a delrin DPMS upper receiver block. I made the cut-out rounded (will post pic later)so the barrel would sit in it snug, ground out a spot for the lug and drilled hole for the pins to drop out. I put the receiver end in a clam shell type upper block so it would sit level with the barrel end.(All this is totally un necessary if you have a regular FSB bench block)
I sort of knelt on the receiver on a concrete floor ,facing the barrel after having wrapped hand towels around the exposed parts and rail. This was my solution, instead of a buddy, to hold it steady. I then just followed the instructions.... 5/16th Punch for about 5 -6 direct sharp whacks with a 20 ounce framing hammer The second pin was flush in 3 harder hits and I think if its steady and you really smack it without holding back, you could make it flush in 1 hit. Once flush, tapping them out with a 1/8 punch was very easy(I had to switch to a small taper punch the 1/8 was a bit big for the holes) The taper pins and FSB are still in excellent condition no blems at all My Larue 9.0 gets here in 2 days.
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Posted: 7/14/2016 8:28:01 PM EDT
[#50]
Need another sticky on how to get off the barrel nuts. HO LEE FUDGE! Was a shame to have to sacrifice that Larue barrel nut that came on the upper, but it was the only way. Snapped the pins off my wrench, kroil and heat didn't work, finally cut it off with a metabo blade.
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