In my safe I have several Anderson stripped lowers/buffer tube assemblies and ALG Defense LPK's all courtesy of Black Friday sales.  With deer season winding down, I'm gathering the tools I'll need to assemble these lowers, which will be my first attempt at building up a lower from parts.  

I think some decent roll pin holders and roll pin punches are going to make my life a lot easier.  I've found Grace USA sells a hit of punches and a kit of roll pin holders on Amazon.  Are these tools decent quality?  

Anything else I should be looking at for tools useful in assembling a stripped lower?  I see there are tools specifically for installing pivot pins and pushing in the trigger guard roll pin.

I've used them for all kinds of jobs, including assembling 3 lowers.

They're gtg.

I got the Grace 7-Piece SHORT Roll Pin Punch Set to build my second build after doing the first with the "vice grip" method.

I didn't need starters/holders and it was great compared to the vice-grip method. The short punches are great for installing as you have less risk of bending a punch, but they will fall short for removing. their short length only lets you start the removal so you'll need a longer punch to remove the pin the rest of the way.

Quality wise, I'd say yes based on the reviews of other items and they way they look/feel when I was using them. Yes there are cheaper sets but after deliberating I went with the Grace ones. Didn't want to go through stress of screwing something up, especially on an all-vintage build.

Regarding the Pivot pins: There are special tools but I use a needle nose pliers, a knife blade, and a sandwich bag. Use the pliers to get it down, hold it in with the blade, get the pin started over it and slip the blade out. The sandwich bag is insurance in case you goof.

Trigger guard roll pin there is also a special "roll pin pusher" tool that is basically a fancier, more sturdy way of the vice grip method. I just supported the receiver ears, made sure everything was aligned, used oil, and went slowly. Someone in the Retro forums mentioned using shims or a feeler gauge to eliminate any gap between the guard and the "ears" when installing.

They're very good quality

For the front pivot pin the tool to get is a 1/4"x2" universal clevis pin.  They are less than $2 from Home Depot, etc. and work just as well as the tool that places sell for $7+

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Crown-Bolt-1-4-in-x-2-in-Zinc-Plated-Universal-Clevis-Pin-88008/202210286

As for the roll pin punches and holders...  you are over thinking things...  I've got a set of very cheap roll pin punches that I bought at Harbor Freight and they work fine.  Any American made tool is probably as good or better than what I have so the Grace USA tools should be more than adequate.

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece-punch-set-93424.html

They don't sell holders at HF, but I got a set off Amazon that were under $15 and those and the HF punches are still less than the Grace sets if you are a cheapskate like I am.

http://www.amazon.com/Squirrel-Daddy-Hollow-Stainless-Starter/dp/B00QO2XGRW

Yes they are quality roll pin punches. I have a set that I bought to assemble an AR and they work great. Made in the USA!

yep GTG, I have the starter punches and the short punch sets and have assembled about a dozen AR's with them so far with no issues.

Yup.  GTG.  

Here's another set worth mentioning from Brownell's - http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/general-gunsmith-tools/punches/ar-15-armor-punch-set-prod75010.aspx

Do you have an armorer's wrench yet? You're going to need one. As mentioned, for the front take down pin, get a Clevis pin. I got one for $0.79 at Home Depot. As for the trigger guard pin, I just used a set of vice grips. Oh, and a really large white plastic bag. When you have something that involves a spring, do it in the bag. It saved me a ton of time looking for little springs that go "ping" and head off to no-man's land. Safety glasses would be useful with those kind of springs too.

Those are not roll pin punches.



OP, The Grace set is very good to go. I have used mine to build well north of 200 ARs and it still good as new.



 

What everyone fails to mention is the 3/32 roll pin punch included with the GRACE set is too short to effectively drive the roll pin in.  If the punch was just a few inches longer, my hammer wouldn't be in danger of striking the side of my receiver.  

Brownells makes a longer bolt catch pin punch that is flat on one side to protect the receiver.  I may purchase this for my next build.  

But other than that, the GRACE set has performed well.

Never had a problem with the Grace one. Are you installing the pin from the front to the back or the other way around? I go from the back to the front which is the longer way and my 3/32 punch is 2+" from the lower even when the pin is fully seated. I use a small 4oz ball peen hammer. Maybe my set is longer, it's at least 10 years old.



I have the flat sided one too but I don't remember using it except a few times when I got it. I'll dig it out and give it another go. Sometimes we just get set in our ways and don't even consider there might be something newer and better.



 

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Sometimes we just get set in our ways and don't even consider there might be something newer and better.
 

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Or I'm hammering in the pin the wrong way.  I didn't think about going at it the other way.  Doh!  

The Grace roll pin punches a good quality.  

I always read about people taping up their receivers, using extra long roll pin holders and other odd things because they don't want to damage their receiver.  I bought a very nice Kobalt 12oz hammer that has two polymer ends attached to a steel core.  One side is yellow and very hard.  The other is red and softer.  I use the yellow side for any hammering/ tapping on my receiver and it works great.  There is almost no way this hammer would damage your receivers finish unless you somehow hit it with the steel core section.

does the hammer look like this?  Only $10 from Lowes.  Very nice!

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I've been using them for many years and assembled at least a dozen lowers and I have no complaints.

That is the exact hammer I use.