If I loose one more friggin detent or small spring... I'm gonna SNAP.

[rviray]

So I like to tinker around with all my guns. Taking it apart, cleaning, cerakoting...somethng to them. With that said, putting it back, regardless of how careful and attentive I am, a friggin detent or spring inevitably comes shooting out and I yell, curse and my wife in the other room says "you loose another spring?" lol.

Anyway, I wanted to find out what guys do to minimize the area where that spring or detent flies off to? I'm thinking of making something like a sand-blasting cabinet, with plenty of light and a stable table top. Any ideas would be good.

 

[justapilgrim]

Try just a dab of vaseline petroleum jelly to hold the rascal in place...

 

[.22 cents]

I bet you could get an open cardboard box, cut 2 hand holes in it and borrow glass from some table in the house or something to top it and work in there. Like the sandblasting box you’re talking about.

 

[Murfpcola]

Throw a tarp over yourself while doing it. Also video the process and post it here…

 

[DAS HUGH!]

I just put whatever it is I'm working on inside a plastic bag. Preferably a clear bag. Then if things go flying they get trapped.

 

[RHINOWSO]

I just put whatever it is I'm working on inside a plastic bag. Preferably a clear bag. Then if things go flying they get trapped.

This and I have spares for guns I like when you mess up and it goes flyin!

 

[stage20]

The last lower I pulled the buffer tube out of I kept telling myself to hold the pin down and I just unscrewed it and watched it fly. Almost like it's born into us. And you know I killed the rear takedown spring in the process. Doh!

 

[G-rat]

I hang an old towel up so it lays half on bench, other half goes up the peg board. Bright lights and a sharp eye... I'm sure they make a tool for front takedown pin but I got it down to a science. Razor blade, plastic punch and an occasional bandaid do it every time!

 

[rviray]

I like the tarp idea and box idea. Follow-up to this, I'm searching for that one friggin spring that I lost this past Sunday, in the area I was working. Good news, I found 2 springs that I lost probably in 2022....it's like the springs and detents are all working together to mock me.

 

[Fng1911]

This is what I use

 

[DAS HUGH!]

Yeah I built my first AR during the pandemic and I had springs flying everywhere. Multiple times. Couldn't find a single spring, not LPK, not even an oops kit no where in town. Then on a hunch I went to either Lowes or homedepot. I forget which. And they have what seems to be a box of about 50 types of springs of all sizes. And I'll be damned if they didn't have the springs I needed inside it. Granted they may not be the ones I want or need and it may not work as good later but it got me out of that pinch. Try the plastic bag tho, it's so simple yet works so good. Main trick is to find a big enough bag that's clear. I can put a whole AR lower with stock and all into mine. Then I kinda scrunch it tight around my arms so nothing can escape. Then I literally look thru the plastic to work. Very handy especially for getting into the small parts of pistols you're not familiar with. Plus the bag has a 2nd feature... it doubles as Eye protection. My dumb ass never wears eye pro. And I should have been blinded by pins and springs a long time ago lol. But I had a few hit the plastic pretty hard and I was like oh dam glad I had that covered up lol.
But yeah the spring kit they sold at the Lowes I think is thier way of selling gun springs without SJW crowds having a fit and saying they're selling gun parts. So they just sneaked a few AR springs in with springs ya have no use for lol. I didn't complain!

 

[Southalabama]

I buy in bulk. They will eventually turn up but I won’t spend long looking. Been there done that.

 

[oneshot]

I make something for that problem , it is for installing and removal of the front detent and spring it also helps with other installment of parts on the AR. a couple of people here on the form has one, ask how it works it is a thee price kit . just my 50 cents jj

 

[stage20]

I hang an old towel up so it lays half on bench, other half goes up the peg board. Bright lights and a sharp eye... I'm sure they make a tool for front takedown pin but I got it down to a science. Razor blade, plastic punch and an occasional bandaid do it every time!

I have a clevis pin I use for the pivot pin spring. Works great.

 

[Snake-Eyes]

Amazon product ASIN B09T4JYH1C

 

[justapilgrim]

So I like to tinker around with all my guns. Taking it apart, cleaning, cerakoting...somethng to them. With that said, putting it back, regardless of how careful and attentive I am, a friggin detent or spring inevitably comes shooting out and I yell, curse and my wife in the other room says "you loose another spring?" lol.

Anyway, I wanted to find out what guys do to minimize the area where that spring or detent flies off to? I'm thinking of making something like a sand-blasting cabinet, with plenty of light and a stable table top. Any ideas would be good.

You'll always find a lost object in the last place you look, so go look there first, problem solved.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

I have my bride build em. I'm too klutz. She enjoys it. Bought her own tools too.

 

[RHINOWSO]

I buy in bulk. They will eventually turn up but I won’t spend long looking. Been there done that.

Yeah, I'll give a quick look see and sweep around with a magnet on a stick but if it doesn't turn up in short order, I just use a new one.

 

[War-Buff]

I haven't built/assembled an AR in quite some time now, but I'm still finding detents lying around my work area. My solution was to just have extras on hand.

 

[Jester896]

I usually thread 4-40 and install a set screw on the rear take down spring hole and clip some off the spring. I keep detents and springs for fire control for those folks that bring one by and asked what happened to this...when they changed a grip.