AR-15 Pivot Pin Install - The Easy Way! 

Simple video. 10years old and still a huge help! Thank you!

2 lost detent pins later, and some behavior I'm not proud of I come across your video.. Thank you Sir.

You are my hero. Just spent 15 minutes crawling around the shop floor looking for the spring.

Your video saved my life from a lot of stress! $3 from Home Depot!😎 Thank you!

1 lost detent and some words that would make a sailor blush I did it. Thanx for the video had no idea about the clevis pin.

Awesome tip. Thank you so much! My wife and I were trying to do this in a dry bathtub so the spring wouldn't constantly get lost.

I REALLY appreciate you using the nomenclature that is on my lower parts kit. Many other guides use general terms for people who are already familiar with the parts... If I were familiar with them, I wouldn't need a tutorial. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Terrific tutorial, I would add one thing: the spring and detent pin can still jump out of the hand, so assemble it all inside a ziplok bag to save the misery of having to look for the wayward pivot pin when it decides to jump out!

Okay I promised I would comment and like your video if it worked for me, and it did! After countless times trying to do it by hand and *almost* losing the detent, I found your video and decided to try it out. Worked flawlessly the first time. Thank you so much!

THANK YOU! I cannot believe it did not occur to me to search for tips and tricks videos before I already lost the only spare detent that comes in the kit.

Donsadlerjr, it's a 1/4 inch pin. I almost spent $16 on the special tool for this job. Instead I spent $1.50

Picked up the clevis pin for maybe $2 at home depot. Just installed today and holy jesus it was a breeze. Thanks

This video was a freaking lifesaver! I was getting so pissed wasted well over an hour & gave up. Found this video, went to the hardware store & spent $1.36 & installed in under 3 freaking min! Thank you so much for this video!

I can't believe I didn't look for this on my builds. Lost but found 3 springs using the blade trick to hold the spring to the lower. This is so much easier. Thanks.

This is freaking brilliant!!! Even with this tip, I still had a pin take a flyer, by the grace of whoever you pray to I found it and was able to do this easily the second time around. Thank-you for saving my neighbors from excessive profanity.......

O.M.G. - Bought the clevis pin at Home Depot for $2.50, brought it home and had the pivot pin installed in less than a minute with virtually no effort. THANK YOU!

Dude you just saved me by explicitly going over not having the track on the pin facing the detent right away. Thank you.

I just use an allen wrench and a guitar pick. hold the detent down with the guitar pick, slide allen wrench in one side, slide pivot in normal, remove guitar pick.

I thought I was going to have to buy an expensive tool for this! I found a tool for only 2 dollars but I'd have shipping, and then have to wait, but because I heard about this I just went to my local hardware store and have this multi-use tool! Thanks!

Love it! I did a 300 Blackout build 4yrs ago and misplaced the Clevis pin. I couldn't remember what I used back then, so came back and found this video again.

I was having a bugger of a time getting my detent spring in for my takedown pin. Using this technique, but without the clevis pin, I used an extra takedown pin from the left side, but not capturing the detent in it's groove, then insert the right takedown pin, pushing the extra out of the way & rotate & voila. Thanks for the inspiration!

Excellent! I picked up a 1/4" clevis pin but had to sand it down a bit. After that and a couple of tries (almost loosing the detent pin behind the stove) it worked! Thanks!

Found a wooden spoon in the draw, whittled it down to the right size, sanded it and drilled a hole in the handle, worked like a charm. cost me nothing. cant beat that

You can use basically anything that fills the hole. I use an old pivot pin from the back side in lieu of the tool you have. What was the "ah ha" moment for me was realizing I needed to put the new pivot pin in with the slot rotated away... I was putting it in with the slot towards the pin and I definitely lost a pin and spring because of that.

i just did this instead with the hole in the bolt catch. worked like a charm and is already included in a lower parts kit!

I discovered this a few years ago. Works like a charm.

Thanks for the good info. I was at that stage of a lower build and realized I didn't have the pivot pin installation tool. This will really help, knowing there's an alternate way to accomplish the same objective.

Awesome idea u just saved me a ton of money just got it for $1.17 compared to $15 plus shipping

Simple operation, and yet such sheer such frustration...Second only to the accursed BHO roll pin, perhaps. Thank for giving me and many others the easy way out. Much appreciated Old Cannon!

I messed up a detent spring but had the foresight to buy a parts replacement kit ahaead of time before the build. This trick worked perfect for me.

I appreciate your video. I've used the razor blade/knife 'trick' w/ success in the past, but starting w/ my current project - and in the future - I'll be using your method. Thank you.

A never ending educational tool RU-vid. Thank you for the video.

Off to the hardware store next weekend. Don't know how many pins I've launched with my builds. This sure will make it easier. Thanks!!

Not the hardest part of rebuilding anymore!!! Thanks a lot

I was able to do it this way and it was really easy. I found the 1/4 inch Clevis pin at the Home Depot for under $2. Thanks!

Wow, this is my second build, but the first time following your instructions. This was amazingly simple this time around thanks to your video!

Thank you sir I whipped down to Home Depot and bam worked. Love it.

HUGE help for my first AR build ever. TY!

Thanks for the Tip...My Blood Pressure just dropped 20 Points...Merry Christmas....

I did not have a clevis pin so I found a wooden dowel rod and drilled a small hole in it and it worked like a charm. I can see where the clevis you used would be a better option. Thanks.

one of the best videos on youtube.

Just bought 1/4 inch clevis pin at HomeDepot , $1.57, will try this method. Thanks

I was able to hold the pin down with my fingernail, slide a bolt through it to keep it all compressed. Then quickly pushed the pin in. But this gave me the idea since I didn't have any fancy tools.

Great Vid! Straight to the point, love it

Thank you sir!!! Much easier!!! You are a gentlemen & a scholar!

I can't believe that with all the AR projects I have worked on I never thought of doing this but I dang sure wasn't going to buy a tool just for this pin installation.

Great video, I recently had to replace that spring and it took me and my dad about 45 minutes to get it done, great tip

Brother, you saved me SOOOOO much time lol. Excellent video; I am now subscribed! Much thanks.

thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you for the "MICROSCOPIC" view of wth is actually happening, as I don't even have my lower yet, and could not see where everyone else was shoving their detent pins! Thanks again.

Some hero's don't wear capes.... thank you sir!!

Excellent idea. Thanks for sharing!

Brilliant, now all I need to do is find the half dozen detents in the carpet.

best $2 I’ve ever spent at Home Depot… thanks!!

I did it to install my extended pin... works great

learned this on my second AR build. Very easy. Be sure to lubricate the channel of the pivot pin for a smooth operation.

You sir are a genius Found your video popped up after I order the tool Went to the store found one couple try's and I got it Had to cut my spring down a bit but it works fine Not sure if the spring hole was deep enough though it looked as my spring stick out as far as yours Might have to visit ya when I come down for a visit when I go back to Conroe before I move down to Texas for good Oh yeah I subscribed

Thank you for this! Still using this in 2024.

Now that's slick. Thanks for sharing

awesome thanks bro, just went to ace yesterday and got it!

Vey nice video, thanks for the extra little tip. Enjoyed the video clarity and ease of instructions. I have lost a few springs. Look like I will go to the hardware store today.

Ended up using my pocket knife but still the video helped me get it into place. Thanks and earned a sub.

Thank you for sharing. Awesome solution. Worked like a charm!

great idea thanks for video saved alot time and effort

Thank you so much. I got in two tries after watching this video. Thank you

Saved me a lot of heartache. Thanks!

Thank You Huge! Lol I was cursing 🤬 last time I did this process chasing springs and detents all over the room. DOH!

Thank you this was super easy.

But the rear one requires that the buffer nut be removed to access the detent spring for the rear pin. I just saw a video earlier about that but it did not go into detail. I got a pair of pins I want to install but am not near confident enough to do both! I do, however, have a better idea of how to do the front pin now, so thank you for that!!

This is genius. Thank you I will try it tonight. Man I have shouted some serious curse words trying this for the pass half hour! :)

This is the easiest thing ever without any tools, put the spring and detent pin in partly, press the end of the takedown pin on the detent pin. Once it’s in just slightly rotate your takedown pin until it slides in the hole, did it in about three seconds on my first one ever.

Fast. Took less than 30 seconds. A new record for me.

I just used my punch to apply pressure and transferred the pressure using the pivot pin. In fact it was easier for me to do the pivot pin vs. the take down pin lol. I accidentally used the pivot pin in the take down slot, so had to swap that out and before that I had the pin inserted on the wrong side so it wouldn't come out! haha. Anyway, I got it all together and I laugh at how easy it was in the end. However, this tool would have been nice, either way.

Great video. Less than $1.50 'fix' and NO waiting on SHIPPING.

This is a great idea. Thanks for posting. I subscribed to your channel and will check out more of your videos.

I have built maybe 10 lowers now, and managed to do all the pivot pins without losing a piece, and no special tools (think I used a credit card a few times). But lost a detent last night and said, there must be a better trick. This seems to be it.

Very Good Video . Key thing USE A PUNCH!!!

Just went and bought my Clevis pin. Paid 1.15. Not building a rifle at the moment but itll sure go in my tool box. Had a hard time building my ar10 cause of that front detent

I've never had a problem just using a razor blade to push the detent down, but I might get one of these to try

Very cool! Good hack...for an over-used term

I need some help, so I was trying to install the detent and spring with the pivot pin tool, the tool has a hole to put the spring and detent tool in and then another hole that doesn’t go all the way through the tool, when trying to remove the tool with spring and detent in the receiver the detent went into the other hole so now it’s under spring tension stuck in the tool, only way I see to fix it is by breaking it out, any ideas?

great video. thanks it helped a lot!

This is a handy tip. Thanks for sharing.

You my kind sir are a genius!

Great how to.. just got a sub just off of simplicity..... God bless you

I used needle nose pliers worked well, I’m curious does the pin need to connect with the first hole before the second one for it to work on the pin or is it fine for it to just connect with the last hole on the pin I saw other vids like this

Easiest way to do it: use a credit card or similar to depress the detent, push the pin in, and remove the card. Works every time.

I do this, got a set of pin from harbor frieght, for like3 $. ..i also have the real avid set. I use the pin one. and kick myself for realizing i had a box of pins on the shelf, before i bought the Avid set... this totally works..

Great instructions great footage! Thank you.

Great video!

You're a life saver thank you.

Worked awesome thanks for posting!

save time, trouble, and money with this trick!

Thank you

Great tip saved me 10 bucks thanks

Thank you sir! This is very helpful.

Excellent information and presentation. + sub!

Thanks for the tip! SUPER helpful!

I've never had this problem... but I can imagine how others can....so confusing how I was able to get around it.

I use needle nose and a razor knife blade. Grab the detent with the needle nose put the razor blade on top push down slowly removing the needle nose and slide the pivot pin in and slowly remove the razor blade. Not to hard to do with or with using a vise.

You're a damn genius! Awesome trick