Customer Reviews

AR15 Carbine Stock Wrench Tools

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I needed a wrench to tighten up my castle nut for my buffer tube on my AR-15. Of course I didn't want to spend too much money on a tool I would use every once in a while(I don't need to pull my buffer tube off all that much). I ended up paying under two dollars which I thought was awesome, and I didn't have to scratch up the nut by using something not meant for the application. Well live and learn because when I tightened the nut the first time it didn't leave a mark. The second time I ordered some parts that required removal of the buffer tube. when I used the wrench it put two tiny little scratches on the face of the castle nut. It really is not that noticeable but I am very particular about that kind of stuff. Of course I was upset and I said that I wouldn't do that again. I had to take the buffer tube off a few more times since but I have figured out a simple solution to prevent any scratching. All I did was ripped a collar from a t-shirt and laid it on the surface of the nut. You have to find the grove, but that is not difficult at all. Just make sure that the entire surface of the wrench is covered by the collar of the t-shirt and you won't see a scratch at all. There are many other wrenches out there that grasp more than one grove to prevent the wrench from leaning on the surface and they apply even pressure around the nut, but this one works just fine. You just need to be alittle careful and you'll keep a twenty dollar bill in your pocket or even more!

what can I say,Its a Ar 15 wrench. its not the high end with Added uses built in but it get the job done for a simple build if your taking your time. And the price of this item keeps your bottom line on your build low.

This tool works as intended and the seller provided top notch service! I would not use this tool or any other castle nut wrench until any staking points have been relieved on the nut/stock.

Nice little wrench for the price. Decently made and a great price point. Worked great on securing my Tapco adjustable butt stock.

this tool comes with one notch on it. the one notch broke off with the first good turn. can't really call it a tool anymore. now i call it trash.

If you're looking at buying a stock wrench, there's a good chance you're thinking of changing a stock on an AR-15. There's also a good chance that you haven't changed one before (or you'd likely already have the tool). If you're already skilled at changing stocks, skip my review. It's intended to help first timers.

Begin by understanding the basic pieces involved:

Buffer spring - the long spring that comes out of the buffer tube
Buffer - the metal rod that mates with the buffer spring inside the buffer tube
Buffer tube - the metal tube that forms part of the stock (one end is threaded)
Buffer retainer and spring - the small nipple (and spring underneath) that holds in the buffer and spring
Receiver extension buffer tube lock ring - the castle nut that snugs up agains the end plate, preventing the buffer tube from turning
Receiver end plate - the plate that butts up against the lower receiver and holds in the rear takedown spring
Rear takedown spring - a very small spring assembly that puts tension on the rear breakdown pin; it is held in by the receiver end plate

It's vital that you understand how these parts fit together. If you don't there's a good chance that you'll lose a spring, or worse hurt yourself or your rifle. There's plenty of info on the web about how things go together, so do a bit of reading (or watching) prior to starting disassembly.

The good news is that changing the stock on an AR-15 is straight forward. Here are the basic steps:

1. Remove the lower receiver from the upper. This makes working with the stock much easier.
2. Remove the collapsible stock assembly (if applicable). This is usually done by lifting on the stock adjustment level and sliding the stock backwards.
3. Remove the buffer and buffer spring. This is done by first pressing in on the buffer, and then carefully pressing the buffer retainer down with a small screwdriver. Once the retainer is down, the buffer spring will try to push out the buffer, so be careful and control its release.
4. Use the stock wrench to loosen the receiver extension tube lock ring (a.k.a. castle nut). The stock wrench, whether it has one tooth or three, should fit the nut securely. Look at the threads of the buffer tube to make sure you are turning it right direction. Most are standard righty tighty, lefty loosey designs. So if the receiver is facing to the left (stock to the right), you would put the wrench on top of the castle nut and pull back towards yourself (lefty loosey). The goal is to screw the castle nut away from the receiver end plate and down onto the buffer tube threads.

Before we go on, realize one thing. If your castle nut has never been taken off, perhaps you have a factory fresh rifle, it will likely be a pain to remove. They are typically "staked" in place. If you look carefully at the castle nut, you may see that two very small metal dimples have effectively locked it in place against the receiver end plate. Even if it isn't staked, locktite may have been used. Both are designed to keep the castle nut from vibrating loose. And both can be a pain in the butt to break free. If the stock is staked, one option is to simply accept that this is going to be a tough job, and take it to a gunsmith. For a few bucks (probably about the cost of this wrench), he can get it off. If you decide to break it free yourself, accept two things going in. First, you will scratch up the castle nut and likely the receiver end plate. Each of these cost about $4, so they're not big losses, but you will need to have replacements on hand when you attach your new stock. (Note: Some stocks, such as the MP4 Socom, do not use the castle nut and come with their own receiver plate, meaning you won't need replacements).

Now the big question: how do you get the castle nut free? Start by simply trying to turn it with your wrench. You can also tap the handle of the wrench with a hammer to give it a little impulse to free the nut. Alternatively, you can use a pipe over the end of the wrench to increase the torque. Even with those steps, however, there's a very good chance that the castle nut will not budge. Again, this is because it is likely held in place by metal dimples preventing it from turning (assuming it's staked). Next step to try is to take a small drill bit and drill out the two staked areas. Be careful doing this. The idea is just to drill deep enough to remove the staking metal, not down into the threads. If you watch what you're doing, this isn't to hard to do successfully. Once you get both stakes drilled out, return to your stock wrench, hammer, and perhaps pipe extension. The nut may come free now. If not, inspect your drilling and make sure you have completely drilled out the metal staking. If that still doesn't work, you may have to resort to using a pipe wrench in place of your stock wrench. By now, your castle nut and receiver end plate are surely scratched up, so no big loss by further scratching them. Just be careful to keep the wrench on the castle nut - don't let it scratch up your receiver or buffer tube.

5. Once you get the castle nut loosened up, shout "hallelujah" and gently pull the receiver end plate away from the receiver. There is a tiny spring that presses up against the receiver end plate and goes into the receiver to set tension on the rear breakdown pin. The pin has a small slot in it that the spring assembly presses against. As you pull the receiver end plate away from the receiver, be sure not to lose this spring. Ideally, just leave it poking out the rear of the receiver.

6. With the receiver end plate and castle nut free, you can then turn the buffer tube counter clockwise to screw it out of the receiver. It should screw completely out, leaving you with a bare receiver.

If you followed the disassembly process, then installing a new stock should be very easy. The only trick is not to lose the tiny receiver breakdown pin spring. Make sure it gets compressed properly against your new receiver end plate.

Hope this helps!

Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family."

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Purchased for a M4 and does exactly what it says on the tin, quick dispatch.

This wrench is not wearth the money I paid for it!!!!!!! It is too flixable , and the havdle is too short. Shipping price was WAY TO MUCH !!!!! Save your money and get a good wrench

I bought this item at a local gun show for $4 and it is totally worthless. I can't get my nut to even move. The metal is too thin and with only one notch on the grip, it's too weak to loosen the nut on my AR-15.
I will now have to buy one of the better ones with the 3 notches on the grip for a better fit.

I got what I paid for :(