AR bolt catch spring hole and being stuck

[foxtrapper]

I'm doing a lower parts build and everything was going ok till the bolt catch spring and it's thing that goes over it when you insert them into the hole. Well I put the spring in and the other piece in over it and pushed it in and... it isn't bouncing with the spring and it's stuck, so I push some more to see if the spring action would start, and well, it really stuck and no spring action. I can't get it out either- help! I realized too late that it should not be tight like that, as in the hole needed reamed or something. Anderson lower and CMMG parts kit.

I already tried tapping gently from the other side to see if it would pop out- nope.

 

[Tihsho]

I would drive out the bolt catch pin and rock the part out.

 

[Shazam]

Put the receiver in a Ziploc bag. The bag will catch the parts and protect the finish. Wack the receiver against a piece of wood, hard, and hope it dislodges the detent and spring.

 

[foxtrapper]

Put the receiver in a Ziploc bag. The bag will catch the parts and protect the finish. Wack the receiver against a piece of wood, hard, and hope it dislodges the detent and spring.

Ok I did that and it worked! I was scared to wack real hard but the ziplock worked.

So now, get a drill bit the same size and ream it a little? Also the trigger guard rattles since the one piece pops in place and has a spring in it. Ok to loc-tite this?

 

[MostlyHarmless]

So now, get a drill bit the same size and ream it a little?

That's it exactly. You can use a little CLP as you do it, but it's not critical. Clean out any crap that you free up, then install the spring and plunger.

Also the trigger guard rattles since the one piece pops in place and has a spring in it. Ok to loc-tite this?

The trigger guard is supposed to be movable, so you can open it downwards and use the rifle with gloves. Astonishingly few ARs are ever used this way- so if the rattle bothers you, you can certainly try loc-tite/epoxy/super glue or whatever. Or you can swap it out with a bowed trigger guard like Magpul makes. Just be careful if you try removing that roll pin- you've probably already been warned, but the tabs that hold that roll pin break off the lower easily.

 

[foxtrapper]

That's it exactly. You can use a little CLP as you do it, but it's not critical. Clean out any crap that you free up, then install the spring and plunger.




The trigger guard is supposed to be movable, so you can open it downwards and use the rifle with gloves. Astonishingly few ARs are ever used this way- so if the rattle bothers you, you can certainly try loc-tite/epoxy/super glue or whatever. Or you can swap it out with a bowed trigger guard like Magpul makes. Just be careful if you try removing that roll pin- you've probably already been warned, but the tabs that hold that roll pin break off the lower easily.

Yeah, I figured there must be a reason for that, but my HBAR doesn't rattle, so wasn't sure what that's about.