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6/11/2013

AR Build Diary: Hammer Time

By Gabby

ar parts, hammer installationInstalling the hammer into my lower receiver was the one time that a part went flying while I was building my AR-15. Fortunately, when the hammer snapped out of my hand and bounced off the lower to launch itself across the room, it only scratched the finish on the interior of my lower. I took a deep breath and started over, but noted that when I wrote about this step, I had to make sure readers realized that the springs of AR parts are extremely tight and strong and may fight back. So please, be careful.
hammer installed into lower receiver, AR parts1 The spring that wraps around the hammer should be leaning on the underside, as the image below depicts. The two legs of the spring will need to be pushed from left to right almost as if the main part of the hammer and the legs of the spring are being folded in half.
hammer spring rests on trigger, ar parts2 When the two legs are pushed into the lower, they will rest on cut away sections of the trigger. I have highlighted this area on the the image to the right.

The hole in the hammer will now have to align with the hole in the lower closest to the bolt catch. 4 To help, if you are working by yourself, you may want to start the hammer pin, prior to folding the hammer spring. As with the trigger, the smaller section of the pin will be the last part of the pin to go into the lower receiver. Also similar to the trigger installation, the hammer pin shouldn't need much force in order to go through the lower and the hammer. If the pin doesn't want to go through the  other side of the lower, it may not be lined up properly. Make sure the spring of the hammer isn't pushing the part up and guiding the pin away from the hole in the lower.

vise block for AR 15 build, hammer installationDON'T PULL THE TRIGGER! I know it's tempting, now that your lower is almost complete, but doing so could hurt the hammer as well as your AR's lower receiver.  It's best to get a vise block with a plastic piece that can be placed to catch a falling hammer as seen in the image below. Some people test the trigger by holding down the hammer with one hand as they pull the trigger with the other. I really don't like this technique. Of corse I had to try it once, and all that I got was a bruised finger.

©2013 ArmedCandy,LLC
Read all of the AR Build Diary here

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