Hey all. Just joined. First post. Long time gun owner and shooter but brand new to the black gun. I bought the MP15 optics ready rifle about a month ago. Since then I've upgraded the stock, trigger, raill (w low pro gas block),muzzle brake, added Troy back up sights and a Daniel defense quick release mount and a 1x 4 throw down scope. I had my local smith do everything for me.
Now I have a box full of parts and access to a stripped upper and lower and want to tinker around and build another rifle from my parts. Question is I'm looking for a list of must have equipment I need to have on the bench to get started including blocks, punches, wrenches etc. There's 3 pages just of vice blocks on brownells and is a little overwhelming.
Thank in advance.

I've built up stripped lowers with good screwdrivers and a set of roll pin punches from Brownells. These punches are made for installing and removing roll pins. Some have a recess to hold the pin while you get it started as it eliminates the need for a third hand. The others have a little bump on the end so it doesn't slip off the pin.

What Gary said. I have built 2 AR's. I did NOT have the roll pin punches and it CAN be done...but not nearly as easy as WITH them. As he said, that plus a good set of screwdrivers.

Oh, be sure to support the lower when installing the pin that secures the trigger guard.

Sportsman's Guide is selling a 4 piece armor's kit with a vice block for the lower and the upper, an armor's wrench and a front sight adjustment tool. I think it's selling for $50. It's a metal wrench, and the blocks seem to be solid enough. It might be worth a look for you.

vise, upper and lower vise blocks, armourer's tool (one end tightens barrel nut, other tightens buttstock tube), torque wrench to tighten them to spec, punch set and rool pin punch set, hammer, screwdriver set, handguard removal tool, and my kids to help find the stuff you drop.
then after your first build you can get a little crazy and build some more. like these:

Left to right: m16a1 clone, xm177(colt commando) clone, shorty handguard m16a1 clone....

Brownells AR-15/M-16 Critical Tool Kit; Then add a mallet, screwdrivers, punches, etc.

I have built a few ARs now including a few 80% lowers. There are only two specialized tools that you absolutely MUST have:

An upper vise block:



An AR combo wrench:


I have both of those pictured above. They are not the only tools out there, but they certainly work well.

Without the upper vise block you risk damaging the upper when installing the barrel, gas block and muzzle device.

The combo wrench has the necessary pins for the barrel nut and notches for the buffer tube nut. It also has a hole for a torque wrench.

You'll notice that I didn't include a torque wrench as a tool you must have. The barrel can be installed without the torque wrench, but it's risky. Generally, the barrel nut is installed until snug. Then it is torqued until the first possible hole is lined up to allow the gas tube to fit through. Most of the time, this first hole will be the right one. Even if you're using a torque wrench, going to the next hole will be too tight and using the previous hole will be obviously too loose. So, just tightening it to the first hole past snug should get the right torque even without a torque wrench. Even so, using a torque wrench is better.

I'm going to spare you my rant about torque wrenches. Suffice it to say that I have 30 years experience in calibration of measurement equipment and I recommend this combo of tools:

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-to...prod56974.aspx

There will likely be several who will say that a click type torque wrench is better than a beam type. For this application, they are wrong. Get the one in the link or one from a different source, I don't care, but get a beam type. It's the right tool for this job.

Then watch the build videos on Brownells. They are excellent videos and cover every possible aspect of the build.

__________________
Freedom isn't free.