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DPMS Push Pin Replacement for Factory Colt front Pivot Pin
One of the major gripes I always hear from Colt owners is the front pivot pin requiring three hands and two screw drivers to take it out. Having only owned a few Colts over the years I never listened to their gripes that much. Well, that was until a few years ago. I inherited a post ban Colt from my brother after he died and I bought a registered receiver Colt SP1 in 2002 just before deploying to Kuwait for the upcoming Operation Iraqi Freedom. Shortly after I deployed my Form 4 was approved so my gun sat in a safe at my dealer’s shop taking up space. Upon my return I was pretty anxious to pick up my new gun and head out. While I wanted to have a few different uppers for it, I found that the small hole uppers were a bit frustrating to deal with so I bought several SP1 uppers to remedy this problem (I have since had my lower converted to a small hole by American Manufacturing. Please see my review on Mike’s excellent work!) and did not think too much about it until I started doing several upper swaps at the range. What a pain in the ass! While a dime sufficed as a useful tool, you still could not just push out the pin and go. Plus, you have the screw to worry about dropping. How do I make this a bit more user friendly? Well, DPMS sells a pushpin replacement for the Colt large pivot pins. It is a very simple design. The pin extends past the receiver enough to be held in place by a spring ball detent type system yet it is easily pushed out without the help from tools of any kind. Now, what is even better is that the pin does not cost an arm and a leg. For less than $10, you can have one of these pins for your large pin Colt.
You don’t have a large pin Colt but you want to leave the tools at home? No worries, DPMS makes one for the small pin variety Colt’s as well. The price runs the same and they are very easy and convenient to use. If you are like me, you lose everything you touch so buy two just in case. I have one in each of my uppers just in case.
The photo above is the DPMS pin in front of a Colt SP1 (registered) that has been modified to small pin by Mike at American Manufacturing.
There is another pin out there that I will be looking into as well. I saw it in Brownelles while browsing the other day. It is the same idea as the DPMS pin but has a push button release on the ball detent system. It comes with a higher price tag of course but I think it will give you guys more of a piece of mind when it comes to concerns about the loss of the pin. While the DPMS pin holds firm, I am sure some of you out there will be able to knock her lose and may lose it.
The photo above is of the Colt SP1 lower with a large DPMS pin in an original SP1 upper.
The .250 small pin unit has a flat side on the head of the pin so it will fit into all small pin lowers with a fence. This keeps your pins installed on the same side as a standard AR-15 type rifle so you don’t have to fumble around with something new. The pin is also very useful in CAV Arms type lowers and rifles!
This is the right side of the modified SP1 lower. Note the flat portion of the pin. This allows you to use the pins with lowers that have the raised portion for the standard pivot pin with detent and spring like CavArms and Colts.
To purchase this pin, contact DPMS or you local DPMS dealer for pricing and availability.
Large Pin A-15 Quick Take Down Pin PN: LR-QT $6.00 (Retail)
Small Pin A-15 Quick Take Down Pin PN: LR-QT-S $7.00 (Retail)
24 April 2004
Scott A. Hyde
AKA
DrJekl, AR15.com
Vulcan, Moderator, AR and M Forum, Assaultweb.net
One of the major gripes I always hear from Colt owners is the front pivot pin requiring three hands and two screw drivers to take it out. Having only owned a few Colts over the years I never listened to their gripes that much. Well, that was until a few years ago. I inherited a post ban Colt from my brother after he died and I bought a registered receiver Colt SP1 in 2002 just before deploying to Kuwait for the upcoming Operation Iraqi Freedom. Shortly after I deployed my Form 4 was approved so my gun sat in a safe at my dealer’s shop taking up space. Upon my return I was pretty anxious to pick up my new gun and head out. While I wanted to have a few different uppers for it, I found that the small hole uppers were a bit frustrating to deal with so I bought several SP1 uppers to remedy this problem (I have since had my lower converted to a small hole by American Manufacturing. Please see my review on Mike’s excellent work!) and did not think too much about it until I started doing several upper swaps at the range. What a pain in the ass! While a dime sufficed as a useful tool, you still could not just push out the pin and go. Plus, you have the screw to worry about dropping. How do I make this a bit more user friendly? Well, DPMS sells a pushpin replacement for the Colt large pivot pins. It is a very simple design. The pin extends past the receiver enough to be held in place by a spring ball detent type system yet it is easily pushed out without the help from tools of any kind. Now, what is even better is that the pin does not cost an arm and a leg. For less than $10, you can have one of these pins for your large pin Colt.
You don’t have a large pin Colt but you want to leave the tools at home? No worries, DPMS makes one for the small pin variety Colt’s as well. The price runs the same and they are very easy and convenient to use. If you are like me, you lose everything you touch so buy two just in case. I have one in each of my uppers just in case.
The photo above is the DPMS pin in front of a Colt SP1 (registered) that has been modified to small pin by Mike at American Manufacturing.
There is another pin out there that I will be looking into as well. I saw it in Brownelles while browsing the other day. It is the same idea as the DPMS pin but has a push button release on the ball detent system. It comes with a higher price tag of course but I think it will give you guys more of a piece of mind when it comes to concerns about the loss of the pin. While the DPMS pin holds firm, I am sure some of you out there will be able to knock her lose and may lose it.
The photo above is of the Colt SP1 lower with a large DPMS pin in an original SP1 upper.
The .250 small pin unit has a flat side on the head of the pin so it will fit into all small pin lowers with a fence. This keeps your pins installed on the same side as a standard AR-15 type rifle so you don’t have to fumble around with something new. The pin is also very useful in CAV Arms type lowers and rifles!
This is the right side of the modified SP1 lower. Note the flat portion of the pin. This allows you to use the pins with lowers that have the raised portion for the standard pivot pin with detent and spring like CavArms and Colts.
To purchase this pin, contact DPMS or you local DPMS dealer for pricing and availability.
Large Pin A-15 Quick Take Down Pin PN: LR-QT $6.00 (Retail)
Small Pin A-15 Quick Take Down Pin PN: LR-QT-S $7.00 (Retail)
24 April 2004
Scott A. Hyde
AKA
DrJekl, AR15.com
Vulcan, Moderator, AR and M Forum, Assaultweb.net
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