TAPER PIN STARTER Reviews & Ratings

Watch a brownells video of how to remove and replace the triangle hand guard plate to a round one to fit the magpul mode length SL hand guard. I also bought the orange front sight block. The taper pin punch made life easy to knock out the pins and replace them. Definitely a great tool to perform this task

If you are removing and FSB with taper pins this is a must have or you will damage the ends of the taper pins. This punch is perfect for the job!

As someone who works on AR's almost daily, I cannot speak highly enough of this Taper Pin Starter by STARRETT! Anyone who has ever removed a Front Sight Block knows how difficult the task can be. When I first started down that road, I burned through 4 punches and hours of frustration. With experience, it became easier, but nothing simplifies the task like this Starrett punch starter. It is well machined, sturdy and the quality is easy to see as soon as you pick it up. The tip is concave (dished) to perfectly fit the rounded head taper pins in a Front Sight Post. It took only two solid strikes with a brass hammer to remove the taper pins! If I had only found this tool sooner, life would have been much easier!! -Tom in Texas

Although I haven't used this punch yet, I purchased it to remove taper pins from AR A2 sights. I recently picked up a JET arbor press to complete the task...Pounding out pins has been a major pain in the rear-end. I used a Dremel with a cutting wheel to remove/shorten the squared head of the punch, and fit the modified punch into the arbor press ram tool hole with a set screw. This set up should work good, and will keep me from whacking my fingers with a hammer...LOL

This is the only tool I would use to remove the taper pins that secure a standard A2 front sight. Any other type of punch and you will surely damage your rifle. Unfortunately, I learned from experience not to use a flat punch. This punch is perfectly concave to fit over the taper pins and not damage them. It is solid steel and heavy duty. It will not bend or break. I would highly recommend this tool to anyone who plans on removing a standard A2 front sight.

Great punch for tapered pins

Nothing was working trying to drive the taper pins out of my 6920's A2 sight so I could proceed with a handguard w/ lo-pro gas block project. A gunsmith buddy suggested gently heating and applying a penetrating oil several days in a row and tapping *gently*. Followed the plan and used this punch. About 10 good strokes each with the bench block on a concrete floor rather than the bench and badda boom badda bing, pins tapped out with no damage to sight, pins or barrel.

Just used the Taper Pin Starter putting a DPMS float tube on a Colt HBar. Pins were a BEAR to remove. Did'nt think I was going to get them out. Had the right direction going from the start. Punch mushroomed on the first pin and a piece of steel flew hitting my hand. Safety glasses are a MUST! Once pin moved just a little it fell out. Second pin, same fight. Going back on I put a small dab of Never-Seize at each pin hole. Would'nt do that again cause pins are about a sixteenth of a inch shy of factory position. Used a sandbag under sight housing during the out and in. Brownells Front Site Bench Block may have helped removing pins but float tube would'nt clear it to install pins. Both ends of the pins looked fine when finished. Edge of punch is ugly. May need to buy another one. Still 5 stars for that STARRETT punch.

Simply worked as intended both for removal and reinstallation of the pins. No damage or skidding. Used to remove and reinstall 3 different sets of pins.

This punch is one of the best/ most used punches. If you want or do alot of taper pin removal/installations then this is for you!