Swiss Arms lower - removing bolt catch retaining pin

[ganymede]

I'm having a heck of a time removing the bolt catch retaining pin from a Swiss Arms lower. I realize that it is a split pin that needs to be pinched together and pushed out but for some reason it is not pushing out. I am using needle nose pliers to pinch the pin together and a Glock punch on the other end to try to push it out. Any tips would be appreciated thanks

BTW, I got the rest of the lower stripped and installed on an NEA lower already, this is the only part giving me issues.

 

[Jäger1]

The bolt catch is spring loaded and will be pushing up, causing the flanges on your retaining pin to catch on the edges of its hole. Press down slightly on your bolt catch overtop of where the pin is located while you attempt to remove it. I had a bit of a ##### of a time with this too initially.

Tip: If you're using your factory Swiss spring, the bore for it on the NEA lower isn't deep enough. This will cause your bolt catch to have excessive spring pressure (which by default keeps your catch in the down position) which will prevent it from catching your bolt when using certain magazines (in my experience, all magazines except LAR-15 mags do not exert enough pressure on the catch to get it to engage with the factory spring on the NEA lower). So your choices are:

- Put up with it.
- Trim your factory spring.
- Use a different spring.
- Ask NEA to send you an appropriately sized spring

I took the spring out of a disposable lighter and cut it to size. Functions perfectly now.

When installing the parts on your lower, the bolt catch along with the mag release will be the first parts to get installed. Do a function check before you install the hammer, trigger and safety selector. Does the mag follower push the bolt catch up? Or is the spring pressure so great that it doesn't move and in fact prevents the follower from rising? Better to fix this now before you get all the other components installed.

Edit: I just read that you've already installed the other parts into the lower. You may find that your hammer spring gets im the way while installing the bolt catch retaining pin.

 

[ganymede]

The bolt catch is spring loaded and will be pushing up, causing the flanges on your retaining pin to catch on the edges of its hole. Press down slightly on your bolt catch overtop of where the pin is located while you attempt to remove it. I had a bit of a ##### of a time with this too initially.

Tip: If you're using your factory Swiss spring, the bore for it on the NEA lower isn't deep enough. This will cause your bolt catch to have excessive spring pressure (which by default keeps your catch in the down position) which will prevent it from catching your bolt when using certain magazines (in my experience, all magazines except LAR-15 mags do not exert enough pressure on the catch to get it to engage with the factory spring on the NEA lower). So your choices are:

- Put up with it.
- Trim your factory spring.
- Use a different spring.
- Ask NEA to send you an appropriately sized spring

I took the spring out of a disposable lighter and cut it to size. Functions perfectly now.

When installing the parts on your lower, the bolt catch along with the mag release will be the first parts to get installed. Do a function check before you install the hammer, trigger and safety selector. Does the mag follower push the bolt catch up? Or is the spring pressure so great that it doesn't move and in fact prevents the follower from rising? Better to fix this now before you get all the other components installed.

Edit: I just read that you've already installed the other parts into the lower. You may find that your hammer spring gets im the way while installing the bolt catch retaining pin.

Finally got it out and installed on the NEA lower. Thanks very much for your input