Caleb's Top AR-15 Tool Picks

For a relatively simple firearm, there's a bewildering array of tools available for the AR-15. Which ones should you have? Which ones are the best? If you just own an AR or two or several, you may not want to engage in all the research, trial and error, and expense to track down the best AR-15 tools. Good news: Brownells Gun Tech™ Caleb Savant, who has worked on his share of ARs, is here to save you a lot of money and time. After extensive "field testing" on many AR-15 projects, he tells us which tools he thinks are the best.

The Midwest Industries AR-15 Armorer's Wrench is designed to accommodate some non-standard AR components. Its castle nut wrench is open, rather than fully enclosed, which is great for working on the older, larger-diameter pistol buffer tubes. Also, the muzzle device wrench works on muzzle devices that have thinner flats than the standard A2 flash suppressor. Plus, the MI tool has a nice heft and solid feel to it, which a good armorer's wrench should have.

The Brownells AR-15 Bolt Catch Roll Pin Punch is ground flat on one side, so you can get at that bolt catch pin without marring the inside of the magazine well.

You need a good vise block to work on the lower. The Midwest Industries AR-15 Lower Receiver Block (AR-308 version also available) can be clamped in a vise or bolted permanently to your workbench. It also has a cutout for securing a pinned low-profile gas block while you punch the pins in or out.

Now, how do you safely secure the upper receiver in the vise? The Device Lite, from The Device Manufacturing, fully supports the upper receiver when you clamp it in your bench vise. The upper can't move, and there's no way the vise jaws can leave nasty bite marks on it. A slot in the bottom of The Device Lite helps you set up M-LOK® accessories for installation. Machined out of solid aluminum, The Device Lite is built to last as long as any of your AR-15s!