Much todo is made of the “quality” of staking jobs on the AR-15. Why this is so is absolutely beyond my comprehension… (other than shooter being particularly picky about aesthetics of their rifle). Don’t get me wrong, I completely support the deformation of material for when pins and springs are not holding it in place, but good gracious it can be over the top. If the material is impinged, it’s going to do its job.

That said, staking is not a permanent installation. What material that can be deformed can be deformed again. Proving, this, MrGunsNGear takes on the highest “quality” of staking that the interwebz hold dear, a Bravo Company USA buffer tube. Simply put, a solid wrench and a bit of elbow grease will typically release a buffer tube / gas key without issue.

The key to everything is having the right tools and support for the workpiece. In the case of buffer tubes, the receiver is strong, but the placement of the receiver extension hoop is awkward relative to where the user will impart torque to install or remove the castle nut. A solid vice and receiver block are excellent steps to ensuring the receiver stays steady under what can be a significant amount of force.

Check out MrGunsNGear’s video below on the process to remove a well-staked extension. He makes it look easy, but that is perhaps due to his large arms…