How to Remove Front Sights on AR15 A2: Aftermarket and Fixed Sight Removal

You all know that the AR15 A2 is one of the popular weapons in the world and seems to be even more popular in the United States. People often ask me about maintenance and upgrades for this weapon. One of the most frequent questions that I get is how to remove front sight on AR15 A2. There’s two options that we’ll explore in more detail in this post.

How to remove front sights on AR15 A2: For adjustable models

The first option is used less frequently because it’s specific to aftermarket front sights. So, the question we’ll answer with this first method is how to remove the front sights on an AR15^[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArmaLite_AR-15 A2 for an aftermarket unit? Don’t try to use this method on Walther PPQ sights or other firearms. It’s actually easier to remove aftermarket sights because most of them are adjustable and come with screws that allow you to quickly remove the sight. Don’t ever forget that “step zero” is to always make sure that the weapon is unloaded. Once the appropriate safety measures have been taken, here’s how you go about removing these types of sights:

1. Clamp your rifle into the vise.
2. Use a wrench to remove the flash hider.
   • You’re going to need a lot of force because the flash hider is pretty tight.
   • There’s a crush washer that acts like a spring and makes it difficult to loosen the flash hider.
3. Once the flash hider is removed, you’ll just need to undo the screws on the sight.
4. Voila! Remove the sight and you’re done.

It really is an easy process and all you really need is a vise and a wrench. The hardest part is the amount of force that is needed to remove the flash hider. And don’t forget to make sure the washer is compressed once you tighten it all back down. Remember, just because you know How to remove Glock front sight does not mean it applies to AR-15s!

How to remove fixed front sights on AR15

This option is more applicable to front sights that come standard on AR-15s. A lot of owners like to eventually upgrade or replace the front sight on their weapons, so if you’re one of those owners, we’re here to help. We learned in our post about how to aim with iron sights that it is very important to get your sights aligned. Forewarning: this method is more difficult from the first, so take your time and be diligent when working through the steps. These sights are normally secured by pins that can be fairly difficult to remove. Again, don’t lose sight of Step Zero: unload your weapon before diving into the steps:

1. Remove the hand guards

If you have standard hand guards^[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handguard, then you will probably need a special tool to remove them. Start by placing the hooks inside the mag and the two arms in the designated delta ring. Pull hard and the hand guards will come off.

2. Remove the upper-half

They make special vises that make removing upper halfs easier, so depending on how much work you like to do to your weapon, these might be a good investment. I’m assuming you probably already know how to remove the upper half, but if not, here are some good instructions to guide you through the process. Once that part is taken care of, remove any optics, rear sights, and/or carry handles that have been installed. Don’t forget to remove the charging handle and the bolt carrier as well. Place the upper receiver in your own vise or the factory one if you have it. This factory tool allow you to clamp the rifle only in the right position. This is useful to make way for the best Red Dot Sights for AR15 with Fixed Front Sight.

3. Remove flash hider

Use a wrench to remove the flash hider. Follow the same process we discussed a few paragraphs up. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but you’re still going to need a lot of force to crush the washer that acts as a spring.

4. Remove the gas tube

A gas tube can be easily removed. But you also need to remove the designated pin as well. You will need a puncher in order to remove it properly. Remove the pin by punching it out from the case and use plenty of force. Unsurprisingly, using factory tools normally make this  easier. But if you don’t have them, ordinary tools from a hardware store work just fine. There’s a single pin at the top of the barrel that will need to exit through a relatively small hole. This part can be tedious, but they make a specific tool for this that can save you some time and frustration.  

5. Remove the pins

This is main step, and ironically (or maybe not), the most complicated step. This is where we actually start removing the sight. There is a special bench block that allows you to complete this task a bit easier. You don’t have to have it as you can use punchers to remove the two pins if you already removed the gas tube pin (like we told you to!). These pins are held strongly in place, so you’re going to need to use a lot of force with this step as well. It’s a delicate balance because you need to be careful not to damage the barrel (or the sight). Drilling a small part of the pin can make this step easier when you’re using a puncher. Unfortunately if you can’t get them out with a puncher, then you will need to drill them out completely (extremely difficult!). Remember, these are not the same steps you learned on How to adjust Glock rear sights. So pay attention!

6. Remove the sight

Finally, remove the sight since it’s no longer being held in place by anything. If it’s difficult to remove, you can use a rubber mallet to try to move it. Sometimes this step does end up being fairly difficult, so don’t wimp out on us at the end as you’ll still need to use a lot of force. Rotating the sight throughout this step can make removal easier. The rubber mallet can be used for rotating as well. The goal here is to push the sight out at the front of the barrel.
Don’t forget to take your time and make sure you do not damage any of the components. Be careful, live in the present, and enjoy the process. Now you can replace the factory sight with an aftermarket one, which is fortunately a lot easier to remove^[3]https://www.mass.gov/doc/lesson-9-fundamentals-of-shooting-0/download.

There are many other AR15 modifications that can be made to improve the performance of your firearm. Shooters ask questions like, “what is a forward assist on an ar-15?” amongst others. Make the modifications that make most sense for your specific use case!

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Words

How to remove front sights on AR15 A2 like a professional? Use our steps and dive in. Remember, these steps vary from gun to gun. So don’t try it on mp shield 9mm night sights because they are different weapons! Doing is without a doubt the best way to learn In general, removing sight on this weapon is extremely difficult for most Types of Sights and most people prefer a professional to do it. However you aren’t most people, and so with a bit of patience and some targeted tools, you can tackle this project by yourself.