AR pivot pin removal?

[Bullwinkle]

Is there an easy method for removing the pivot pin, detent, and spring from an AR lower once it's in place? I was racking my brain trying to think of something recently, and best idea I could come up with was maybe a paper clip stuffed into the pivot pin's slot to hold back the detent while removing the pin (didn't try it, just the best idea I could come up with... other than cutting the pin in half and replacing it!).

Then I saw something I had never noticed before... on the right side of the receiver, above the mag well at the top, there is a very tiny hole, and you can see the pivot pin detent spring through the hole. Is that hole there so you can stick something in it to retract the detent spring while removing the pivot pin?

As always, thanks in advance for your help/info. BTW - I don't really "need" to remove it, but I was thinking about this and now it's one of those stupid silly little things that I just have to know and will lose sleep over!

[rero360]

Front take down pin? Yeah, thats pretty much the easiest way to remove it, sewing needle or whatever else that'll fit in the hole will work.

[Bullwinkle]

Front take down pin?

Yeah, that one. I thought the rear one was called the "take down" pin and the front one the "pivot" pin... but whatever it's called, it's the one forward of the mag well.

[bohoki]

yea use the pinhole and then rotate the pin (place the whole shebang in a gallon sized ziplock to catch the launching of the detent)