Tacticool yet does not serve a purpose.

[Matt Landfair]

On Facebook someone said out this about KNS anti-walk pins-

"It always felt like something to be "tacticool" and serve no real purpose, but I don't have any first hand knowledge on this."

What are items being used that serve no practical purpose?

 

[Grayman]

I think there is often the arguement of theoretical issue prevention... For example the KNS pins do serve a purpose but most people buy them simply because they look cool or some couch commando told them they were a necessary modification.

The pins are actually designed to solve a problem of pin rotation in out of spec lowers... Which I think I've only ever heard of once and it was an extremely worn pre-ban lower.

 

[Skyler]

I have seen quite a few fake suppressors... I don't get those in the least.

 

[shooters101]

I have seen quite a few fake suppressors... I don't get those in the least.

Ill agree and disagree on this one. For the most part you are right. Then not to long ago I decided to build a dedicated SIM gun to the same standards as my normal rifle to keep all the FOF training/OPFORing as close to what I run. So I had a friend build me a fake can to the same size and weight as my YHM Phantom. This has helped me in a lot of ways.

One of those was to really show me how I needed to get off my but and submit my Forms 1's and get my SBRs completed. Moving in and out of vehicles with a 16" rifle with a CAN on the end makes for some interesting times. Its also funny to hear the loud ass bang as I nail door jams in the house and village.

I know this is a far cry form the ones you were referring to though.

As to the KNS pins I have never experienced a pin breakage and to date I have only had one pin ever come out on me! But this was on the first AR I built from the ground up and well I just put the damn hammer spring in wrong and it let the pin slide out. It scared the shit out of me when it happened as it caused the gun to do a short little burst. But to be fair and upfront I do own one AR that does have KNS pins on it and they were added to make it look cool!!!!!!!!

 

[Cross]

KNS pins are pretty handy when the hammer and trigger pin holes on your lower start wearing. Pins will walk with relative frequency after enough use bores those holes out a couple thousandths...

 

[WeaponOutfitters]

KNS pins are not needed when you have high quality lower receivers and high quality triggers... but truth is, lower receiver quality varies wildly.

At a class, I was next to a guy whose hammer pin walked and he had uncontrollable full auto (as the hammer was just out of alignment enough to miss the disconnector). His lower receiver from one of those "Billet receivers of the month" companies was out of spec. I've also heard of it happening with forged lowers too. For them... the KNS is a must have, for most people, it's piece of mind.

A CORRECTLY anodized, HARDENED, 7075-T6 lower receiver should NEVER have its fire control group holes get "worn" or "rounded out. That is why you have 1967 Colt AR-15s running strong... and some of the first MK12 SPRS issued in the GWOT built on M-16A1 lowers from the 1960s. Thing is... even today, in 2015, anodizing quality is across the board. A lot of supposedely "milspec" anodized lower receivers are not mil spec anodized at all, and they can eventually wear out.

For my personal lower receivers, I prefer to buy from companies I can trust. Companies that do anodizing right. Colt, LMT, Knights.

I had to help a local PD destroy their Colt Commando lowers once (leadership's call) and the band saw took forever to cut through the decades old receivers. Aluminum Oxide is 9/10 on the Mohs hardness scale. In comparison, I cut a billet receiver from one of those random billet companies in the name of science and curiosity and the band saw went right through.

Buyer beware.