Do i need a special tool to adjust an xm18 pivot?

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KyleMS11

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Mar 20, 2014
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Just ordered my first hinderer should be here tomorrow. do i need to buy the special hinderer tool to adjust the pivot? I see one side can take a flat head. But for the other side do i have to have that special tool? Thanks for any help.
 
You don't need one but it is probably the easiest way. Plenty of folks have ground or filed a screwdriver, coin, fender washer, etc. to fit.
 
KyleMS11 said:
Just ordered my first hinderer should be here tomorrow. do i need to buy the special hinderer tool to adjust the pivot? I see one side can take a flat head. But for the other side do i have to have that special tool? Thanks for any help.
Click to expand...

Armorer's tool. Nice to have. The side you reference requires a spanner tool. As Mike mentions, you can make one but its nice to have the "right" tool.
 
It depends. Depending on the particular knife, and how tight the pivot is, you may very well be able to immobilize the back of the pivot enough just by clamping a thumb on it while turning the front with a slotted screwdriver.

Alternatively, what I did after getting my first Hinderer and before getting the Armorer's Tool some time later, was to take a slotted screwdriver bit of the appropriate size, and a Dremel tool, and grind out a notch in the middle of the front edge of the screwdriver blade to leave two points of the appropriate size and placement to fit the back of the Hinderer pivot. Worked out pretty well, and has the advantage that the bit still fits in a compact bit carrying case.

Third choice is, there's a company called "PSD Products" which has produced specialized bits to fit the pivots of both Hinderer and Strider knives. Don't know if they currently have anything available, but it's worth a google.

Fourth choice, a fastener with holes for two pins, one on either side, similar to the Hinderer pivot, is called a "spanner" - you may well be able to find a spanner bit that fits, thought it feels a bit like if there was a particular spanner bit that fits, it'd be a FAQ in these parts, and I don't recall hearing of it.

And, of course, there's the actual Hinderer tool, which is quite handy. To tell the truth though, what I use it for mostly (because, usually, just finger pressure works on the back), is the screwdriver blade on the end of the tool that exactly fits the slot on the screw for the front side of the pivot, with no play/slippage whatsoever - all three of my Hinderers have been equipped with the add-on hard-to-buy anodized Ti hardware, and you wouldn't want to scratch up those screws when adjusting the pivot. If you're dealing with the plain steel hardware, that's not a concern.

(And order of listing above does not imply order of preference - just the order they came to mind.)

Hope this helps!
 
Carl Jacobsen said:
It depends. Depending on the particular knife, and how tight the pivot is, you may very well be able to immobilize the back of the pivot enough just by clamping a thumb on it while turning the front with a slotted screwdriver.

Alternatively, what I did after getting my first Hinderer and before getting the Armorer's Tool some time later, was to take a slotted screwdriver bit of the appropriate size, and a Dremel tool, and grind out a notch in the middle of the front edge of the screwdriver blade to leave two points of the appropriate size and placement to fit the back of the Hinderer pivot. Worked out pretty well, and has the advantage that the bit still fits in a compact bit carrying case.

Third choice is, there's a company called "PSD Products" which has produced specialized bits to fit the pivots of both Hinderer and Strider knives. Don't know if they currently have anything available, but it's worth a google.

Fourth choice, a fastener with holes for two pins, one on either side, similar to the Hinderer pivot, is called a "spanner" - you may well be able to find a spanner bit that fits, thought it feels a bit like if there was a particular spanner bit that fits, it'd be a FAQ in these parts, and I don't recall hearing of it.

And, of course, there's the actual Hinderer tool, which is quite handy. To tell the truth though, what I use it for mostly (because, usually, just finger pressure works on the back), is the screwdriver blade on the end of the tool that exactly fits the slot on the screw for the front side of the pivot, with no play/slippage whatsoever - all three of my Hinderers have been equipped with the add-on hard-to-buy anodized Ti hardware, and you wouldn't want to scratch up those screws when adjusting the pivot. If you're dealing with the plain steel hardware, that's not a concern.

(And order of listing above does not imply order of preference - just the order they came to mind.)

Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

Ya i think m just guna grab the hinderer tool. Can you tell me if the lockface of the gen 4 is carbodized?
 
1 more question. Is there a 4th gen of the 3 inch flipper? Or is the newest gen the 3rd? If so when was the newest generation of the 3 inch released?
 
There are only 3 generations of the 3" XM-18. You might want to check out the info stickey on the front page of our forum.
 
Hammer said:
There are only 3 generations of the 3" XM-18. You might want to check out the info stickey on the front page of our forum.
Click to expand...

RDA did every one a favor by creating that sticky. Saves typing so much over and over except "see the sticky" :).

As for adjusting the pivot; it can be done w/ a dime on one side to stop rotation and penny in the slot. But it's not easy to beat the Hinderer tool designed for the task, especially for disassembly / reassembly.
 
Congrats on the new acquisition. Like many others, at first I made my own spanner tool. However once I got a Hinderer tool it was soooo! much better. Also less likely to slip and mark the knife.
 
Im excited man i paid $50 for ups next day shipping. I should have the knife in a few hours. And a member off here sold me the tool last night so hopefully that should be here by saturday.
 
I just got the hinderer tool in the mail today. But the bit that comes with doesnt fit the scale screws. The bit is too big. Isnt this supposed to fit the scale screws? Does the 3.5 and the 3 have the same hex screws?
 
No sir, they do not :-).

Here you go.......

XM-18 (3") 1/16"

XM-18 (3.5") 5/64"

LBS (3" & 3.5") .050"

Hope this helps!

IMG_20141226_130638_zpsbd26b7c8.jpg
 
Kyle- Please (please) do yourself a favor and invest 10 short minutes And read the sticky.... Please.

There is a wealth of helpful information contained within.
 
Kyle....no.....there is one bit for the 3.5 screws and one bit for the 3" screws.......it seems like you got the bit for the 3.5's.......
You can use a 1/16 hex for the 3" screws if you got the wrong bit.......
 
Harbor freight sells a very inexpensive set of 1/4" drive hex/torx ( incl a small handle as well) I think I paid $4.99
I use it constantly. Very handy.
 
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