Not really gunsmith stuff today, played some Legos today. I picked up a aero m4e1 black lower the day, got it 15% off since it had a small problem. The gun shop said the hole for the front takedown pin spring was not drill deep enough. I figured to take the risk, at worst I'll just call aero.
This is very weird and not sure how or what happened, I get home look at the lower. I had a small Allen key to use to measure how deep it needed to be drilled, the Allen was magnetized and when I pulled it out I see red rust on the end. I start thinking maybe the tooling broke off in the hole and was rusting. But i would think they may use carbide, but tool steel maybe he stronger being the hole is so small. Tool steel doesn't rust very much, but maybe since it probably was in there when they anodized it maybe it had a affect.
So I do more poking and more comes out, very red and super fine steel powder. It feels solid in side but more and more comes out. Then I grind some angels on the Allen and go to town, I took out over 5/8" of this powder. Then hit a wall, feels like the end of the hole and after doing some measuring it was.
I can't not think why or how this got in the hole, this lower is getting paired with a san tan tactical billet upper and a diamondhead 15" handguard . Not sure on the barrel or stock yet. See when I have the money to finish it .