Abraham wrote:drjoker,
The 3 tiny pins you referenced are the pins for the trigger and hammer?
If so and you're removing them for cleaning purposes, that's (my opinion) not really necessary except once in a great while after shooting many, many rounds.
My buffer tube will easily come out without tools, but this is another item that needs to be cleaned, but rarely.
When I clean my AR, I separate it into two pieces, as this makes it less cumbersome for me to clean: The BCG and nooks and crannies inside where the BCG fits, the Charging Handle, barrel. And, that's as much as I clean.
It probably takes me an hour as I like to be very thorough. However, I don't clean my AR's after every range trip. I probably (haven't counted) clean after them every fourth or fifth range trip. I know of some guys who don't clean their AR's until a couple of thousand rounds have been fired.
No need to remove those pins. There is not much to clean on the lower to begin with.