Tool for rear Handguard rivets?

[flying pig]

I'm building a few handguards and am wondering what the proper tool for the small crush rivets that hold the Handguard springs in place is and if there is anything like it available commercially. I have steel rivets and it's proving to be quite the challenge to make them work to say the least.

A mandrel inside the spring may work but finding some HSS round stock and then carbide drill and lathe bits to cut it is a lot of mucking around and costly.

I've tried boring the end of a punch round to hold the rivet head on one side, then did something similar on the other and tried squeezing them in the vise. I also tried smacking them with a hammer, also no good. Any better idea that won't have me ruining handguards at an alarming pace?

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