Must Have Tools

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  • USMC-Johnson

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Aug 27, 2013
    1,007
    48
    Fort Wayne
    Ok guys. Many of us here have some experience with these fancy guns and such and ask a lot of questions about doing things but very little as to what tools we actually use.

    My goal is to ascertain a list of must have tools or tools that you have personally found that work really well for what they are. Whether they are cheap or $$$$$$ isnt real important just what they are and why you love them.

    I'll start off with a couple things i've always found useful
    • A good set of punches; some brass, some steel, some roll pin punches
    • A good hammer...This isnt a roofing hammer from home depot. I personally prefer a dead blow
    • The lone wolf ultimate glock armorers tool. If you need to do something to your glock you can do it with this little tool

    So what do you guys have?
     

    1911ly

    Grandmaster
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    6   0   0
    Dec 11, 2011
    13,419
    83
    South Bend
    Brass and plastic hammer is a must. Real gunsmithing screw drivers are so important! I like hemostats for holding small parts.
     

    AllenM

    Diamond Collision Inc. Avon.
    Industry Partner
    Rating - 100%
    132   0   0
    Apr 20, 2008
    10,387
    113
    Avon
    A nice set of small files
    various grit India stones.
    Flitz
    Quality sight pusher
    Magnifying glasses (might be just me)
    Good calipers. Something nicer then reloading calipers
    Small hammer and punches

    But alot of it depends on what types of guns your working on. So many tools that you could need are model specific.
    But a mill and lathe and all types of machinist tools are needed if you want to do serious work.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
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    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
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    Speedway area
    A nice set of small files
    various grit India stones.
    Flitz
    Quality sight pusher
    Magnifying glasses (might be just me)
    Good calipers. Something nicer then reloading calipers
    Small hammer and punches

    But alot of it depends on what types of guns your working on. So many tools that you could need are model specific.
    But a mill and lathe and all types of machinist tools are needed if you want to do serious work.

    Up and at-em.....:yesway:
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
    152
    Speedway area
    I can only add that if you are dealing with a specific platform tool up for that gun. The punches (brass/roll pin/straight) hammer, smithing screw drivers, tweezers, hemo's, files, stones, etc will work for about anything. You will gain knowledge on what you need as you progress. Proper tools make the job easier and will cause less damage.
    I like 1911's. It is a career task to gather up all the tools needed to really get into these.
     

    snapping turtle

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Dec 5, 2009
    6,463
    113
    Madison county
    Gun vise or padded jaws. Small padded magnetic level. (Most likely have to make it) dummy rounds, hollow ground screwdriver tips, torque driver, punches and brass plastic hammer. Magnets and small parts containers digital camera to document the tear down dental picks, files and stones calipers and micrometer. Cleaning kits, green blue and red lock tite. The bench style magnifier light hands free (May not need it now but you will) access to internet close, breakdown manuals, 1 inch and 30 mm lapping bars ( not needed as much now as in the past) angled mirror, a big old magnet to find the spring on the floor that sprung. All kinds of cleaning solvents lubes and grease with proper ways to apply. Then if you like custom tools which you will have to make in a machine shop. Yes a machinist who has skills if you don't.
     

    M67

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    23   0   0
    Jan 15, 2011
    6,181
    63
    Southernish Indiana
    Hammer, larger hammer, and a bigger hammer. Brass, polymer, leather hammer might come in handy and a small 5 pound sledge comes in handy every now and then.

    GOOD punches

    Punch/armorer's block, several, maybe a few dedicated ones but just get the blank puck style from Brownells and make a few that suit your needs

    The gun dissessembly guide books are a nice tool to have too, they have some tricks in there for particular models that make life easier

    Small bar stock to make slave pins out of

    Thread checkers, both standard and metric

    Small grinder

    Hand held torch (loctite)

    Good Allen wrenches, standard and metric

    Vise

    And as stated above, magnets come in handy

    Empty medicine bottles (keeps springs, slave pins, etc. nice and organized)
     

    j706

    Master
    Site Supporter
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    60   0   1
    Dec 4, 2008
    4,159
    48
    Lizton
    I am mostly into precision rifles and AR15's so my needs might be different. Good lighting is a must (might be my age), a quality set of allen wrenches, a round bubble level and a good vise mounted to a sturdy bench. One of the best tools I ever purchased was a Mason Precision Muzzle Crown/Refacing kit. It was pricey but no rifle will ever shoot to its potential with a messed up muzzle crown. I also like short barrels on my bolt gun. I can cut them down with a saw zaw and have them better than new in short order. I use it more than what one would think.
     

    walt o

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Feb 10, 2008
    1,098
    63
    Hammond
    One thing i haven't seen mentioned -a bench block. so many tools that we find out we need as we work on different models
     

    88E30M50

    Grandmaster
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    12   0   0
    Dec 29, 2008
    22,748
    149
    Greenwood, IN
    Scrap leather is handy to have around. You can get a large bag of leather scraps from places that make leather purses and hats on the cheap. I picked up a big bag of scrap leather from one of the shops in Nashville for under $4 and probably have enough to last a lifetime. It comes in handy as a work surface, to protect metal in vice jaws as well as a ton of other uses.

    A bench grinder can be handy once in a while to put a fresh edge on a screwdriver, repoint a punch or clean up the cut edge of slave pins made from drill bits.
     

    Grelber

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    17   0   0
    Jan 7, 2012
    3,479
    48
    Southern Indiana
    Bought a Brownels gunsmith tool kit a few years back. Comes with a small tackle box & dividers & etc as well as the tools they thought the average person needed to get started.
    Most of my fiddling, almost all come to think of it, is with pistols and does not tend to exceed minor fitting of new parts & teardown / reassembly. For what I do that kit has been a great investment, not just the right kind of tools but also quality tools, have added minor odds and ends (tool boxes are always destined to fill to capacity) but really when I need something it has been there.

    Off subject, but for my next trick I'd like to do 1911 trigger jobs. There are custom kits made (basic stones & gauge & jig I think) & various instructions. If anyone has found anything that worked well it would be interesting to know about.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
    152
    Speedway area
    Bought a Brownels gunsmith tool kit a few years back. Comes with a small tackle box & dividers & etc as well as the tools they thought the average person needed to get started.
    Most of my fiddling, almost all come to think of it, is with pistols and does not tend to exceed minor fitting of new parts & teardown / reassembly. For what I do that kit has been a great investment, not just the right kind of tools but also quality tools, have added minor odds and ends (tool boxes are always destined to fill to capacity) but really when I need something it has been there.

    Off subject, but for my next trick I'd like to do 1911 trigger jobs. There are custom kits made (basic stones & gauge & jig I think) & various instructions. If anyone has found anything that worked well it would be interesting to know about.

    I have 2 jigs for this work. 1 basic piece that is OK but I really like the new one I picked up recently. Name escaped me and it was expensive. Once you learn to use it near impossible to screw things up.
     

    Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
    47,969
    113
    Lafayette, Indiana
    How about a way to organize your tools?

    Brownell's had a few great boxes and I use those magnetic stips for hanging tools.

    I say that a solid gun vice is the foundation of all gun tools.
     

    Tsssst

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 30, 2017
    81
    6
    South Bend
    So... Lot's of you say "good punches" ...

    Who are some of the makers of good ones? Starting to shop around. There are alot of brands.

    I'm specifically curious about good sets for AR building at the moment, as that's the first project on deck and I want a good set with all the sizes needed ... But also just good in general for taking apart/cleaning the Mossberg 930 SPX and whatnot.
     
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