Essential smithing tools?

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dwesson445

New member
Assuming you've got $100 to spend on gunsmithing tools. Which ones do you buy first? Do you get fewer tools of higher quality or more tools with lower quality? What about a larger budget, say, $300?

Perhaps a more succint way of phrasing this is: What tools are ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL on any gunsmithing bench?

Thanks in advance
BB
 
D R E M E L ! ! !

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Start off with a Brownell's Master screwdriver set, the one with replaceable blades. You will use this the most, buy the BEST.
Buy extra sizes of blades for the screwdriver set.
A good Allen wrench set.
A LARGE screwdriver for removing shotgun stocks.
Brownell's replaceable tip pin punch set.
Brownell's "starter" pins for the above punch set.
A roll-pin punch set.
A round-head pin punch set.
Brass and plastic drifts.
Assembly picks, and hooks. (Dentist's picks).
Several ceramic stones--triangle, square, round, etc.
An Optivisor or equivelent magnifer visor.
A good bench light.
A rubber or plastic bench pad.
A high quality small "all-way" swivel/tilt bench vise.
A set of hammers--brass/plastic, and steel.
A GOOD adjustable-tension hack saw with finer tooth blades.
A jeweler's "wire" saw, with blades. (I use size #3).
A LARGE selection of files. (You can't have too many sizes).
Swiss file set.
Handles for all files.
A file card and a large, chisel-shaped nail, to clean files with.
Silver BEARING (3%) SOFT solder and flux.
Silver HARD solder (braze), and flux.
A "Turbo" torch.
Several types of small pliers.
A flex shaft or Moto-tool, with as many types of polishing/cutting
tools as you can find.
A large supply of Cratex rubber-bonded abrasive wheels, bullets,
and cylinders, with mandrels.
A "hell box". This is so called because it's Hell to find anything in there. Everytime you visit a hardware store, look for odd size/shape springs, pins, washers, and screws, in short, anything that looks like it might be useful around guns.
A Brownell's catalog.
A Gun Parts catalog.
As many gun exploded view, and disassemble books as you can find. Especially the NRA's Gun Disassembly books.
Gun specific tools. (Colt cylinder bushing wrench, S&W rebound spring tool, etc).
Jerry Kunhausen's Gunsmithing books for specific guns.
Collect books, catalogs, and any other gun info you can get.

Of course, if you don't intend to do some jobs, such as the soldering, you aren't going to need those items. Get what you need first.
With the above tooling, you can do an amazing amount of work.
As you need it, you will add more.

The ESSIENTIAL items are the GOOD screwdriver set, the standard pin punches, the Optivisor, the bench light and pad, the vise, the stones, and the Swiss file set. Also the catalogs from Brownell's and Gun Parts.
 
There's way too many to list, check Brownell's, they carry everything that's fit to have.

I'd recommend at the least:
Bushing wrench.
Front sight staking tooling.
Plunger tube tooling.
Grip screw bushing driver bit and staking tooling.
Trigger stoning jig.
Frame insert to hold frame in vise.

This would get you started, you could add other equipment as you get into it, possible barrel bushing tooling, and slide to frame fitting equipment.

The single most important tools for the 'smith are a GOOD screwdriver set. I use the Brownell's Master set with two handles and replaceable bits. I can't say enough about this set. Unlike most drivers, the tips usually break--not the screw. It's much easier to buy or regrind a bit than find a gun screw.
I bought a Law Enforcement handle for my set, since it's just about the perfect size for most work. The set comes with a 'stubby' and a large handle. These are magnetic, the Law Enforcement isn't. As soon as I can remember to order it I'm buying a "no-wobble" collet handle the same size as the Law handle.
These sets come with various width blades, in a number of thicknesses. I buy those extra thicknesses I use, such as a bit to fit Colt grip screws. The bits that come with a Master set are perfect fits for Colt and S&W side plate screws.

These are really the absolute best.
 
For less than $100 I'd get...

2 oz ball peen hammer (max will be 4 oz)
punches (1/16, 1/8, 1/4, staking)
screwdriver set (removable bits - about the cheapest way to set up shop quickly)
fine file & bastard file with safe edges (you can grind the edges yourself)
hard arkansas stone
calipers

As for brass or nylon drifts, you can make them by hand. You can also make a bench block out of wood if necessary.
 
A good bench block is made with a simple hockey puck drilled out to catch small pins, etc. Cheap and effective.
 
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