10 Tools Every Gunsmith Should Have on Their Wishlist
This month let’s talk about Christmas! What a wonderful time of year. Also, it can be a stressful time of year. Especially if you have a Gunsmith in your life. What can you get for the person that has everything he or she could ever want? They have a shop full of tools, guns galore, and tons of ammo. What else could we possibly want?
If the gunsmith in your life is like me, we do not like spending money on special tools and jigs. We either make a tool, or we figure out how to do the job without the jig. Jigs and tools are expensive. Some of them are more expensive than the job you are using them for, and you may never use that jig again. And if you ask them what tools or jigs, they need they will say they do not need any. But they likely could use some basic staples. Hopefully, my list for the top ten tool gifts for gunsmiths will help you make gift buying for Christmas a little easier this year.
Number 1:
Brownells Magna-Tip 58 Bit Master Screwdriver set: You are probably thinking. The last thing my Gunsmith needs is a screwdriver set. My wife bought me a screwdriver set 14 years ago, before I opened my shop. Since then, I have not bought another one. I have found other sets at garage sales and pawn shops, but they were not complete sets. I have also tried to fix many of the bits, so I did not have to buy new ones. The one tool in our shop that makes us the most money is the one tool we are for some reason reluctant to buy. This set will serve them for years. There are other sets available from Brownells that go with the 58-bit set. I also would recommend you also get their Thin-Bit-Set.
Number 2:
Wheeler XL F.A.T.Wrench: This wrench does a mountain of work. I used Wheeler’s most basic AR wrench for years and many times it would not work on the AR that I was working on. Using a set of channel locks on an AR barrel nut can make you sweat a little bit. With so many accessory options there are for AR’s this wrench will tackle them all. Multiple heads are available, and it is also a torque wrench.
Number 3:
Brass Punch Set – It took me years to finally purchase a set of brass punches. I just figured I could make the two brass punches I had work. Brass punches will not scratch most gun finishes, so they are a necessity in a gun shop.
Number 4:
AR-15 Trigger Guar roll pin pusher– This is a simple tool, but well worth the money spent. If your Gunsmith works on a lot of AR’s, this tool will save some headaches. Some AR lowers do not have a trigger guard, so it needs to be installed. The tool pushes the pin into place instead of using a hammer.
Number 5:
Shake N Blast Canister – This canister holds all those small screws, pins, and springs. It allows you to clean up those pieces with a sand blaster and not lose them in the blast cabinet.
Number 6:
Bench Mat – Simple but very helpful to have. I have gone through many of them through the years. I usually replace mine when the edges have started to harden and crack from the chemicals used. There are many choices out there. I am sure Amazon will have a Black Friday special.
Number 7:
Wheeler Engineering FAT Wrench – I use my FAT wrench all the time. Built-in torque screwdriver to make sure you tighten screws to spec.
Number 8:
Snap Ring Pliers – I have found out over the years that snap rings are used a lot in firearms. I finally got a set of pliers a couple of years ago. It seems like I am using them all the time. How did I do it before I got the tool?
Number 9:
Knowledge – Believe it or not, your Gunsmith does not know everything about every firearm ever manufactured. I see a different gun every week or so in my shop. Before I take a screwdriver to that firearm I do some research. There are steps to taking a firearm apart. You cannot start disassembling it by removing every screw and pin. There is a lot of information on the internet, YouTube is a great resource, but some information is hard to find. I have spent the past 14 years collecting knowledge. I have shopped gun shows, Goodwill stores, older bookstores and eBay for firearm schematics, disassembly/reassembly books, and manufacturer product guides. All of these are like gold to a Gunsmith. When I am doing a complete restoration of a firearm, it can be in pieces for a couple of months. Putting that firearm back together that could have 50+ parts to it by memory is not the easiest thing to do. Every good Smith will have a large collection of books to use as references. Brownells Gunsmith Kinks is a great reference for a gunsmith.
Number 10:
The last gift idea I can recommend is something personal for him to do. If he uses a range to shoot or test fire his customers’ guns, buy him some time to shoot his own firearms. I shoot all the time to the dismay of my dogs as well as my neighbors. But I rarely shoot my own guns. It is nice to be able to spend some trigger time behind my own firearms and not be in a rush to get back into the shop.
If all else fails and none of the above items seem to fit, the ever-popular gift card is always available.
God Bless
Semper Fi!
Written by: David Johnson
