Beginner's Bench - Picking Out Some Tools and Materials For the Beginning Gunsmith
By Bob Brownell
As I’ve started becoming more interested in doing my own gunsmithing work and have now done a few projects, I’ve found that the more I do, the more tools I need. In my previous articles I’ve mentioned many of the tools that I used while mounting a scope on a 10/22 rifle and cleaning a shotgun and I wanted to expand upon that and try to show you a wider spectrum of the neat stuff we have in stock. Given the huge number of different tools and products that Brownells carries, finding some basic, easy to use tools may seem a little overwhelming. Actually, it’s not too terribly mind-boggling if you know exactly what you want and what sorts of gunsmithing jobs you want to do. A large majority of the things we stock are very specific in nature, meaning that certain tools are made for a particular gun or group of guns, or are to be used for one type of job only. For the beginner, like me, I just want some good basic tools to get started and as I learn more, hopefully, I can move on to some of the more advanced products. After all, I love tools, gadgets, and fiddling with them, and in my opinion, the more the better!
To start with, I spent quite a bit of time looking through the catalog and searching Brownells website and came up with a lot of great suggestions for those of you who are just starting out. The Magna Tip 22 Bit Starter Set is a great investment to make in my opinion. This set comes with 22 different screwdriver bits of various sizes and lengths of Allen heads, Phillips, and straight bits. You also have the option of picking out the handle you want including the basic #81 handle, the Clip Tip (which has an extra tip collet in the handle for more bit-holding power on super tight screws,) or the Magnetic Law Enforcement model, a shorter handle then the standard one. These are a great addition to any toolbox or workbench and they also make great gifts too, especially for those really hard-to-buy for members of the family. I grew up with a set and the great thing about them is that you can quickly and easily change bits (I even keep one set in the glove box of my pickup; you never know when you’ll need a screwdriver!) All you do is pick out the size bit you need and slide it into the socket on the handle’s shank and they just click right in. This is really handy when you’re working on a gun and need different combinations of tips as you work and don’t want to fumble around on the workbench looking for that “missing” screwdriver. If you happen to lose a bit (which I tend to do quite often) just log on to the Brownells website or give our Call Center a ring and you can quickly order replacements.
Another great investment would be the Brownells Basic Gunsmith Kit, which contains lots and lots of really cool stuff for the gunsmith. These 24 tools (plus 6 extra Magna Tip screwdriver bits) are the same tools that you’ll find on virtually every professional gunsmiths bench. I really like this set and it is definitely worth checking out. Our Gun Techs here at Brownells spent a lot of time walking the isles of the stock room handling and considering many of the huge variety of tools that we carry. They had one thought in mind while doing this; would each of these tools be beneficial to a friend starting out doing gun work, and would each contribute to a good beginners set? They came away from this research convinced that this kit would be a great starter set and would enable the beginner to do some basic gun work on virtually any gun they want to work on. I recommend this highly for those of you wanting a good, and very complete basic set of gunsmithing tools. This entire kit contains all of the following tools, and is one heck of a great deal.
No. 100 Parallel Pliers, Nylon/Brass Hammer, No. 81 Magna Tip Screwdriver and Bits Nos. 1 –2- 6 – 00 – 10 – 20 and 30, 2 sizes Instrument Screwdrivers, Main Spring Vise, MF134 India Stone, M-16 Brush, 1/8” x 6” Pin Punch, 5/32” x 6” Pin Punch, 1/16” Starter Punch, 3/32” Starter Punch, Brownells Replacement Pin-Punch Set, 2” Replacement Punch Assortment, Nylon/Brass Drift Pin Punch Set, Gunsmith Bench Knife, 8” No. 2 Cut Hand File, Sight Base File, 4-in-1 Hand Rasp, Scribe-Hook, No. 1033 6” Chain Nose Pliers, No. 91 Allen Wrench Set, Screw Check’r, and a Kit Box.
I really like the Brownells Bench Mat that I bought a couple of months ago. It’s flexible, and has a non-slip backing on it so it won’t slip and slide when I’m working on a gun. They absorb a lot of liquid without it dripping onto the bench and floor, and can be washed out after each use with soapy, warm water. If you’ve used solvents or other chemicals on the mat and the smell won’t come completely out after washing it, simply unroll it and leave it outside for a few hours to “air” out (although, this worked well for me until my darned dog used it for a urinal! Thankfully this washed right off, too.) The surface on these is also nice and soft so you don’t have to worry about scratching up your gun. Another nice feature with this type of surface is that it has a slightly rough, woven texture that will keep small parts from rolling off onto the floor of your work area.
I’ve written quite a bit in the past few months about cleaning guns and keeping them in good working condition. My granddad knew the value of keeping his guns clean, and several of the very first products he sold were cleaning supplies. For a good, basic set of cleaning supplies and tools, the first thing I would recommend buying would be a Dewey Rod for cleaning your gun bores. Brownells carries many different sizes and lengths of these, and are designed for whatever guns you happen to have. For instance, we carry many that are designed for use on AR-15’s, pistols, shotguns, and large bore rifles and you choose between coated rods, aluminum rods, or brass rods.
To properly clean and maintain your guns, you’ll need solvents to clean them and oils to protect them once you get all of the dirt and grime removed. We have a pretty big variety of these as well depending on the project. For solvents and general purpose cleaners, I suggest Brownells d’Solve a non-toxic pre-mixed cleaner that you can use on all surfaces of your guns, including the bore, the action, and even the stock. One gallon dilutes to 5 gallons of spray-on or bench tray soaking cleaner. I usually use in a spray bottle, and simply spray it where you want it, and scrub lightly with a Super Toothbrush and you’ll be amazed how well it sparkles things up. You may also like Ed’s Red bore cleaner or Brownells J-B Bore Cleaner for really tough carbon fouling and that caked-on crud. This stuff will cut right through it and you might even be amazed how cleaning a bore with these products will improve your accuracy at the range.
For oil, I’ve always been partial to Brownells Rust Preventative Number 2, a great product (with a certain “Gun Shop” smell) that Brownells has carried for over forty years. You can use it on your guns to waterproof them and it leaves an invisible, non-gunking film that keeps fingerprints and moisture from invading those critical metal parts. It also works great on machinery such as drills, lathes, and other tools you want to rust-proof really well. The last two products I would recommend for you are indispensable; the Sentry Tuf-Cloth is definitely a must have for the gun owner. Every time you handle a gun you can leave fingerprints that will eventually rust any metal parts. This handy little cloth will wipe guns clean in a matter of seconds and then you’re done with it. Shop Cloths - I like the white ones - are another great investment for any gunsmith’s bench or garage. I use them all around the house for cleaning up spills or for wiping my hands while changing the oil in the car. They even come in pretty handy for dusting the furniture if you’re so inclined and it beats the heck out of the wife tearing up your favorite old t-shirt.
If you’re interested in learning how to do engraving work on guns, you’re in business! While I was doing some research for this article, I came across the Engraving School Starter Set in the catalog, which looked really cool. I’ve always been fascinated by some of the fancy, and in many cases, exceptionally detailed engraving work that you see on some guns. Some of it is just downright exquisite and I always wondered if I could do it. If this is something any of you are interested in, and would like to buy this neat little set someday, we have a book to go right along with it. The Art of Engraving by James B. Meek (who was a lifelong buddy of my granddad’s and painted the pictures in our History section) wrote this great book on learning how to engrave metal. It’s a well-written and detailed book that will teach you how to draw scrolls and layouts, cut practice plates, and then the book will eventually show you how to transfer your artwork to guns. A must for any craftsman wishing to develop and broaden his or her talents!
Now, with all of these tools, cleaning products, and other essentials for the gun bench, the next question would probably be, “How in the heck do I use all of this stuff if I’m a beginner?” Brownells carries quite a large selection of books, videos, and DVD’s that deal with many different aspects of the gunsmithing trade. These run from some simple, easy-to-follow beginners materials, on to some pretty advanced stuff dealing with very complex gunsmithing procedures. I headed down to the stock room and looked through a few of these that looked promising. Two books that caught my eye were Practical Gunsmithing and Gunsmithing At Home. These both proved to be easy to read and understand, and are also full of great illustrations of simple gunsmithing procedures. I also liked the fact that these books are intended for those of us who are new to gunsmithing and cover everything from how to build a bench, put checkering on a stock, fix a trigger, and even how to do some bluing work. Very useful and interesting stuff!
I found several of the videos informative as well. The Home Gunsmithing Videos feature gunsmiths Gene Shuey, Robert Dunlap and Darrel Holland. These eleven videos (which you can purchase separately as you learn and want to do more gun work) are well produced with good dialogue throughout and have some very good camera shots of the jobs being done. Some of the topics included in this series are Professional Gun Cleaning, Parkerizing Video and Kit, and my favorite, Building The Fighting Remington 870 Shotgun.
I know I’ve written about a lot of different products here and I hope this doesn’t sound too overwhelming. We have so much great stuff to choose from for the beginner, the hobbyist, and the seasoned professional alike and I found it hard to really narrow things down. If you’re learning about gunsmithing and how much fun it can be, hopefully the things I’ve listed will be interesting and useful to you. Building up a good collection of tools for a gun shop often takes years to do, especially if you decide to expand into more specific gunsmithing work such as bluing, stockmaking, or work on specific guns. But, we’ve all got to start somewhere! I realized when I started to get interested in this fun and rewarding pastime that it would take me a while to learn it, so, I hope with new knowledge comes the need for more tools!
Remember, our Gunsmith Techs can answer any questions you have about your guns and what tools and products you’ll need to work on them. Don’t be afraid to give them a call or drop them an e-mail if you get stuck in the middle of a project or just want some good advice on your next purchase from Brownells.
Have fun, enjoy learning about gunsmithing, and get your Christmas lists done!