Gunsmithing Tools

[Thermalplume]

Looking at getting setup to remove and instal/swap barrels on my Tikkas and
looking for vise and other tool recommendations (torque wrench) gauges. I am starting to accumulate a good set of basic tools to work on my rifles and want to continue to buy quality. What are some recommended torque wrenches you guys have on your benches?
Thanks

 

[ma smith]

What are some recommended torque wrenches you guys have on your benches?

Real answer is don't buy anything wihout a calibration certificate.

just my $0.02

 

[kimbergoldmatch]

Snap-on… Buy once cry once.

Make sure you return it to minimum torque after use.

 

[loveha]

Modular Barrel Vise Kit — Short Action Customs, LLC

www.shortactioncustoms.com

Best Vise recommendation.

Cheaper version.

Bravo Barrel Vise – Full Kit

Note: The Vise, Bushings, and ARCA Mounting base may have marks or discolorations from the machining and/or anodizing processes. This is normal, and by no means a flaw in the Vise or the components included in the kit.

www.shortactioncustoms.com

 

[Wannashootit]

I've used the Brownell's action wrench with the "universal" head for TIkkas.
The flat-bottom on the wrench works fine with the receiver. They're gorilla-tight from the factory.
The steep taper of the barrel immediately ahead of the receiver makes them a bitch to pull (which is why a relief cut is used if the barrel isn't going to be re-used). I needed to turn a custom tapered bushing to get enough surface contact to hold the barrels without slipping.

If you don't have a lathe, a quick way to make a "custom" bushing is to buy one that's oversize for the barrel, and use epoxy to fill the gaps and mold a precisely fit bushing with it.Of course, plenty of release agent on the barrel/front of the receiver.

 

[LRI]

We make a tool specific for Tikka actions. I've never put em on the store, but the handful we have here in various departments have weathered the last ten or so years trouble free.

Maybe we should do a run of em.

Hmmmmm....

 

[The D]

Even the cheapest torque wrench will be accurate for a little bit. The more important thing would be to find a place to check/ adjust whichever one you do end up buying. And make sure this place can do this work in a timely fashion. You can’t be waiting for a few months on something to be finished.

But remember, you get what you pay for. Case in point; I bought a Snap-on 1/2” torque wrench when I first started working in cars and used it multiple times a day for years. When the tech angle wrenches came out, our Snap-on guy brought a simple gauge around to check any wrenches and try to sell the new hot shit. Because mine was taken care of, not banged around too much & always returned to zero, it was still accurate even after ~6yrs of daily use. I ended up buying a tech angle anyway, they’re fucking fantastic if you need to switch from torque to angle(think head bolts).

 

[PlinkIt]

We make a tool specific for Tikka actions. I've never put em on the store, but the handful we have here in various departments have weathered the last ten or so years trouble free.

Maybe we should do a run of em.

Hmmmmm....

Rear entry?
Regular action wrench?
Cost?

I'm interested

 

[cattleman99]

Best bang for the buck barrel vise -

Viper Barrel Vise

snyderprecision.com

In stock and ready to ship. Others may be better, but they get really expensive and likely aren't worth it if you're not swapping barrels a lot.

 

[LRI]

Rear entry?
Regular action wrench?
Cost?

I'm interested

For barrel installs we do in house, I have a rear entry wrench. Basically, I got pissed and took an inventory action bolt and converted it into a tool by welding a 1/2" drive socket extension to it. The receiver is now a donor that we use for setup work in the stocking department.

For factory barrel removal it's a bit more involved. Years ago (and we still do it on occasion) I would literally grab one of my 6" Kurt machine vises, swap the jaws to aluminum, and clamp it around the receiver like some kind of Soviet-looking crescent wrench. Because it clamps on the entire length of the receiver it has a killer bite and it avoids any risk of ruining anything. The tool we make is a little more cerebral in that it just wraps around the front ring with a pair of cap screws. I welded a 1/2" drive socket to it and we lay the hate with a breaker bar. It also works well for OEM barrel removal. On a coated action there is some risk of burnishing the finish. It's more or less the price you pay and it's typically a nonissue as most guys doing a barrel change just have us reshoot the barrel and receiver as an assembly. (Ceracoat)

As for barrel vises, I have that solved as well. Were out of them at the moment, but more are going into production in October. I grossly underestimated the demand for these things.

LRI SuperDuty Series: Professional Gunsmithing Barrel Vise

The "LRI SuperDuty Series" of products are made to answer the need for commercial-grade tools specific to the gunsmithing industry. These tools have been vetted in our own facility for years (sometimes in excess of a decade) prior to being offered to the public. The SuperDuty Barrel Vise has...

www.longriflesinc.com