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Gun cleaning Vise

Ajwillly

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 17, 2017
95
16
Ohio
Hope I’m posting this in the right area, is the $100 Tipton Best vise the crowd favorite? In the market for one and not sure if there’s a better option
 
There are tons of cleaning cradles out there. They all have pluses and minuses. I would start with something simple and inexpensive, possibly with storage. Use it for awhile and determine what it doesn't do that you need. Over time you will see that some are more portable and some are more versatile but sometimes the more specialized are what you are looking for.
 
Not exactly what I’m looking for, but I will probably pick up a set at some point 😂

I'll take a well fitting arca clamp vice milled out of 6061 over cheap molded plastic any day. Hell i'll take two pieces of acetal clamped or screwed into a vice as jaws before i shell out a hundo for a tipton "vice".


Sorry, its garbage, also part of the reason why Cabelas stocks them.

My advice: Use your existing arca tripod head with the arca on your gun. If youdont have arca on your gun but own a tripod/clamp use that a friction lock.

If you dont have arca/tripod gear yet id simply go the acetal route with a garage vice and that should allow you to hold any weird shape or form of firearm you own.
Two blocks of the stuff are less that 30 bucks. Round up a radius opposite of each other thats average for the majority of the guns you plan to hold and you're done. Drill a hole at your normal vice height and use the same vice hole/screw to use as soft jaws.


The possibilities are endless
 
I had a Tipton Ultimate Gun Vise but saw someone else using a Pattern Makers Vise you can buy at Grizzly. It seemed much better so I picked one up about a year ago. It is amazing for cleaning and mounting scopes and I find it much easier to use. Also, the inside of the vise is wood and has a rubber protection on the one I have. It has never left a mark on any firearms. It cost a little bit more but was well worth it.

Edit: to add a photo

4F99B8F4-5C88-4452-93AD-2B65C4FDC6B0.jpeg
 
I'll take a well fitting arca clamp vice milled out of 6061 over cheap molded plastic any day. Hell i'll take two pieces of acetal clamped or screwed into a vice as jaws before i shell out a hundo for a tipton "vice".


Sorry, its garbage, also part of the reason why Cabelas stocks them.

My advice: Use your existing arca tripod head with the arca on your gun. If youdont have arca on your gun but own a tripod/clamp use that a friction lock.

If you dont have arca/tripod gear yet id simply go the acetal route with a garage vice and that should allow you to hold any weird shape or form of firearm you own.
Two blocks of the stuff are less that 30 bucks. Round up a radius opposite of each other thats average for the majority of the guns you plan to hold and you're done. Drill a hole at your normal vice height and use the same vice hole/screw to use as soft jaws.


The possibilities are endless
Some of my rifles have bipods but they’re just a small pic section at the front. My main reason for the Tipton is being portable and not permanent. I have my vise mounted at the left end of the bench but I like to clean in the middle
 
It's been a long time since I heard the name. A friend of mine has one, called a versa cradle if I recall correctly. I haven't used it but saw it set up on his bench. It allows the rifle to be held vertical if desired. Good position for douching the barrel.
 
I have a $15 Tipton Gun Butler. It's better than nothing, but something that grips the gun would indeed be better. I use a velcro strap over top to hold guns down when cleaning.
 
I had a Tipton Ultimate Gun Vise but saw someone else using a Pattern Makers Vise you can buy at Grizzly. It seemed much better so I picked one up about a year ago. It is amazing for cleaning and mounting scopes and I find it much easier to use. Also, the inside of the vise is wood and has a rubber protection on the one I have. It has never left a mark on any firearms. It cost a little bit more but was well worth it.

Edit: to add a photo

View attachment 8031721
This is the way
 
Do you have any issues locking a rifle down? I watched a review and the rear locking pads were plastic and backing each other out.
Never had an issue locking a rifle down. I use mine for scope mounting and cleaning. Set up on the table when in use and tucked away under the bench when not. Being fully adjustable I haven’t found anything it won’t fit or anything negative to say about it yet.
 
I had a Tipton Ultimate Gun Vise but saw someone else using a Pattern Makers Vise you can buy at Grizzly. It seemed much better so I picked one up about a year ago. It is amazing for cleaning and mounting scopes and I find it much easier to use. Also, the inside of the vise is wood and has a rubber protection on the one I have. It has never left a mark on any firearms. It cost a little bit more but was well worth it.

Edit: to add a photo

View attachment 8031721
I love that bench rail. Mine isn’t that fancy, curious if clamps would hold the the vise steady enough if the vise was mounted on a board

Edit: If I’m looking at it correctly it mounts through the one center bolt? So I could have it in the center of the bench when I need it then take it off when I don’t?
 
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I use my Tripod for cleaning. I can walk all the way around the gun and it's just a lot easier. Of course if ya don't have a tripod,, it's also a great excuse to get one...
 
Hope I’m posting this in the right area, is the $100 Tipton Best vise the crowd favorite? In the market for one and not sure if there’s a better option
I have the Tipton Best gun vise, have had it maybe 4 years. I use it for the same reasons you listed....basic cleaning, mounting scopes, that sort of stuff.

Now the arca/pic clamp from Sawtooth that the fella above linked is on my buy list as I have two chassis rifles with arca and it seems that it would be handy to have and use with my bench vise. I also, for the bench vise, have some various barrel profile jaw inserts that are sold. In particular, I have these Wheeler jaws but had to modify them a bit. Drilled a recess in them and epoxied two round rare earth magnets on each jaw face with the insert for the smallest barrel that I really don't give a dang about. Trying to hold a 20+ lb rifle, the jaws held together in the right spot, and tightening the vise just required one too many hands. haha Adding the magnets really made these useful.

1672198878021.png

But again, for basic cleaning etc the I like the Tipton and I'm glad I have it.

Cheers
 
I love that bench rail. Mine isn’t that fancy, curious if clamps would hold the the vise steady enough if the vise was mounted on a board

Edit: If I’m looking at it correctly it mounts through the one center bolt? So I could have it in the center of the bench when I need it then take it off when I don’t?
It has a large wing nut and can be easily installed or removed. You do need to drill a hole through the bench. I have it attached to a piece of plywood that is attached to my bench with a t-track system so a little more involved.

What is also nice is the vice can be rotated. If I am installing a scope I will have the rifle parallel to the bench. When cleaning the rifle I will rotate it slightly so the end of the barrel is over the bench to catch any fluid in a rag or bowl and not on the floor.

614AE898-B14A-41F8-B23B-D9BD721FF17D.jpeg
 
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It has a large wing nut and can be easily installed or removed. You do need to drill a hole through the bench. I have it attached to a piece of plywood that is attached to my bench with a t-track system so a little more involved.

What is also nice is the vice can be rotated. If I am installing a scope I will have the rifle parallel to the bench. When cleaning the rifle I will rotate it slightly so the end of the barrel is over the bench to catch any fluid in a rag or bowl and not on the floor.

View attachment 8032034
Are you able to lock down rifles in metal chassis without damaging the blocks?
 
Are you able to lock down rifles in metal chassis without damaging the blocks?
Yes…my PRS rifle weighs close to 20 lbs in a XLR chassis and it is no problem. I haven’t noticed any damage to the blocks or chassis/stocks.

Here is a close up shot of the blocks.

9C2213AE-280C-47D7-8C95-88AEC462B46A.jpeg
 
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Is that like a hard epoxy finish or soft rubber?
I am not sure what it is but seems to be a hard rubber type….could be hard epoxy. Keep in mind the vise is designed for carving wood and not damaging the piece being carved. I use it frequently and for a number of different guns and have never noticed any damage.
 
I am not sure what it is but seems to be a hard rubber type….could be hard epoxy. Keep in mind the vise is designed for carving wood and not damaging the piece being carved. I use it frequently and for a number of different guns and have never noticed any damage.
Well damn, you talked me into it 😂
 
Well damn, you talked me into it 😂
I glued some leather from Montana Leather Company to the vise jaws on mine. I did that mainly as a sacrificial layer...it can get screwed up and I can replace it before I damage the jaws. I got mine when I built a flintlock and it has turned into my most used shop tool.

As far as mounting goes, I had mine mounted to my bench through a hole I had drilled. In my new shop (not yet constructed) I will definitely be using the T-slot stuff as @Rexman has done. Instead of a hole to put the vice in, I intend to cut a slot so that I can take the vise loose easily for storage. Also, it's handy to have the vise be able to swing out over the bench so that you can mount stuff vertically.
 
I have the Tipton discussed above as well as the atomic bomb option, 419 clamp + Orange. For light rifles with regular stocks, the Tipton works great. For chassis rifles, especially heavy ones, it doesn’t work well at all. My ACCs don’t clamp in with a shit. I still use the Tipton for the lever action 22s and the couple of stocked rifles I have left. All the chassis and ARs are done with the Orange now. The pattern makers vise or the sawtooth jaws are what I would jump to straight away if I could do it all over again.
 
I was given one of these Hyskore cleaning and sighting rests when I started getting into shooting. It's not the prettiest thing, but it's very flexible and has held up to the light duty use I've put it through over the last 4 ish years. I think if I upgraded I would go to a proper mounted vice solution.
PXL_20221228_163627772.PORTRAIT.jpg
 
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I am not sure what it is but seems to be a hard rubber type….could be hard epoxy. Keep in mind the vise is designed for carving wood and not damaging the piece being carved. I use it frequently and for a number of different guns and have never noticed any damage.
I am extremely happy with this decision! Thanks for the recommendation
 

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