Does anyone have a review of this kit who has actually bought it ?

http://www.brownells.com/userdocs/Mi...0722010pdf.pdf

Two guesses why there are no reviews from people who purchased this item?

#1 The first review would probably say, "You would be crazy to waste your money on this kit!"

#2 The second review would say, "Read first review."


If you are really looking for a helpful suggestion I would say to spend your money on another gun.

I'd say at least half of that kit is redundant items that are not in any way specific to S&W. Another 1/4 is tools that the casual hobby gunsmith wouldn't (or maybe shouldn't) use. The remaining 1/4 are useful items that can be purchased individually.

If you own S&Ws, get the S&W screwdriver (4 interchangable tips specifically ground for S&W screws), a brass/nylon faced hammer, the set of pin punches and the brass drift. Beyond that (the little tool to remove rebound slide springs excepted), you need either specialized training or a high degree of mechanical aptitude and a pickup truck load of caution.

Stuff like yoke alignment spuds, range rods, bolt/hand window files and so forth are both expensive and can get you into serious trouble.

S&W sells their own armorers service kit, but you have to go to their school to be able to buy it (if it isn't included). There's a reason for that. Make that MANY reasons for that.

[QUOTE=MrTrolleyguy;137852963#1 The first review would probably say, "You would be crazy to waste your money on this kit!"

#2 The second review would say, "Read first review."[/QUOTE]

+1

I really like Brownells but this just looks like an expensive joke.

I don't know who buys those commercial armorer kits, either, but it's not any of the armorers I know.

FWIW, here's what the factory sells to first-time revolver armorer students:
http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore...verToolKit.pdf

One of the many risks with buying lots of (expensive) tools is that untrained folks often tend to think they need to find opportunities to "use" them ...

"Fix it till it's broken" ought to be above the workbenches of many enthusiasts as a warning. (Ditto for newly trained, first-time armorers, for that matter. )

I'm surprised they don't include moto-tools in some of those commercial tool kits.

__________________
Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Where can I get that Tool Kit?

I share your opinion's of brownell's kit, it seemed over priced and oddly organized .Since they listed this kit as out of stock ,but back orders ok ,I wondered if people were really buying this kit up, and interestingly no one with one has replied . I liked the S&W Academy armorers tools .

While the students attending armorer classes have the opportunity to pre-order and pay for the kits at the time they register (pay) for a class, they can also be bought through the regular customer service dept. I think it was about 5 years ago I was told that they decided to ship the bulk of the armorer tool kits, and being able to order them outside of a class, from the training academy (armorer dept) over to the factory parts dept. Easier to stock them in the Parts Dept, instead of at the academy, I was told.

I have no idea whether anyone answering the customer service phones would ask a caller whether or not they'd been through an armorer class, or not. They might want the SKU number for the kits, but they could look them up in their computer (which they ought to do to confirm a SKU, anyway).

I know the last time one of our guys decided to order an extra revolver kit for the armory (as some of us dislike leaving our personal kits outside our immediate control), it was on back-order for close to several months. Maybe they allocate them to armorer classes first, and orders outside the armorer training classes get "wait & see" status. Dunno.

I believe the only tool in the revolver kit that's not bought from outside vendors is the cutting arm. That's basically a factory trigger (made for whichever frame revolver the armorer expects to use most often), welded to a steel bar, and in which a "cutting" hand is installed. The tool is used in place of an actual trigger, with the sideplate removed, and pressing the lever (pulling the trigger, so to speak) cuts the end off each ratchet of a new extractor.

Making this "tool" inside the factory does rather limit it's availability. Also, as we were warned in a class (and I observed for myself, afterward) it's possible that a weld seam might be too thick to allow for proper range of motion for the lever arm. This requires some judicious filing of the weld material to create the proper freedom of movement of the lever for cutting the extractor ratchets. I've had to dress a couple of cutting arm tools for this factory oversight. (Maybe whoever is making the tools doesn't have some representative revolvers at hand to check for fit/clearance of the finished tool, but is just welding the steel levers to triggers in bunches, would be my guess.)

The separate tools in the kits actually have their own SKU numbers, and can be ordered/bought separately (for replacement in the event of loss, theft, damage, etc), but I don't have a list of those numbers. Sometimes a supplemental sheet is handed out to armorer students listing such individual SKU numbers, but those sheets get lost over time, or the numbers of the tools will change.

__________________
Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Thank You VERY much for all that great info,That Cutting Arm sounds like the Bees's Knees!

Very interesting thread, and I especially like the comments from experienced gun smiths. I have attempted many common parts replacements (usually successful) but I know when I am over my head. There are many procedures I will not even attempt. This section is one I especially enjoy on the forum. Now to ask my own question.