Handgun Vise?

[RenoGuy]

I haven't actually done any real gunsmithing on any of my handguns yet, but with an eye towards being prepared for a couple upcoming acquisitions which will surely need some work, I was wondering what you guys use for a vise.

Anything specifically manufactured for handgun smithing, or just some jaw-softening padding on whatever bench vise you use for other work?

I've briefly looked at some of the offerings at Midway and Brownell, but they almost seem a little too "model-specific", for example, they both have one for semi-autos & 1911's, but you would need something entirely different for a revolver.

I have a couple of woodworking vises in my shop, one medium-sized and the other pretty large, both of which can fairly easily have wood blocking or other padding added. I thought maybe there were some auxillary jaw pads or something that could be added for smithing work.

Any advice or leads would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[chief38]

I have been doing lots of Gunsmithing over the last 35 years and have NEVER needed more than my 5" Wilton vise. It is extremely rare that I even use a vise for a gun, but on that rare occasion I use thick leather pads that I have made up to fit the vise jaws. These pads protect anything that goes in it and works quite well. Unless you plan on making this a full time career, I highly doubt you would need a specific "Gunsmithing Vise".

Chief38

 

[NYlakesider]

Over the decades I have done a lot of home type Smithing, that is for long and short guns.

What I found that works well is to get a piece of old heavy leather belt and wrap it around the item in question. You can squeeze the vice quite hard and have all the holding power you need to do work.

Remember the key here is Heavy with a belt. Sections of a old gun belt works fine for this purpose.

 

[Neumann]

A woodworking vice is not stiff enough for serious gunsmithing. A 5" Wilton bench vice is more suitable, and it's easy to pad the jaws with leather or brass. For revolvers, you need a fixture to hold the frame when removing or installing a barrel, and a barrel wrench. These are made to fit a certain size and model. You won't need Crescent or pipe wrenches.

 

[H Richard]

I'm in agreement with the others. I do my own trigger jobs on S&W revolvers and all 1911's, and seldom ever need a vice. When I do, my Craftsman bench vice with home made pads for the jaws handles everything I have needed to do. More often needed is a "bench block", for driving out pins, etc. That, and a good set of screwdrivers along with an assortment of pic's, punch's, small files, small needle nose pliers with angled jaws, and a 4 oz ball peen hammer with wooden handle (wooden handle for removing side plates).

 

[bluegrassarms]

I'm in agreement with the others. I do my own trigger jobs on S&W revolvers and all 1911's, and seldom ever need a vice. When I do, my Craftsman bench vice with home made pads for the jaws handles everything I have needed to do. More often needed is a "bench block", for driving out pins, etc. That, and a good set of screwdrivers along with an assortment of pic's, punch's, small files, small needle nose pliers with angled jaws, and a 4 oz ball peen hammer with wooden handle (wooden handle for removing side plates).

2nd the call for a bench block and all the assorted tools and jigs for driving out pins. You'll spend a lot more time doing that than any vise work, and it's an easy thing to mess up and put scratches in guns.

I use a heavy metalshop vise that's 6"x2" jaws and either leather or neoprene covers on the jaws. Neoprene type rubber can be good on slightly uneven surfaces like dealing with the annoying grip pins that are seated in the frame on some guns. You can use neoprene or other firm rubber types to make jigs specific to certain frames, cylinders, etc. as needed. I've never needed many. In my experience usually if you have to hold something so tight you need a heavy vise and fitted jaws you've got a part that needs replacing not fixing.

I also have a simple WorkBench type table vise for loosely holding working pieces and use either the bench dogs or rubber covers on the jaws. Workbenches work well for loose holds on long pieces b/c you can tighten them at angles. Don't expect them to hold well for hammering work compared to a real shop vise.

 

[dfariswheel]

As both a Master watchmaker and a gunsmith, I had vises everywhere.

Passing over the specialty vises like barrel vises, I had three main vises.
One was a medium size Wilton, the type with the round shaft.
This was used for general work.

You will need a small multi-adjustable vise for small fine work.
I had two of these.
One for really small work was a Foster "Swiv-O-ling" vise. This has very small "pincher" type jaws and is mounted in a ball socket so it can be position just about any way.

SWIV-O-LING VISE - Brownells

The second was a small watchmakers swiveling and tilting vise.

Today, the Multi-Vise sold by Brownell's is extremely good. It's expensive, but there is an very close copy made in China that is good enough to last a while. You can buy it from companies like Harbor Freight.:

MULTI-VISE™ - Brownells

Above all else, stay AWAY from the aluminum hobby Pana-Vise. These are worthless for any serious gun work.

For vise jaw inserts, these days the best there are are the synthetic elastomer pads sold by Brownell's.
These are made by several makers. These grip parts without marring them, and grip like nothing else I've ever seen.
Expensive, but when you want to really hold something without it slipping or marring, these are IT.

SUPER-HOLD VISE JAW PADS - Brownells

VISE PADS - Brownells

 

[RenoGuy]

I want to thank everyone for the input, it was very helpful.

I have a rather large workshop and most any tool you might need for just about any woodworking, plumbing or electrical project, including several benches, a couple vices and a WorkBench-type vise that bluegrassarms mentioned.

I think I just need to add a Wilton-type vise, some type of pads or padded jaws, and a few firearms-specific tools like pin punches and small stones and I should be good to go.

That being said, I'm sure most of you know that buying tools is a lot like buying firearms, you're never really done

 

[bluegrassarms]

Renoguy I have yet to be to a gun or tool auction or store I didn't find something I needed.

The elastomer pads at Brownell's are like the neoprene I use, I just bought a section of it at a rubber/plastics wholesaler I use here in town. Neoprene is a kind of elastomer (basically synthetic rubber) but not sure which specific one Brownell's uses. I've seen Neoprene as pads for vises but I just make mine out of a sheet that I use for other stuff like vibration dampening. Brownell's probably grips better b/c some of these materials are specifically designed to not let things slide. I use one of those grip things in the trunk of my car and boy does it hold. The neoprene doesn't slip even when I use it for vibration but I don't know if it was designed as non-slip. Been using it for 20+ years so I don't doubt they've come up with something better by now.

I did pick up one of those multi position alligator clip things with a magnifying glass like an uncle used for tying flies. Haven't used it yet but it was "that thing" at a tool auction I went to. Didn't have one, looked useful. lol.

 

[mogwan]

I use a heavy 6" opening cast shop vice with a set of Bessey BV-NVJ Multi-Purpose Vise Jaws .THey're some kind of soft synthetic that contain magnets sufficient to retain them to the 4" long vice jaws. They also have various cutouts moulded in...one is cylindrical to hold barrels, etc. Add a set of leather and perhaps lead or other material and you're good. The Bessey's cost me about $11 from Amazon. They also have a small Proxxon swivelling vice for about $45 that is good quality for small jobs and includes slide on/off rubber jaw covers...

 

[Pig Hunter]

Cut some plywood the width of the vice jaws and glue on some cork from Wal mart. Also home made lead vice jaws are really nice. Mark