Your Privacy Choices
Welcome everyone to the TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article sponsored by Wheeler, Tipton, Caldwell, and Frankford Arsenal, I decided to take a second to reminisce and look back on all that we have covered in our new series this year. 2021 has been a real dumpster fire so it is nice to have this break from the day-to-day and sit down at the bench and feel like progress is being made. Let us jump into all that we have covered in this 2021 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap Up!
TFB Armorer’s Bench: 2021 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap Up
Welcome to our recurring series of Armorer’s Bench which is made possible and brought to you by Wheeler, Tipton, Caldwell, and Frankford Arsenal who are our sponsors. Here, we at TFB hope to inform, entertain, and even inspire any would-be gunsmith or armorer out there. Ideally, with the information I provide and with the help of our sponsors, you can have some useful knowledge pertaining to the conservation and improvement of firearms technology while at the same time sharing experiences and teaching each other new tips and tricks along the way in the comments. Digging deep into what it is to be an armorer or gunsmith has significance but what is important is what those people do to show they’ve earned that title. I am happy to share my experiences and knowledge and hope it is informative!
Make your personal safety a priority:
- Practice proper gun safety. Always make sure before the firearm hits your bench that it is unloaded and safe to be handled.
- Wear the proper safety equipment. The main one would be safety glasses (decent ones) since parts are often under spring tension and you may work with high RPM tools. Other honorable mentions would be latex gloves or a respirator when working with potentially harmful solvents and oils. Also hearing protection when working with loud machinery or test-firing firearms.
- Modifications, alterations, and customizations will void your firearm’s warranty 9.5 times out of 10. Please take that into consideration before attempting any at-home gunsmithing.
- If you are unsure about proper safety practices, disassembly procedures, or warranty standards, stop, put down the tools, and consult a competent gunsmith.
Baby Steps: 2021 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap Up
Back in August of 2021, we here at TFB launched this new segment called TFB Armorer’s Bench! As the little blurb has mentioned for 21 articles straight (not including this one) “we at TFB hope to inform, entertain, and even inspire any would-be gunsmith or armorer out there”. It has been a short run so far and I am very excited to see where it all goes and what is next! Until then, let us recap where we started in case you missed something you deem valuable information. It all starts with baby steps.
#1: TFB Armorer’s Bench: So, You Like Taking Guns Apart?
#2: TFB Armorer’s Bench: 10 Essential Home Armorer/Gunsmith Tools
#6: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Straight From My Bench – Gunsmithing Liquids
#17: TFB Armorer’s Bench: General Bench Setup – Quick Tips
Closer Look at Tools & Equipment: 2021 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap Up
Since all the Armorer’s Bench content is sponsored by Wheeler, Tipton, Caldwell, and Frankford Arsenal I made it a point to check out the equipment they offer and still have much more to look at. They, in their own respective fields, make incredibly specific tools and equipment that lend a hand to the average Joe at affordable prices. This is not some promotion by me. These are my genuine thoughts because even though there are other companies out there these all have things that others do not a noticeable and comfortable price. I thought it a valuable thing to take an unbiased closer look at their stuff every once in a while and give you my humble opinion.
#4: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Closer Look – Wheeler Trigger Gauges
#9: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Closer Look – Wheeler Bench Blocks
#10: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Closer Look – Tipton Best Gun Vise
#14: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Closer Look – Scope Mounting Kit Combo
#16: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Closer Look – Delta Series Compact Multi-Tool
#19: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Closer Look – Wheeler Armorer’s Pistol Sight Tool
Technical Understanding: 2021 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap Up
One of my favorite things to cover here at TFB Armorer’s Bench is things that are so ultra-specific regarding gunsmithing. These are the things that are closer to the real day-to-day sort of stuff and I am excited for future ones as the winter here in MN lightens and it becomes easier to get back out in my shop. Stay tuned for more!
#3: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Quick Tip – Importance of Polishing Hammer Faces
#11: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Understanding Auto-5 Friction Ring Orientation
#12: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Diagnosing Light Primer Strikes – FT: Chiappa 1887
#13: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Chiappa 1887 Disassembly/Reassembly
#17: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Techniques and Types – Boresighting
#20: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Using The Wheeler Armorer’s Pistol Sight Tool
AR15 Tips and Tricks: 2021 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap Up
Ah yes, our AR15 related articles. I have been very excited to see what this turns into and We here at TFB have a call to action to any of you tacticool folks out there! I still have a completely disassembled AR15 sitting in a box awaiting your suggestions for common AR15 upgrades to cover in future articles. Please feel free to spitball and bounce some ideas around in the comments below. It does not matter if this turns into a Franken gun. Let us just show off the most common changes, fixes, and modifications you can think of!
#5: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Complete AR15 Disassembly – Lower Receiver
#7: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Complete AR15 Disassembly – Bolt Carrier Group
#8: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Complete AR15 Disassembly – Upper Receiver
#17: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Tips and Tricks – AR15 Gas Blocks
#21: TFB Armorer’s Bench: AR15 Gas Rings and Their Maintenance
Closing Thoughts: 2021 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap Up
In closing, I want to say thank you to everyone that has tuned in so far for this new segment. I went to school for this kind of stuff and practice it quite a bit in my day to day but it is a huge luxury to be able to refresh myself, help others, learn new things through others, and share this fantastic world of gunsmithing and working with firearms technology and its tools! Thank you all and have the happiest of holidays and a wonderful 2022! See you then!
As always, thank you for reading TFB! Be safe out there, have fun while shooting, and we will see you next time for the TFB Armorer’s Bench brought to you by Wheeler, Tipton, Caldwell, and Frankford Arsenal! Also, let us know what you think in the comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
Pro Range Glasses, Clear
The Caldwell® Pro Range Glasses feature a stylish wrap-around design and are a great choice for all shooters. They feature an adjustable nose piece and temples for all day comfort. The scratch resistant lens meets ANSI Z87.1 standards and offers 99.9% UV protection.
Universal Bench Block
Made of non-marring urethane, the Universal Pistol Bench Block is perfect for use on M1911 pistols as well as other firearms such as 10/22s.
Stainless Steel Dial Caliper
Reloading ammunition requires attention to many critical cartridge dimensions, including case length, neck and base diameters, overall length, primer pocket depth, etc. Verifying these dimensions is quick and convenient with the Frankford Arsenal® Stainless Steel Calipers. These calipers are accurate to within .001″. The calipers allow you to measure inside and outside diameters, plus depths. You will find them useful for many measuring tasks on and off the reloading bench. Packaged in a convenient and protective case.
POWER SWABS – PISTOL CLEANING KIT, 500 COUNT
Tipton’s new Power Swabs are an essential part of your cleaning kit. They’re disposable, fast, and easy to use, plus they provide no-mess cleaning with all your favorite solvents and oils. They also fit lands and grooves better than a patch for maximum cleaning.
Tipton ULTRA GUN VISE
The Tipton® Ultra Gun Vise features a completely modular interchangeable design to allow virtually any shape firearm or crossbow to be cleaned and worked on with ease. The ball and socket articulating clamp pads allow for the pads to adapt to any surface. The dual clamp technology rigidly holds any firearm shape in place, while the rigid steel tube frame structure allows for complete access to your firearm or crossbow. The front and rear clamps are both height and length adjustable, and feature fast-turn knobs allowing for quick clamping. The solvent-resistant accessory and tool trays are movable and removable to stand up to even the toughest jobs.
Hammer and Punch Set, Plastic Case
The Wheeler® Hammer and Punch Set includes a polymer/brass combination hammer, eight precision brass punches, four steel punches and two plastic punches. It comes in a handy molded case. It makes for a great tool for driving pins or drifting sights at the shooting range, or on your gunsmithing bench.
