Welcome everyone to the TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to take a second to reminisce and look back on all that we have covered in our new series this year. TFB Armorer’s Bench started in August of 2021 so this is the second full year of TFB Armorer’s Bench and what a year it has been. This year (2023) has been a year full of projects and job-specific situations. Frankly, the stuff I really enjoy sharing. Lots of juicy tips and tricks this past year. Let us jump into all that we have covered in this 2023 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap-Up!

Note: The numbers associated with the articles are how they appeared in chronological order starting in 2023. This year we had to pump the breaks just a tad and go from a weekly series to a biweekly one. At the very least this was a blessing since it gave me more time to get things done properly as well as provide you folks with some more hands-on projects.

TFB Armorer’s Bench: 2023 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap-Up

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 about 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:

1. Practice proper gun safety. Always make sure before the firearm hits your bench that it is unloaded and safe to be handled.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. If you are unsure about proper safety practices, disassembly procedures, or warranty standards, stop, put down the tools, and consult a competent gunsmith.

Closer Looks: 2023 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap-Up

2023 had fewer Closer Look articles than the year prior. These articles to me are shorthand reviews. I am open and transparent about their features and all thoughts and opinions are my own, whether it is/was sponsored content or not. 2023 started with a closer look at the Real Avid Master Gun Vise. From there we took some closer closer looks if you want to call them that. I called them reviews.

• #4 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Infante S6 Ultrasonic Cleaner 1-Year Review
• #10 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Closer Look – Real Avid Master Gun Vise
• #11 TFB Armorer’s Bench: First Look – New Real Avid Master Gun Workstation
• #12 TFB Armorer’s Bench: New Real Avid Master Gun Workstation Review
• #14 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Real Avid Master Gun Vise Review

Disassembly, Assembly, & Installation: 2023 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap-Up

These three processes are prevalent occurrences on any gunsmith or armorer’s bench. I love taking things apart because I enjoy learning about how they work. One of my favorite things to do is work on older firearms because folks were still figuring out how to make one part do multiple jobs…some didn’t bother. Maintenance is the obvious default occurrence on the bench and it is something I am passionate about since it prolongs the life of a firearm. My favorite of 2023 would have to be the most recent assembly-style article: TFB Armorer’s Bench: Box Full of Gun Parts – What to Do. Thanks for the challenge and the memory, Grandpa John!

• #2 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Installing XS Sights on The Magpul MBUS
• #3 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Installing New Mauser C96 Parts
• #8 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Replacing Small Parts in a Luger P08
• #9 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Installing a Dlah Designs Flush Optics Plate
• #13 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Real Avid Master Gun Workstation Assembly
• #21 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Box Full of Gun Parts – What to Do

Commentary: 2023 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap-Up

Arguably one of my favorite articles to write on TFB Armorer’s Bench and at the same time the most exhausting. I like writing these types of articles for the same reason I like writing articles in general. They may be helpful and informative and that makes the time spent working with and writing them worthwhile. The literal “Commentary” articles themselves are particularly enjoyable because they can be both informative as well as refreshing to me personally. I do not have a giant library of guns to show pictures of mechanisms, features, and problems. It is a pleasant surprise when one finds their way to the bench to get the chance. Unfortunately this year we did not get as many chances as last year. The Ruby commentary specifically was a pleasure.

• #6 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Commentary on The Marlin Model 60
• #15 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Commentary on The 1915 Spanish Ruby Pistol
• #16 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Silencer Central Barrel Threading (it fits into this category best)

Firearm Finishing: 2023 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap-Up

If I had a top 3 types of Armorer’s Bench articles anything to do with firearm finishing would be in it. There is nothing like the feeling of bringing steel from in the white (raw) to a beautiful blue or a gritty rough gunstock to a smooth beautiful shine that wraps around that blued steel. The downside of it all is the time and prep. Working on rust bluing something like that blunderbuss can be a whole 10-hour affair since I do multiple firearms. I kind of have to for efficiency’s sake since things take a while to set up.

• #18 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Stock Finishing – Blunderbuss Kit
• #19 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Rust Bluing The Blunderbuss
• #20 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Firearm Conservation – Back From The Dead
• #22 TFB Armorer’s Bench: C96 Grip Fit & Stock Repair

The Rest of It: 2023 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap-Up

2023 started with a laundry list of hopes for the series. I’d say most things got checked off the list. The biggest “I wish I had time to finish that” moment would have to be the Remington Model 10 project. It for sure will get some attention in 2024.

• #1 TFB Armorer’s Bench: 2023 Armorer’s Bench Wishlist/Goals
• #5 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Cleaning a Silencer Central Banish 45
• #7 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Remington Model 10 Handguard Fix
• #17 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Initial Steps with a Muzzle Loader Kit

Closing Thoughts: 2023 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap-Up

In closing, I want to say thank you to everyone who has tuned in so far for this 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 2024! 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! Also, let us know what you think in the comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.