#Tools

Midwest Industries Inc. has a vast aftermarket support for the AR platform, and to assist AR-15 and AR-308 owners, Midwest Industries made the Lower Receiver Block, which has numerous features that can help in order to assemble the various parts of an AR. There are two Lower Receiver Blocks available, one for the standard-sized AR-15, and one for the larger AR-308, SR25, AR-10 patterns. The Lower Receiver Block can also be mounted to a workbench, or used in a vise and hold a lower receiver by the magazine well.

Welcome to TFB Weekly Amazon Deals 11. This week we’re going to focus on products found on Amazon that can be used to upgrade or maintain your pistols. A lot of the stuff featured in Sam S’s Armorer’s Bench series can be found on Amazon and with the limited supplies found on store shelves these days, there might be a good opportunity for you guys to restock or add to your home gun maintenance supplies. If you’re looking to get started with firearm maintenance then you should hop on over to Sam’s first article  TFB Armorer’s Bench: 10 Essential Home Armorer/Gunsmith Tools. Sam also has a great article on gun bench liquids and many of those can also be found on Amazon. So let’s get started with our items for this week!

Welcome to TFB Weekly Amazon Deals 7: National Roller Coaster Day. Roller coasters are fun, perhaps not quite as fun as firearms though. However, these days I feel like we are often on a roller coaster within the firearms industry. With items like the Rare Breed FRT-15 being unceremoniously declared a machine gun by the ATF and the current ongoing struggle within the ammunition industry, gun owners seem to always be on the cusp of oblivion. That brings us to the theme of today’s deals – chaos. This particular list really has no rhyme or reason aside from the first item – a torque limiter. I don’t like guessing when it comes to inch/pounds torquing and a lot of manufacturers are specifying the correct torque to apply on just about every gun component  – so it’s great to have a reliable and portable torque limiter with you at the range or at home on the bench.

Welcome, all to the very first article of the new series 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 first article of the series sponsored by Wheeler, Tipton, Caldwell, and Frankford Arsenal, I decided to introduce myself and some of my gunsmithing background. Aside from introductions, I also wanted to list off some preparation sort of steps before even considering taking on tasks similar to what I will go over in the future. Let’s dive right in!

Pistol cleaning and maintenance kits are a range essential for any training day. If you’re planning on testing out a new red dot optic or use a single optic for multiple guns, then you need a precise and convenient set of tools to get you and your gun back on target. Fix It Sticks has just introduced their new Compact Pistol Kit for use with virtually any handgun and it’s the perfect size for throwing inside of a range bag or glove box in your car.

It’s not often that you have to open up the bolt of your Remington 700 rifle to clean it but when you do you’ll want to make sure you’re not marring it up in the process. Fix-It Sticks is well known for making some very handy and compact tools that can be packed up and stowed away in any range pack for quick access either at home, on the gun bench or in the field when they’re needed. Fix-It Sticks just dropped their new Remington 700 Bolt Opener Tool that makes opening/disassembling a Remington 700 bolt quick and easy giving you quick access to the bolt body and firing pin.

Midwest Industries Inc. recently launched a new armorer’s wrench designed to work with AR-15’s and its bigger brother, AR-10 & SR25 rifles. The new Professional Armorer’s Wrench incorporates two 1/2 inch drive sockets for attaching a torque wrench, A2 sized slots for working on muzzle devices and a “combat bottle opener” for good measure. One unique feature Midwest Industries included directly on their Armorer’s Wrench are common torque specifications for fastening barrel nuts, castle nuts and flash hiders.

Warren Innovative Technologies has produced a new a handy little tool – the Composite Field Punch. This chopped carbon microfiber punch is made from a durable lightweight material that is said to be as strong as aluminum, making it lightweight enough to carry on your person without much hassle as well as being strong enough to take on most simple punch jobs.

Viridian Weapon Technologies has been in business for a little over fourteen years. In that time, they have grown from offering a green aiming laser for pistol-mounted applications to providing a broad spectrum of weapon-mounted lasers and other accessories, as well as holsters and more. They recently made headlines here at TFB and elsewhere with their release of the first-ever laser-integrated hand stop.

As a minor point of order, most of the below-listed suggestions are not dedicated gunsmithing tools – they are simply excellent hand tools that are most commonly used for weapon maintenance and upgrades. So when you aren’t switching barrels or swapping handguards, go ahead and use them to assemble that IKEA crib that will last you one to three seasons. These top tools are obvious picks – torque wrenches/drivers, brass punches, a solid vise – and shouldn’t need any explanations. Instead, let’s go through some guidance on how to protect your new, and costly, investments.

For 2018, Birchwood Casey will be introducing a number of new cleaning products for maintaining your firearms. Here is a quick look at some of them that will be in the new catalog.

Well, it’s that time of year again – the holiday season is upon us and with it comes the the stress of both giving and receiving gifts. Fear not, we are going to spend the next 12 days giving you ideas for that special shooter in your life. And while your at it, what don’t you go ahead and get yourself something really nice.

Most people take for granted the simple, yet effective firing mechanism of the Glock pistols. And to his credit, Gaston did design and build an incredibly robust system that is one of the few portions of the Generation 5 handguns that did not see significant changes. The cruciform, trigger, and disconnector, combined with the slide cuts is a safe and reliable system.

ELEY Ammunition, known for their fantastic rimfire loadings, is on the march to make more loadings and those that exist even better. ELEY has announced the release of their “Standard” 22 ammunition and their Lot Analyzer tool.

Ever had a gas key that came loose? I know I have, especially with some of the bargain prices bolt carrier groups that I have bought over the years. The Michiguns MOACKS Plain is designed to allow the home gunsmith the ability to stake the gas key screws properly without expensive machines. This particular BCG is an IWI that I purchased on closeout and hasn’t come loose yet, but it is a matter of time in my opinion.