Tools of Gun Owners and Gunsmiths

Some assistance by Spiggy, of Calguns

See also: Firearms Measurement Tools

The list below is separated into a number of categories. Overall, it represents a more or less logical progression from basic gun owner tools, to small-business level requirements. I'm not particularly interested in documenting consumables here, although there are a few overlaps. Generally speaking, most of the categories will assume you've already purchased the items in the lower-tiered categories.

Cleaning Tools

• Cleaning rods
• A bore snake is useful for rapid cleaning, although the rod is more traditional and versatile. You can live without a bore snake, but not without a cleaning rod.
• Toothbrush - optional but useful.

Light Gunsmithing Tools

These tools will end up in the arsenal of nearly everyone who does things with their weapon beyond the simplest of cleaning.

• Bore lights allow you to inspect the condition of guns' barrels.
• Boresighter - laser or optical; useful for rough calibration.
• Clear work area (or magnetic bowl) - to avoid losing small parts
• Dental mirror (optional but very useful for inspecting chambers and throats)
• Digital camera or camcorder (optional) - to have a record of where parts were, before you came along.
• Dremel or Roto-Zip
• Files
• Flashlight
• Hammer
• Needle nose pliers
• Magnet (optional but very useful for picking up ferrous parts)
• Magnifying glass
• Left-handed drill bits - useful when dealing with stripped-out screws. It'll loosen the screw while you're drilling into it, then you use a left-handed tap to remove the screw.
• Levels - for mounting scope rails or fitting scopes.
• Hex wrenches
• Punches
• Picks (very useful to reposition wires and springs)
• Screwdrivers
• Wrenches
• Torque Wrench (for scope ring screws)
• Vise

Refinishing Tools

• Airbrushing kit (optional, for applying certain paints)
• Black paint pen (good for covering up nicks on painted steel)
• Paintbrushes
• Sharpie marker (good for covering up nicks in parkerized steel)
• Sander (or just use sandpaper / steel wool)
• X-Acto Knife - for fitting stocks.

Building or Modification Tools

This does not include specialized tools, such as AR-15 armorer's wrenches or AK-47 rivet jigs.

• Angle grinder or Roto-Zip
• Barrel vise blocks - to hold barrels steady while installing things on them
• Blowtorch - for spot heat treatment; unnecessary for most purposes not involving AK's
• Bolt cutters - for shortening screws or bolts as appropriate
• Drill press
• Hammer, 3lb
• Headspace gauges (go, no-go, and field, in the calibers being worked on)
• Heat gun (for drying parts)
• Heavy duty pliers (channel lok or visegrips ideal)
• Sharpie or other marker (for marking cuts or covering scratches)
• Shop press - where AK-47's are concerned, this is mandatory to progress beyond bottom-tier builds. 6-ton may work, 12-ton is the minimum effective power, 20-ton is ideal
• Spot welder - recommended over normal welders in certain, very limited cases (i.e. rails on AK's)
• Strong magnet - when building, scraps of steel get dropped and need to be picked up efficiently.
• Taps and dies - may be required for some builds.
• Wire clippers - for shortening springs
• Welder - necessary for CETME or G3 builds.

Top-Tier Tools

When price is little object and the desire is to do the job as effectively as possible.

• Air compressor
• Blasting cabinet
• Bluing tank
• CNC Mill - for mass or limited production of parts
• Electric oven capable of 500 degrees (to cure paint)
• Kiln (for heat treating steel)
• Lathe - to make barrel extensions, etc
• Mill - trimming down parts with perfect control
• Roto-Zip (forget dremel tools)
• Parkerization tank
• Parts washer
• Powder coating gun
• Ultrasonic cleaner

Cleaning Consumables

• Brushes
• Patch loops
• Bore solvent
• Bore oil
• Cleaning patches. In addition to these specialized gun-related items, depending on what you're working on you may need a screwdriver with several different bit-sizes and types, including flat, hex, and philips head.