Alternative Gun Vises

[One_Jackal]

Many gun owners don't own gunsmith quality vises. In fact, many gun owners are lucky to have a vise at all. Many gun owners have home vises that do double duty as a gun vise. In the picture is my portable vise. It's a bar clamp that is used mostly by carpenters. There aren't many in the field repairs I can not accomplish with my portable vise and a C-clamp. Lets see your alternative vise. We all need more ideas!!

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[beag_nut]

Since when is that a bar clamp? It looks a lot more like a bench clamp, made of plastic, mainly designed to be used as an accessory. The double-member "bar" out the back is for extended reach. Bar clamps do not mount to a bench without kludgy accessories.
That said, I am not criticising you, since you didn't produce it; just look around a little more to see what a true bar clamp is. I have a few dozen, and none are suitable for gun work.

 

[GarySTL]

That looks a lot like the vise that attaches to a B&D workmate. I have one and it's OK for some stuff, but doesn't clamp down very tightly.

 

[One_Jackal]

Time to close this thread I can see nothing productive happening here.

 

[rcmodel]

I can't either.
My gunsmithing vices are firmly bolted to the benches in my basement.

I have enough trouble moving guns to the range.
Let alone a vice or clamps to work on them there.

I lose enough small parts on the basement floor without adding in grass & gravel to the mix.

rc

 

[One_Jackal]

Here is the first sentence. Many gun owners don't own gunsmith quality vises. In fact, many gun owners are lucky to have a vise at all. Many gun owners have home vises that do double duty as a gun vise. They are working on the kitchen table, not in a shop.

Can we stay on topic?

 

[One_Jackal]

Here is my bar clamp making it easy to maintain the old Mossberg. It sure beats chasing the shotgun around a work bench. The old Mossberg is nearing it's 20th birthday. The Mossberg has no scratches and much of the original finish is intact.




Here is the bar clamp holding my Mosin-Nagant. The Mosin-Nagant shot about 6 inches high. It was so nice having a vise to take to the range. I could shoot a few rounds. Sand the sight ramp down some more. In all I sanded over one quarter inch off the sight ramp. The Mosin-Nagant is shooting on target. Looks like it's doing very well at holding a gun. Sanding over 1/4 of steel with a belt sander is hard on a vise.



Last but not least, we have a traditional bar clamp. Virtually all gunsmiths use a bar clamp to repair broken stocks.

Notice that both clamps work on the same principal. One side is static, held in place by friction. The other side tightens by turning a handle that uses a threaded rod hold things in place. Both tools in every sense of the word are bar clamps. The only difference is the jaws that hold the material in place.




The bar clamp/vise does a great job of securing pistols. I put a new rear sight on my Ruger Blackhack today. The Blackhhawk was rock steady as I removed/replaced the sight pivot pin. In six shots the Ruger Blackhawk was on target.

Now I need a better camera so I don't have to haul everything outside to get a picture.