Looking for identification of "Gunsmith punch"

[HisSoldier]

I bought ten of these on ebay, cheap. Said to be "gunsmith punches". The overall length is 3.140", the large diameter is 6MM, or .236". About .385" from the "striking" end there is a perpendicular hole drilled through of .099" dia.

That end also has a tiny center drill hole for live center. 1.815" from the striking end the diameter is reduced to .138", and is round in cross section for .400" at which point five flats are milled or (probably) ground around the pin every 72 degrees.

Those flats go nearly all the way to the business end, but about .060" from the end there are five corresponding facets that taper down at about a 20 degree angle. At the terminus is another center drilled hole, with a .050" diameter pilot.

The effect of the five 20 degree facets when they meet that center drilled end is a bit like points of a crown.

These are well made punches, or pins. If they had a rounded point on them I would think they were machine gun firing pins, but the end geometry could be for "crowding" an over sized or worn hole down to fit a pin, which is how clock repairmen fix that problem I understand. My gunsmith thought they were stippling punches. They look like gun parts to me, cosmolined and wrapped in tissue paper is how they came to me. I haven't checked the Rockwell yet.

Any ideas to end the mystery are appreciated. Thanks,




The end;

 

[BBBBill]

Well, I said that the hole on the shank was for hanging over on the other forum, but it might be for indexing.... Did the wrapping have any data markings? If it did, might be able to reference it to an old military manual or .....

 

[SDC]

It looks like these are likely for "setting" a pin in a hole where you don't want it possibly walking out of that hole over time.

 

[EMC45]

Looks like a staking tool of some sort.

 

[HisSoldier]

OK, thanks guys. I was hoping someone would say something like "Oh yeah, that's a _____", but it doesn't look like anyone has seen them before in the two places I asked. It does look like a clock makers pin hole resizer to me. I asked a friend of mine who works on clocks but he hasn't gotten back yet.

 

[rcmodel]

I have no idea what they are, but they are not any kind of "gunsmiths" punches I have ever seen.

Could be the $200 punch set they used on the $640 dollar government toilet seats??

Or it could be aerospace or aircraft tooling.

6mm is a little large for tightening clock bearings I would think.
Unless its the clock in the county courthouse steeple or something.

rc

 

[gunnysmith]

The photos are a little dark, engraving tools is possible but I can't make out the tip.
The hole holds a torque bar and looks like it's used to roll out of an engraving cut.

 

[dirtyjim]

I have one of those that waa mixed in with a bunch of parts i bought several years ago.
I don't think its a punch it looks more like a tool for chasing or cleaning out a pin hole.

 

[HisSoldier]

6mm is a little large for tightening clock bearings I would think.

The large end is 6MM, the business end is .138" diameter.

 

[Skylerbone]

This is my guess, not sure on proper application: http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=781/Product/ROLL-PIN-HOLDERS

Might ask in the rifle section, could very well be for military application.