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Posted: 12/6/2009 3:28:15 PM EDT
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Who carries a good solid set. Brownells suck. I've got a set and they started to bend especially the (1/16) . The rest has almost lost the lip from the round nose. I used a set that I borrowed made by someone else, SOLID. Thanks |
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Quoted:
I got mine at Sears. Actual Craftsman stuff. Walk in and buy it. $20 +/- comes to mind. 6 sizes, 1/8" thru 5/16". Mine are from Frankfort, I think. I know my pin holders are from Brownells. I'd call 'em. You might have a bad set. Craftsman are +1. They are beefy, will work for some of the pins. 458 |
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Check into some of the higher quality tool makers, IE Mac, Snap-On, Matco, even Cornwell. I used to be in the auto repair industry... bottom of the barrel in a professional's tool box you'll see Craftsman, they are usually the cheapest that work, work well, and are lifetime warrantied. I have a set of Mac punches, among my tools that include mostly Mac, some Snap-On and some Matco. The Mac punches have been absolutely abused, and every one of them is still top notch shape, no bends and the only deforming is on the hammer end after a good beating with a heavy ball peen. Pricey, but you're pretty much guaranteed they are gonna work really well for a long time to come.
http://www.mactools.com/Product/tabid/120/productid/321793/variantid/312552/Default.aspx http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=86582&group_ID=1031&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2267&select=&page=2 Part # SPRP9T |
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I have the sears set. They work great but the gas tube roll pin was smaller than the smallest pin punch in the set. It still worked fine as the very small pin was not that difficult to just squeeze in with a set of vice grips. I can't imagine being able to bend or deform the Sears set. Seems very durable. |
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Quoted: Check into some of the higher quality tool makers, IE Mac, Snap-On, Matco, even Cornwell. I used to be in the auto repair industry... bottom of the barrel in a professional's tool box you'll see Craftsman, they are usually the cheapest that work, work well, and are lifetime warrantied. I have a set of Mac punches, among my tools that include mostly Mac, some Snap-On and some Matco. The Mac punches have been absolutely abused, and every one of them is still top notch shape, no bends and the only deforming is on the hammer end after a good beating with a heavy ball peen. Pricey, but you're pretty much guaranteed they are gonna work really well for a long time to come. http://www.mactools.com/Product/tabid/120/productid/321793/variantid/312552/Default.aspx http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=86582&group_ID=1031&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2267&select=&page=2 Part # SPRP9T Ouch, the first two sets are about 100 dollars. Ouch. I'll buy and replace them one at a time. Might cost more, but I don't have the money for the whole set. Thanks, |
| mine are snap on and mayhew but those are tools i already have for playing fork lift mechanic. here is a nice set of starrett punches . |
| Sterling, I didn't say they'd be cheap! Nothing of top quality is... just saying that if a guy wanted a totally reliable set of roll pin punches, that's where I'd go. Now for the average guy, you don't need that high of quality, or cost. I won't be using a set like that for my first build, that's for sure, and I'm a nut for quality tools. If I end up building a lot of ARs or doing alot of work to mine, then I'll think about it. Those are the sets that a professional will want to use though... just the same as you won't find popular mechanics tools in a mechanic's toolbox, you won't find Snap-on tools in a typical tool box. |
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Quoted: Sterling, I didn't say they'd be cheap! Nothing of top quality is... just saying that if a guy wanted a totally reliable set of roll pin punches, that's where I'd go. Now for the average guy, you don't need that high of quality, or cost. I won't be using a set like that for my first build, that's for sure, and I'm a nut for quality tools. If I end up building a lot of ARs or doing alot of work to mine, then I'll think about it. Those are the sets that a professional will want to use though... just the same as you won't find popular mechanics tools in a mechanic's toolbox, you won't find Snap-on tools in a typical tool box. Thanks for the info. I've put a few AR's together with the cheapo Brownells, and the set looks like it ready for replacements on a few of them. I'm going to replace them one at a time. |
| I have the brownells set and love them. No complaints if yours is bending you might call em up and see if they will send a replacement. I have one of the Torx screwdrivers that I actually broke the tip off it. Called up CS and was sent a new one free of charge. Its the green/black handle one though I have been trying to find the Leup version with no luck so far. I think my search foo is going about finding one all wrong. |
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Harbor freight set for $6. My experience has been that you can build between 4-6 rifles with a set of 'em, before the 1/16" punch starts to mushroom/bend... I've got about 4 sets of these, and all but the 1/6" punch are still in great shape. I finally took one of the old ones and chopped the end down to about half its normal length, and another down to only have about 1/4" coming off the end. I use the super short one for really smacking stuff to knock pins out. Then use the half length one to drive them the rest of the way out.
They do a lot less bending when they're shorter. ;) |
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Quoted:
Check into some of the higher quality tool makers, IE Mac, Snap-On, Matco, even Cornwell. I used to be in the auto repair industry... bottom of the barrel in a professional's tool box you'll see Craftsman, they are usually the cheapest that work, work well, and are lifetime warrantied. I have a set of Mac punches, among my tools that include mostly Mac, some Snap-On and some Matco. The Mac punches have been absolutely abused, and every one of them is still top notch shape, no bends and the only deforming is on the hammer end after a good beating with a heavy ball peen. Pricey, but you're pretty much guaranteed they are gonna work really well for a long time to come. http://www.mactools.com/Product/tabid/120/productid/321793/variantid/312552/Default.aspx http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=86582&group_ID=1031&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2267&select=&page=2 Part # SPRP9T Be careful with the matco lower-end stuff. Bluepoint I believe it's called. They are the same quality as stanley wal-mart tools, and are made by the same company. If you want, I can get you a price on a set of punches, I work at a dealership and the tool guys are here often. I have a Lyman/pachmyer set i got for $18 at a gunshow. They're OK, but I broke the tiny punch on the bolt catch realease after I mushroomed the pin. |
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I have a couple of Mayhew roll punch pins and am pleased with them so far. I have a #2 (5/64") and a #4 (1/8"). These are what you need for a lower receiver build- bolt catch pin and trigger guard pin. Got them from a local family-owned tool/hardware store for under $5.00 each.
Also check out Specialized Armament Warehouse- they sell a pin punch set of 6 pins- don't know if it has the little nipples on the ends, though. I have no experience with them, but doubt that they are junk. |
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