Recommend me a rifle stand for cleaning, maintenance and gunsmithing.

I'm looking for something that works well for AR's as well as bolt action and other long arms.

Is there any consensus on the best one?

Anyone use the Tipton Best Vice?

I've been cleaning hundreds of firearms over the years and never paid for a vice or stand...  Generally I make do with some carpeted wooden blocks that are free.

On my AR's I just break them in two and clean each half in my lap with a bunch of towels... Pretty simple.

Yes, I have a Tipton Best Vice and it works fine.  It's a little complicated, but you're able to get the gun set-up pretty solid in it with some fiddling.

It is big and cumbersome however.  It has to live somewhere in your house for the 99% of the time that you're not using it.

I would look long and hard at the Sinclair stands that are configured for specific guns.  They are simple and light.

But, I'm glad I have the Tipton and it pays for itself ten times over by not dropping that expensive browning on the floor.  

A good vice, or stand, is essential to protecting guns.

Would I get the Tipton again?  Not sure.  I got it on sale and didn't pay the normal, outrageous price for it.  Finding it on sale makes it a much better deal.  Midway puts it on sale with some regularity as does Sportsman's Warehouse.

I have the Tipton Best Vice and the Tipton Gun Butler.  I like both fine but use the Gun Butler more often for most gun work because of it's simplicity.
 

I too use the Tipton best gun vice. I don't find it complicated at all. It's great for not only cleaning but to work on guns also, like mounting scopes and such. It's not only for long guns but if you remove the end with the lock levers and flip it around, you can use it for pistoles also. The hand gun will lock into the clamps that way and you can rest the barrel, well, on the rest. As others have mentioned, you'll want a place to park it. It is of a good size and if you look around, you can get one that's on sale. It really helps out on my annual "clean all of them", which lasts a week between cleaning and oiling, doing the leather slings, holsters, scabbards, sharping all the knives and so on.

On the bench:



This is about half the stuff it helps with

http://pptexas.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=pptexas&Product_Code=1814&Category_Code=ar15
This works well for all else, and AR uppers too.










http://item.brownells.com/brands/stoney-point-products/cleaning-maintenance-cradle-cleaning-maintenance-cradle.htm
 

I've got about 30 years with MTM cleaning rest.  It's held everything from .22RF's to Bren Guns.  Besides cleaning, I've mounted scopes, refinished stocks and prep'ed for painting or refinishing metal.  It also has bins to hold brushes, patches, solvents and anything else that will fit.  For AR's and other hinge open guns, I lay them in the cradles with the buttstock to one side and the ejection port up so I can see the breech.  Generally, I can clean everything needed from that position.

Another vote for the MTM. I've had 2 now for about 15 years and they are great. They stack/nestle together so they store well and adjust for many firearms and operations - cleaning, refinishing, bluing, bedding stocks, mounting scopes, boresighting etc. I like that they hold a couple of cleaning rods along side, when cleaning I have one rod rigged with the brush and another rod with a jag and can swap back n' forth handily as well as it holding the rod while I slip a patch into the jag slot and then having the jar of solvent right there too without spilling.

Another for MTM. I've got an old version of their Portable Rifle Maintenance Center, had it for at least 15 years.

Plastix Plus - Houston, Texas

You won't find a better one for the $50 dollar range





eta

Gunny posted this previously above

I dunno this new one might replace my old one:

Or this, doubles as a rest: