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Homemade Gunsmithing Tools

Gunsmiths have been around since the initial discovery of gun powder. They design and build firearms. A gunsmith also repairs and cleans guns for themselves and their clients. In the Old West, gunsmithing was a respected profession that the average Joe could get started in with a few tools and a little knowledge of how guns work and are assembled. Many of the gunsmiths from the time period apprenticed under another more experienced gunsmith before going solo. It's still a profession that you can start from your own garage.

Designing
- To assemble and design guns, you won't have to by springs, shelf parts and raw materials until you receive an order from a customer. You can bill your customer for the specific parts that you'll need to machine his gun to his specifications. These may include trigger assemblies, gun barrels, flint locks and receivers. You will need a few tools to get started. In the book, "The Ultimate Outdoorsman's Workshop Handbook" Monte Burch advises simple tools to begin with, such as a plastic hammer, brass-faced hammer, screwdrivers, punches and a cleaning kit. For design tools, lathes, milling machines, drill presses, sharp cutting tools and power-driven machine tools will be helpful.
Cleaning
- Cleaning rods, tips, brush mops and scraping and scrubbing brushes will be helpful when cleaning your client's guns. Thin brush mops allow you to reach inside the chamber. For longer guns, such as rifles, you will need brushes with long handles to give you extra reach. A scrub brush with stainless steel bristles will help you clean mildew or crud that has built up on pistols that have been stashed away for a long time and haven't been attended to.
Repairs/Preventative Maintenance
- Gunsmithing screwdrivers are safer to use than traditional screwdrivers. The changeable heads that come with a gunsmithing screwdriver set are designed to fit various gun screws. You may also want to invest in drill bits in different sizes from 1 mm to 10 mm. If a gun malfunctions, the owner can get seriously injured on his next hunting trip. You'll need tools to tighten and remove extractor rods, open latches and to perform bolt stops. You'll also need rebounding electric drill press, spring tool, rear adjustment tool, grip bushing driver and scope-base windage bits.
Specialties
- Guns can get custom designs the same way a car or a house can get specialized designs. Stockmaker gunsmiths are the guys that change out metal pistol handles to a carved wood such as walnut, maple and birch. You will need saws, chisels, sanders, gouges, lacquer and rasps. Engravers add special designs, names or slogans into the metal or wood of a gun. You will need hand-graver chisels, angle or bench grinders, and taper cutting tool.

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