Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Who makes a quality set of screwdrivers and asst. bits?

Looking to upgrade my "budget" B-Square set of gunsmith bits and screwdriver handle with something of solid quality. The B-Square is okay for light work but the smallest flat blade bent the corners without even trying and even the torx drive bit is now sort of spiral looking from not that much torque.

Would prefer one driver handle and then assorted bits, not three dozen separate handled tools. Not sure how extensive a set I'd need, more than 20 and less than 200, but with so much Chinese junque on the market I'm mostly looking for a good brand name recommendation and then I can pick from what all they offer.

Brownells hands down, bits are guaranteed for life. Sizes to fit any slotted screws, plus hex, torx, phillips, square, and many others. Cost is what you order, they have starter kits and master kits.

Yep.

+1

keep your receipt when you order, I have stuff from before they went computerized in the 1980s and they give me a hard time on occasions. Mel Chung

I have the Wheeler Gunsmithing Screwdriver set..There are eight individual blade widths,and each blade width has from 6 to 9 individual blade thickness.
Plus 8 different sizes of hes heads, three torque heads, 4 philips head, and two driver handles.

Firearms screws are usually buggered up by the wrong blade width and the wrong blade thickness.With this set,you can match to perfection.

Far outweigh Brownells

i've got a chapman gun screw driver kit that has worked well for many years.

Ed

A Brownells set for the bench and a Chapman set for the range bag.

I have a Wheeler set as well, however, the handle I have is not magnetized, which I wish it had. Otherwise, I have no complaints about the bits.

You can buy a magnetized stud that fits on your handle and the bits will fit in it. Home Depot or mos any place like that will carry them. Even Harbor Frieght

I have the Brownell's kit also that I just bought about a year ago after wearing out my cheap Midway set. I like it a lot but I wish I had ordered a few of the bits that complete the set. The bits that came with the "NRA Approved" set work fine and do 99% of what I need, but once in awhile I need a tip the set didn't come with. I substitute my Midway bits as they are all 1/4" hex size and fit the handle, but they just aren't made as well as the Brownell's units.

Bob

Thanks, Saddlesore. I actually bought another handle, but will look for the stud you are talking about so that handle doesn't just sit there.

What kit are you guys buying off Brownells? I do not see any branded to just them.

This is the set I got. Works great but I would pick up the additional bits to complete the set and may still when I have time to go over their list of bit completer sets.

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...a-tip-sets/magna-tip-sets-prod41571.aspx

Brownells set is hard to beat.

I use a Wheeler FAT wrench, but with the Brownells Magna-Tip bits. Brownells also sells a handy storage box for the bits for about $10.

I tried them all but nothing is as nice or complete as the deluxe Brownells set. The Seekonk Precision Tools 1 to 75 inch pounds torque wrench is by far the best torque wrench for gunsmithing we have ever tried and I own a bunch of different ones some that cost 3 times as much.

I prefer Forster screwdrivers. I first bought a Chapman set many years ago but I don't like anything with a chuck (is that the right word---can't come up with anything else). I've marred the finish on the backside of a Ruger single-action trigger guard removing the screws using the Chapman, but never with the Forsters.

The Forsters are very nice, but I've found they are really difficult to find any more. Also, their sets aren't as complete as the Brownell's sets, IMHO.

Bob

Chapman's used to be good. Haven't bought any since the '80s though. My last "refill" was with Brownells' bits.
I have twisted a couple of Franklin bits. They're fairly soft.