gun vises
 

hey guy's i'm going to be building a new bench and want to get a really good vise it has been quite a while since i did my research on them and i know they can be expensive and the reviews are all over the place any ideas ? obviously it has to be padded or able to be padded versatile and of good to very good quality. thanks in advance !

Are you looking for action vises, or firearm holding fixture vises? In other words - a tool to remove a barrel, or a tool to hold it while you install a scope base?

I use wooden or delrin blocks on my action vices - which are just thick blocks of steel with clamping bolts between them. The Wheeler product is good and not a bad price considering the size of the bolts and the steel involved, AND the wooden bushings it comes with, but you can buy scrap steel at a surplus yard pretty cheap, and often find the bolts there too for cheap. I have a Wheeler now, but my first vise was a home brew out of some scrap steel. They both work exactly the same. The fit of the blocks is what seems to be critical, in my experience - the blocks from which the vise are made just need to be thick enough to not bend, otherwise, they're kinda irrelevant.

I use a Wilton "drill press" or "machinist" vise and a large bench vise to hold firearms very often (daily/weekly). I've made jaw pads for these out of leather. Nothing fancy, but these work. I use them to hold my AR mag blocks and upper blocks as well.

i'm looking for multiple vises one for holding gunstocks and one for holding barrels and metal parts usually two or three vises is the way to go . i'm looking at the parrott vise if your familiar ?

I wouldn't mind having a Parrott Vise, the adjustment for hold angle would be nice. But... I already had a couple bench vises, so that's what I use, and I can't quite get myself to spend another $50+ just for the incremental improvement over my current bench vises. If you DON'T already have bench vise, then a parrott is a good buy.

What I'd REALLY like to have is a pro-quality checkering cradle. I built one, it works, but it sure isn't top of the line.

yeah i seen one of those cradles very nice maybe someday i'll get one ? i think i'll start with a parrot vise and a wood workers vise you know the ones that mount under the bench top and i'll build a cradle type of deal for long pieces to keep them level and stable ?

I have a 6" bench vice on a swivel that will also tilt though rarely use that feature. I found a section of very thick leather belting for a big (something) and I cut a piece long enough to come above the jaws while resting on arm of vice.