Help! "Gunsmith" screwdrivers.

sniper · Post by **sniper** » Sat May 30, 2009 10:39 am

OooKay...

I decided to spring for a set of so called gunsmith screwdrivers for the obvious reason; to eliminate screw damage, etc. I tried several offerings, among them B-Square and Brownell's.

So far, my exerience has been less than great. All I seem to have is really expen$ive set(s) of screwdrivers.

The bits don't seem to be much different than the little screwdriver that came with my Smith revolver, the bits are soft, and bend with the least provocation, and little pressure.

Frankly, I don't see much improvement over the cabinet screwdrivers I used as a teen ager.

What am I doing wrong? Can someone recommed a better aternative?

Thank you.

smokey · Post by **smokey** » Sat May 30, 2009 12:40 pm

You should be able to find something out of those 2 sets that will work. However, there are a lot of different sizes used on guns and you have to have the proper one for the job. You can usually tell by the fit of the screwdriver tip in the head of the screw. It has to go all the way in with maximum contact and minimum slop.

ruger22 · Post by **ruger22** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:51 pm

My solution for years has been to buy decent quality screwdrivers like Craftsman or Stanley, and grind and/or file them to fit each slot exactly.

My current gun collection didn't need that much. My local flea market "tool guy" had some U.S. made Pro-Mate screwdrivers for $1 apiece. The blades weren't a consistent thickness, so I picked up a variety in several styles for $10. Turned out I had a perfect fit for every screw on all three guns, with three screwdrivers left over. They went in my house toolbox.

One did get modified for the base pin latch nut on my Single-Six. It has a slot across a screw hole, so I filed a notch in the screwdriver blade to clear the screw tip. Saves me buying the special wrench for that.

This is besides two "jeweler's screwdrivers" that fit my sights well. They came out of a set that was all of $2.

raw6464 · Post by **raw6464** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:27 pm

Walmart has a 30 piece "gunsmith" screwdriver set for around $9. They also have a 32 piece hardened set for $23 on line. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... id=4939702

The $9 one works fine for me.

Georgezilla · Post by **Georgezilla** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 7:06 pm

I picked up the 72-piece Wheeler set while it was on sale at Midway. I am very pleased with them. You can tell a major difference between the Wheeler bits and regular screw drivers. I would highly recommend them. My only complaint is that the bits fit a tad too loose for my tastes (my OCD kicking in).