Product Spotlight: Brownells Gunsmith Vise
Caleb Savant
Introducing the Brownells Gunsmith Vise | Durable, Versatile, and Affordable
Introduction
Hi, it's Caleb from Brownells! Today we're taking a look at the Brownells Gunsmith Vise.
Overview of the Brownells Gunsmith Vise
This is the Brownells Gunsmith Vise, Brownells hasn't made a vise in a while now and we had to go looking for this one. This one is made of the finest Chinese metals—you know I'm kidding. This vise is actually made by Heuer, manufactured in Germany to our specs, it's a great quality German vise. Of course it's not cast, all the steel is forged and the jaws are surfaced hardened.
You're probably not going to use these integral jaws much for gunsmithing, but they're there if you need to clamp something really securely. Just don't try to press-checker your wooden stocks with these.
High-Quality Construction
It has this shroud that covers the spindle and a forged E track that it runs on, making the actual clamping super precise.
I put a screw in here, clamped down on it, and filed on the screw head. It didn't go anywhere, even using these aluminum inserts. It held perfectly.
Precise Clamping Mechanism
This vise is found on many gunsmiths' benches in Europe. I've seen it in pictures and many other craftsmen use it. My go-to vise has always been a Wilton machinist vise, but this one does everything I need it to do while taking up less space. The Wilton is great, but this one is significantly more affordable.
Let's talk about some of the accessories. This giant thing over here is a hydraulic lift for it.
Hydraulic Lift Accessory
Yes, this is indeed hydraulic. You mount it to the table, and you can raise or lower the vise. It also swivels 360 degrees, making it super convenient for manipulating the vise. If you need to move it up and down or make quick swivels, this is the add-on to get.
Mounting Options
There are different bases for the vise. We have the traditional one that bolts directly to the table. I've clamped this one down, and it hasn't moved at all, even with a good bit of torque.
Jaw Width and Opening Capacity
The width is 4 and 3/4 inches across, and the opening is very wide. You can get some pretty big pieces in there if you need to.
These jaws are accessible from the outside, unlike many vises where you have to open it up and come in at an angle.
Magnetic Jaw Insert Options
The jaw inserts come in different materials—plastic, aluminum, rubber, compressed fiber. These jaws are magnetic, making them easy to replace.
Final Thoughts and Availability
And that's the Brownells Gunsmith Vise, a must have for every gunsmith bench. It's available at brownells.com and as always, thanks for watching, and I'll see you next time!
