#wheelertools

Having been working on firearms for well over a decade, one thing holds true and that is having the right tool for the task can make things go much smoother. Very early on, one of the most important tools I found was a hammer and punch set. Back when I first got out of the Navy and started life as a civilian, we lived on a fairly tight budget those early years so I got what I could afford at the time. Wheeler Tools is one of those manufacturers of gunsmithing tools that many believe go hand in hand with the word “budget”. So I picked up some tools made by Wheeler, from Brownells. Wheeler makes a fairly basic hammer and punch set that has the common punch sizes used, especially for The AR platform. With it, there’s a light duty hammer that’s brass on one side and polymer on the other side. All of these items come in a handy plastic case with slots to keep them organized. Even thought this is a budget type of setup, not intended for hard use, I still have this set. It is plenty worn out, but still gets some limited use from time to time.

As with anyone that stays at something for any length of time, their tools and accessories that make their task possible, will evolve over time. That old basic Wheeler hammer and punch set was getting pretty tired after just a couple of years. I was researching what the professionals were using for punches and came across another company called Starrett Tools. Starrett Tools makes some really nice punches. They’re not cheap, but the quality is very apparent. Gunsmithing and the machinist trade both look to Starrett tools in order to fill their tool drawers with quality hand tools that will last a long time and take the abuse often incurred by repetitive tasks such as those encountered by gunsmiths and machinists alike. With my determination to do gunsmithing at a more serious pace, I looked to Brownells for a set of punches made by Starrett. I still have and use this same punch set today. I have had to replace some of the smaller punches because of doing something I shouldn’t have done, but these punches can be replaced individually and I’ve been perfectly ok with replacing them the infrequent number of times I’ve had to do so.

So what about the hammer you might ask? That old brass and polymer hammer is still getting used, but I have added some additional hammers with different size, shapes, weights and materials. One of those hammers is a beautiful 8 ounce brass hammer with polymer material on one side and a gorgeous wooden handle. This particular hammer is actually made by Brownells. See they also know a thing or 2 about tool manufacturing for the gunsmithing trade. This hammer has worn in perfectly, but should provide decades of use in my experience. It’s a little heavier than the old Wheeler hammer that I used for so long, but should I find myself in need of a smaller weight hammer, Brownells makes those as well. See, the good folks over there do their best to be the one stop shopping destination for anything firearms related, but their original mark on the world came in 1939 as a supply for gunsmithing. They know a thing or two about the trade and offer a lifetime warranty for most everything they sell.

So whether you’re a hobbyist or a serious firearm aficionado, having the right tool for the task can be very important. If you’re on a budget, don’t worry, even many of these budget tools can last a lifetime. But, if you’re a buy once, cry once kind of person, there are some very nice quality tools available, such as the ones I’ve mentioned from Brownells and Starrett.