TFB Armorer’s Bench

Welcome everyone to TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series focuses on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I am looking at a straightforward but often questioned process - mounting an optic on Smith & Wesson's X-Frame revolvers. Using the new Model 350 as our example, we'll walk through the steps of mounting a red dot using the Weigand mount system. While it might seem intimidating to modify such a substantial revolver, the process is surprisingly straightforward with the right tools and attention to detail.

Welcome everyone to the TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I am rolling into another diagnostic-style article and one that is close to my heart. Today we are taking a deeper look at my Grandfather’s 1902 Winchester 94 in 32-40. The last time he used it was years ago when I was going through school for gunsmithing and had yet to acquire the knowledge and skills that I have now. Let’s figure out what is wrong as we go through Diagnosing and Assessing a Winchester 94!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to do some much-needed and desired maintenance on a gun that was once dubbed “the gunsmith’s best friend” or “gunsmith’s nightmare” depending on where you read. I of course am talking about the contentious Colt 1877 otherwise known as the Lightning (Thunderer for 41 cal or Rainmaker for 32 cal). I have talked about all the little issues, controversies, and real-world happenings of this controversial Colt in a separate Commentary article. Today we are taking it apart, taking a peek, and seeing if we can get this thing closer to the like new condition it deserves. Let’s dive right into Diagnosing and Assessing a Colt 1877 Lightning!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I figured with Memorial Day around the corner it may be a good opportunity to talk about M1 Garand maintenance or even a touch of general firearm maintenance and conservation. The last time we did something like this was with a Glock and a Glock Armorer’s Book. Perhaps you have Pappy’s M1 and want to clean it according to the military manuals or you just want to be on top of preservation. Let’s dive right in!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to add to my pile of dummy rounds and show you folks one way to make them. There are multiple ways and they all have pros and cons. I would not call this gunsmithing by any means but it’s gunsmithing adjacent. Sometimes testing a firearm with live ammunition is not possible or necessary. I have always found it convenient to have a safe quick way to test feeding and chambering. I find myself wishing I had more cartridge types but I’m at the point where I don’t feel like overpaying for a few mass-produced ones. That being said, let’s dive into my solution and how I make dummy rounds!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to take you guys along with me for another closer look at some tools I picked up at SHOT 2024. Wheeler was once a sponsor of TFB Armorer’s Bench so I made sure to stop by and say hello and thank you and when they were showing me the new stuff they handed me their newish F.A.T. Stix Preset Torque Wrench Set. I have had the chance to use these a couple times now so let’s dive into the F.A.T. Stix Preset Torque Wrench Set and give it a closer look!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I am going to relay my experience working with silicon carbide and the process of applying it to a grip. This is something I have no experience in, have heard of, have seen it done, but never attempted until now. I did some stippling in gunsmithing school and honestly, it was not for me. I can do it but I am not a patient person so the time/steadiness aspect involved in actual stippling is unattractive to me. Silicon carbide-ing grips however presents itself as being not only user-friendly for a beginner but also forgiving. So how’d it go and how’s it feel? Let’s dive right in!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I wanted to recap some of the new tools I spied at SHOT Show 2024. SHOT 2024 came, went, and left us with some interesting and exciting new products on the way and already on store shelves. I had the amazing opportunity to attend (my first SHOT) and it was overwhelming, to say the least. At the same time, it was an absolute blast and a great chance to meet folks. Lots of new stuff left and right but I kept my eyes out for anything new under the TFB Armorer’s Bench umbrella of interest. Let’s dive right in!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I am starting the year off right with a commentary article. Today we are covering the Savage 1907, America’s first mass-production double-stack handgun, its field strip, and common issues. Let’s dive into the very retro Art Deco double stack!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to take a second to reminisce and look back on all that we have covered in our new series this year. TFB Armorer’s Bench started in August of 2021 so this is the second full year of TFB Armorer’s Bench and what a year it has been. This year (2023) has been a year full of projects and job-specific situations. Frankly, the stuff I really enjoy sharing. Lots of juicy tips and tricks this past year. Let us jump into all that we have covered in this 2023 TFB Armorer’s Bench Wrap-Up!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. Today we get to dive into a rather spontaneous project. This is one I’ve had on my list for a while but have been very busy and even been a little under the weather lately. I need to fit some C96 grips to pair with my stock and I need to fix the stock so I can confidently use it with the C96. Let’s dive into the C96 Grip Fit & Stock Repair!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. Today we get to look at a box of gun parts and what to do. Last time around we took a look at the process of firearm conservation and resurrected an old Marlin A1DL. I had mentioned that it was a gun that was given to my grandfather as basically a barn gun.

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. I am stoked to finally be writing this article. This has been on my list since I was in school for gunsmithing. Today we are going over firearm conservation. This is a process of halting a firearm’s decay and slightly restoring it to what it once was. Just because a gun has turned into a boat anchor does not mean it is too far gone. Let’s dive right into bringing this Marlin A1DL 22LR back to life with some good old conservation.

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. I am excited to finally roll out an article on rust bluing. This article ties in with a previous Armorer’s Bench article that covered some different types of bluing as well as the recent blunderbuss build articles. This one should cap off that last one.

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. We are back again with the  Traditions Blunderbuss Muzzle Loader Kit and this time we are finishing up the stock. Stock finishing is very basic and similar to most other woodworking processes. Thank goodness woodworking is pretty forgiving because if it was not, this whole procedure would be less enjoyable.

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. Recently the projects have been stacking up but so have the odd jobs so there has been very little time to stop and take pictures for ongoing content. I did however find some time this week to work on a Traditions Blunderbuss Muzzle Loader Kit that I acquired a little while ago. These sorts of kits are common enough and similar ones have been sold for decades. I’ve never used one but I figured it would be a fun project that I could potentially impart some general tips along the way. Let’s dive into the initial steps!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. I recently had the absolute pleasure of touring the Silencer Central headquarters in Sioux Falls South Dakota. Besides making kick-butt products they also have the distinction of being one of the most user-friendly and customer-focused silencer companies. One such way they show this off is that they offer a streamlined barrel threading service. Despite them having offered this for years (well before they took up the namesake of Silencer Central), most folks I talk to did not even know they offered this service. That being said, today I will share what I saw and my own experience getting a barrel threaded by the kind folks at Silencer Central. Let’s dive right in!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to take a break from the more intensive activities to in the shop and commentate on a forgotten yet common World War I sidearm. This is the Spanish-made French-issued 1915 Ruby pistol. The commentary will be pretty cut and dry and you will see the reason. That is why we have a short field strip sprinkled in. Let’s dive right into it folks!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to finally roll out my review of the Real Avid Master Gun Vise. Anyone who has been following the series here on TFB knows that I consider a vise to be one of the best pieces of equipment that a gunsmith or armorer could have at their disposal. Does this example of a vise do the job? Let’s find out and dive into the review!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to walk through assembling the Real Avid Master Gun Workstation step-by-step. I’m sure many of you have been eyeing this modular and customizable gun vise since it first came out. With its sturdy construction and versatility, it’s an excellent addition to any home armorer’s workbench. By the end of this article, you’ll be fully equipped to set up your own Master Gun Workstation and customize it to your workflow. So let’s get started and put this thing together!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to roll out my review of the new Real Avid Master Gun Workstation. Boy oh boy I’ve been excited to give this thing a go since I was told I could. I’ve had a lot of gun vises on my bench. Does this one stand toe to toe with the rest? Let’s dive right into the review and find out!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I am so excited to introduce the brand new Real Avid Master Gun Workstation! In this first-look article, we will go over the basics that would bog down a full review. That being said, stay tuned for a full review coming soon. For now, let’s take a first look at the  Real Avid Master Gun Workstation!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to take you guys along with me in an exciting closer look. I have always wanted to work with Real Avid since they are a Minnesota-based company and that is where I live. They were kind enough to send some products my way and before a full-on review, I thought a good old-school closer look to prime the pump would be fun. Let’s dive right into this closer look at the Real Avid Master Gun Vise!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to go over a simple task that could be potentially overwhelming to the uninitiated. From the title you can deduce I am talking about installing the Dlah Designs Beretta 92 RDO flush fit optics plate. Dlah or Dylan as you may know him was nice enough to allow me to review his well-made optics plate. I figured before a full review I should elaborate on the installation. That being said, let’s dive right into installing the Dlah Designs Beretta 92 RDO Flush Fit Optics Plate!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to take a break from the sawdust and woodwork on the Remington Model 10 Trench Gun project and do some quick new old gun maintenance. I recently picked up a 1916 World War One Luger P08 with many matching numbers. Let’s dive right into replacing a Luger P08’s small parts!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to do a little woodworking. I apologize for the lack of Armorer’s Bench content as of late. It has been tough juggling all the projects I have planned and getting them set up. One such multifaceted project is my Remington Model 10 Trench Gun project. Fear not! I am not destroying a beautiful well working and well-finished Remington Model 10 in order to achieve this. I picked up a real heap of one and got the necessary materials together to make a gun I never thought I’d own. My old soul is absolutely flustered with excitement. Let’s dive right into this Remington Model 10 Handguard Fix!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I had some rimfire stuff on my mind since Luke C reached out and asked if I could fill in on Rimfire Report (I unfortunately have been pretty busy). It made me think of back when I was going to school for gunsmithing and repaired my father’s boyhood 22LR rifle. I’ll save that story for a future Rimfire Report whenever I am called upon again but for now, I wanted to do a commentary article on the Marlin Model 60 series of rifles. All variations of it apply even my dad’s old Coast to Coast Model 40 that he asked his father to buy him in the early 70s. Let’s dive right into this Marlin Model 60 commentary!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided it has been a while since we have done a step-by-step article. This one will be pretty straightforward but hopefully, some Banish 45 owners out there find it helpful. Sometimes suppressor parts cannot or are suggested against using an ultrasonic cleaner which is my typical go-to for cleaning lead and carbon fouling. That is why today we are using the old water and soap method. Let’s dive right into cleaning a Silencer Central Banish 45!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to do a quick one-year review of the Infante S6 Ultrasonic Cleaner that I previously reviewed over at our sister site AllOutdoor.com. Though not much of my opinions or feeling have changed about this device and the practice of using it, I have come to some conclusions I thought I would weave in after a little over a year of use. That being said let’s dive right into this Infante S6 Ultrasonic Cleaner 1-Year Review!

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to give my Mauser C96 a bit of maintenance and a fresh change with new Mauser C96 parts since it has been getting a lot of attention lately. For the past few weeks, it has been featured fairly heavily as the hero gun in my Curious Relics series over at our sister site AllOutdoor.com. With that comes the price of hands-on wear and tear at the range. By no means do I mistreat my old school firearms but shooting them and working with them, in general, can be sort of “stressful” on them for lack of a better word. One recommendation I have to anyone out there who is interested in owning and shooting older guns is to make sure you buy spare firing pins and extractors if you can without breaking the bank. Then swap those out with the originals and keep the originals on standby. That is what I did and that is what lies below. Let’s dive right into installing new Mauser C96 parts!