Gun vise...

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Sypher....

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What do you use and/or recommend?

I've gotten it into my mind that I "need" to get one. This is one that I was looking at possibly getting. Price seems a little high, but....
 
I have a vise that mounts on the edge of my reloading bench. With hard foam inserts I can hold a rifle down. It is not at all like that one. But it does hold the rifle nicely for cleaning, maintenance and other chores. Can't use it for shooting though.
 
if you have a normal vise like dh said, old carpet worked good to. the tiptons work the cheap on i think is the best, i would send you one but shipping would suck.
 
I bought one of these vises over 40 years ago and couldn't want for a better gun vise. The flat jaws good for holding gun parts without marking the parts. I epoxied thick leather to (2) pieces of 5/8" plywood and these leather soft jaws are 40 years old also. I more than got my money's worth from this vise.

When working on rifles or any long gun I clamp the barrel in the soft jaws. It's adjust-ability is what I like best about it.

https://www.garrettwade.com/ultimat...MInLewuNyw4wIVDtRkCh3JQwVnEAQYASABEgKQcfD_BwE
 
I have given away or thrown away all the gun-specific holders. Hate them all. Soft rubber jaws for a normal vise work fine, I use them all the time, just clamp the receiver. Carefully to not crush anything.

Won't work for wood stocked mil/hunting guns, but nothing really does I have found.

Do some cleaning, lots of minor work like scope mounting, etc. when in the vise.
 
Thanks for all the replies so far. Unfortunately I don't have a bench or table to attach a vice to...I agree that would be the best and easiest route. I know the one I listed says you can use it as a shooting bench, but I doubt I would, just gun maintenance.
 
Are you looking for something to hold the gun while working on it or something just to hold it while cleaning?
 
I call these gun cradles for a lack of a better term and have never owned one. Bear in mind it's only as rigid as it's own weight. Pushing on a stiff bore brush or pushing on a screw head may cause it to scoot across the surface at the worst possible time. Clamping it to something may be required.

I have one of these I take outdoors to sharpen mower blades on. It is heavy, rigid, collapsible for storage, and very stable:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/BLACK-D...VISCtBh0JOAuAEAQYASABEgKI0vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
 
I have a Tipton for cleaning and scope mounting. I glued cross pieces of 1x 4 in the base with goop to make it rigid. I can set it on my B&D Workmate and clamp it tight enough with positioning pegs that it stays in place. I also use the workmate when bore sighting by folding a bathtowel around the gunstock and clamping it between the work jaws. If I need someting stouter I have a 3" wilton and a versa-vise, both with soft jaws, mounted to a heavy steel table.
 
Panavises have their merits but I have found that a very high quality vise such as this one has much higher utility value.

I even use it for cleaning guns.

View attachment 851067

When did you steal my vise? No, on a second look mine isn't quite that rusty. :D That's a novel way to attach padded jaws. Mine are 2x2 angle iron with the inside curve milled out square and little tabs welded on the ends so they drop on and stay in place with thick leather glued to the sides. The panavise is handy but not nearly as solid as the old Wilton. I have holes drilled and tapped in the bench top where it's easy to set up and remove. To be truthful I can't remember the last time I used it but it's hanging on it's hook on the wall ready to go if I do decide I need it's capabilities.
 
Panavises have their merits but I have found that a very high quality vise such as this one has much higher utility value.

I even use it for cleaning guns.

View attachment 851067

Did you make those vise pads or buy them somewhere?

2 weeks ago I was given an older US made 3.5" vise. I already have an 8" Wilton in my shop so I decided to mount this one my "gun cleaning/gun smithing/reloading" bench after I stripped off the old paint and rust and refinished it. I've been looking for some way to attach soft jaws, I've been considering just gluing some leather or cork to the jaw faces buy I REALLY like what you got there!

IMG_20190714_195346.jpg
 
Did you make those vise pads or buy them somewhere?

2 weeks ago I was given an older US made 3.5" vise. I already have an 8" Wilton in my shop so I decided to mount this one my "gun cleaning/gun smithing/reloading" bench after I stripped off the old paint and rust and refinished it. I've been looking for some way to attach soft jaws, I've been considering just gluing some leather or cork to the jaw faces buy I REALLY like what you got there!

View attachment 851435

I made them out of horse butt leather. Real dense and hard. If you have the leather already Micheals or Hobby Lobby have snap kits.
 
I have/use one of these bench top work mates ...
I have a 10-15yo Craftsman-branded item that is quite like that. I have never used it with my firearms cleaning/repair but I have found it to be very handy for holding small/medium pieces that require some close attention while securely captured.

It is certainly strong enough to hold a longgun (though, perhaps not enough for a great deal of "bore-cleaning stress"), but I would, first, carefully study & pad the "jaw" faces. :)
 
I bought one of these vises over 40 years ago and couldn't want for a better gun vise. The flat jaws good for holding gun parts without marking the parts. I epoxied thick leather to (2) pieces of 5/8" plywood and these leather soft jaws are 40 years old also. I more than got my money's worth from this vise.

When working on rifles or any long gun I clamp the barrel in the soft jaws. It's adjust-ability is what I like best about it.

https://www.garrettwade.com/ultimat...MInLewuNyw4wIVDtRkCh3JQwVnEAQYASABEgKQcfD_BwE

I've been looking hard at one of these. I've got a Tipton that I won in a match and hardly use the thing. Just not flexible enough for what I'm doing. How much torque will the Versatile Vise take?? I'm also looking at it for my occasional AR15 builds, VS. my heavy bench vise in the garage.
 
As others have recommended. Works fine for cleaning & scope mounting. Worthless for working on AR's.
Snap2.jpg
BTW: I had a homemade version that I cobbled together with a few scrap boards.& some carpet. It worked great. I lent it to a friend & he never returned it so I bought the Tipton. If he'd of returned it I would probably still be using it! :thumbup:
 
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I have a 10-15yo Craftsman-branded item that is quite like that. I have never used it with my firearms cleaning/repair but I have found it to be very handy for holding small/medium pieces that require some close attention while securely captured.

It is certainly strong enough to hold a longgun (though, perhaps not enough for a great deal of "bore-cleaning stress"), but I would, first, carefully study & pad the "jaw" faces. :)
Yes, low tech and useful for most stuff, if clamped to the bench top even better.
It's ability to skew the jaws out of parallel and portability are what make it useful (to me).
My use is mostly revolvers with the grips removed for clamping the frame.
That and with creative jaw pad (wood/plastic) design, it will hold most stuff quite rigidly(is that a word?).
Another pic 'cause I'm a pic hoe:
P1310001.JPG
Not bad for a $5 tag sale find...
:D
 
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Thanks for all the replies so far. Unfortunately I don't have a bench or table to attach a vice to

Bolt it to a 2x12 and just set it on any flat surface, it will hold a rifle easy enough.
 
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