Gunsmithing Rifle Cradle / Vise Recommendations

[BrianSoCal]

I did a search but could not find much current information on this.

Can anyone recommend a vise / cradle to be used primarily for cleaning? The rifles that see the most use are AR-15 and AR-10 types as well as a bolt gun in an AICS 2.0 chassis. I will also use it with other rifles but probably not as often. The two that I have been leaning towards are the Tipton Best Gun Vise and the CTK P3 but am open to any other suggestions or recommendations.

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

 

[Gray]

Re: Rifle Cradle / Vise Recommendations

Tipton Best Gunvise is a good one, haven't used the other.

 

[milo 2.0]

Re: Rifle Cradle / Vise Recommendations

I really didn't care for the Tipton, gave mine away.

An old 30rd magazine in vise, or buy block made for it is way gooder! And solid.

 

[sawman556]

Re: Rifle Cradle / Vise Recommendations

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: milo-2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I really didn't care for the Tipton, gave mine away.

An old 30rd magazine in vise, or buy block made for it is way gooder! And solid. </div></div>

I concur.

 

[BrianSoCal]

Re: Rifle Cradle / Vise Recommendations

Thank you for the comments and suggestions. I had thought about the magazine in the vise solution but it wouldn't work with the rifles other than my ARs. I am leaning toward the CTK now unless there are any other products someone recommends. Thank you again. Brian

 

[milo 2.0]

Re: Rifle Cradle / Vise Recommendations

Hey, the regular tipton is great, but the best one sucks. Sorry.

 

[sawman556]

Re: Rifle Cradle / Vise Recommendations

If you have the tools, you could probably make one better then any you could buy. Make 2 or 3 at the same time.

 

[BrianSoCal]

Re: Rifle Cradle / Vise Recommendations

Milo - what did you like better about the ragular version?

Sawman - my woodworking skills and toolsd are limited but I haven't ruled this out.

Thank you for your suggestions.

 

[milo 2.0]

Re: Rifle Cradle / Vise Recommendations

Brian,
It is solid enough, relatively inexpensive. Didn't do alot of research before buying, mine are actually a Midway, and a Cabela's.
If you want to clean and get the muzzle down, a Irwin quick clamp works great from the side to help hold gun in place.
If you are gunsmithing on it, it will be a little light, but for cleaning, mounting scopes , it works fine.
Decent price, and easy to store.

For Ar cleaning, I break out a 6' folding table, break them open, lay em on their side, works ok for me.

 

[pyplynr]

Re: Rifle Cradle / Vise Recommendations

http://www.berrysmfg.com/product-i14795-c104-g8-b0-p0-VersaCradle_Bench_Mount.aspx

I use this for a lot of things. Cleaning, bedding, scope installing. Very well built and handy as pockets on a shirt.

 

[STR]

Re: Rifle Cradle / Vise Recommendations

I agree with the "make your own idea". I also gave away my Tipton after making my own. I don't use it for cleaning though. I clean my AR by pushing the rear pin out, pivoting the upper on the front pin, removing the bolt and tee handle, and inserting a bore guide which sticks out of the upper. The rifle is on its bipod, and now has three points of contact on the table. The muzzle is pointed down while I run the brush, followed by patches on a jag.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Re: Rifle Cradle / Vise Recommendations

I too am an advocate of "making your own." This way, you get what you want, for a specific duty. Not something that is "half good" at this, and "half good" at that....

If you're going to be serious about what you're doing, with firearm cleaning and maintenance, then build the best tool for the job that YOU are going to do. There are many different ways of doing things, to which there are many different ideas as to what is 'the best.'

That is up to you to decide. Myself, I make this table/vice for what I needed it to do, and then fastened it to an old ironing board frame. This way I can collapse it, and take it to the range. Quite often around here, we've a large group of people with a large group of firearms going to the range as a 'party.'

It's pretty much inevitable, that something is gonna need to be done, somewhere along the line.

Lastly, I am working on replacing the grip support and the fore-end support with ones that have 'height adjusters' in them. This way, a variety of other longarms can be held in a variety of other positions. That is why I made the butt-clamp so tall. For angular type clamping.