Gunsmith's screwdrivers?

Two most important aspects of gunsmith screwdriver are modifiable tip and improve torque transfer handle.
Blades are usually two sided and can be made out of almost any material needed/available at time. I will try to find a pic online.
In the mean time these from LeeValeey are almost perfect. They have wider handles and parallel tip with burnisher. This allows tip to grab screw at the bottom of the screw slot preventing slippage. With these long necks they are modifiable for years to come.

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Real thing:

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For those who would like to make their own here is blueprint for simple one.
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Thanks for the tips and advice, I have lots of screwdrivers now , but the SMLE screws are generally wider, and very narrow slots. I have lots of the interchangeable bit ones too, but nothing seems to be "just right". I have to go to Halifax tomorrow, may drop by the Lee Valley as it's on my way, I like the look of those wood handled ones and can grind the tips again if needed. "Crappy Tire" has that nickname for a reason- the last set I bought there had I think 32 pieces for $7.99 _On sale from $49.99- but IMHO still not worth the $7.99. And that is the "professional" set!! May look into the Wheeler set too.
 
The best obvious source is Brownells, at least the USA gov does not seam to control screwdrivers, yet. Brownells has a good variety in the sets but they are not like they used to be, I guess they were not selling enough! If you put an impact driver on the new ones they will twist and self destruct, the old ones were a lot tougher, at least there is a good range to get a good fit. For the hobby guy they may well last a liftime.
 
sigp2101 wrote: Two most important aspects of gunsmith screwdriver are modifiable tip and improve torque transfer handle.
Blades are usually two sided and can be made out of almost any material needed/available at time. I will try to find a pic online.
In the mean time these from LeeValeey are almost perfect. They have wider handles and parallel tip with burnisher. This allows tip to grab screw at the bottom of the screw slot preventing slippage. With these long necks they are modifiable for years to come.

Those are great looking screw drivers and look like they would be fine for most hand gun work but IMHO, they aren't wide enough. Some of the screw heads on rifles can be close to 1/2 inch across. When they have been in place for a long time, a bit of extra force is needed to turn them out. That means the blades have to utilize as much of the torque faces as possible. That's why Torx head screws and screw drivers are becoming so popular.

For small screw heads those look just fine. I like the hollow ground faces as well.

Many people don't know how to use a grinder properly. They overheat the metal and ruin it for what they want to use it for. Same goes for grinding drill bits.

The other big mistake a lot of people make is to have grinders with very coarse stones on both sides and often have the rests taken off for easier access.
 
Actually, the most important thing about a screwdriver used on firearms is that it doesn't #### up your screws. :)

Be careful of wood working screwdrivers - most of them are tapered and even though they are good quality they are designed for wood screws, not machine screws.

Maybe the photo doesn't do them justice, but those screwdriver blades appear to be tapered and I wouldn't use them on anything that I valued. Hollow ground or parallel blades are what is needed for working on guns. Tapered blades ruin screw heads and slip.

Screwdrivers need to fit the screw properly or the head will get buggered. You need a variety of sizes and you might need to grind a screwdriver blade to fit the slot if you don't have the right driver.

The best reasonably priced gun screwdrivers I have come across recently are made by Weaver. There are several sets available, the one I got has about 60 different flat-blade screwdriver bits in various blade widths and sizes. It cost about $100 for the set at Western Gun Parts in Edmonton a couple years ago. I have several other sets and individual drivers I've purchased over the years but these weavers are some of the best I've used. (Edit: just found the same set on ebay here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Weaver-88-P...919?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item417f977667 )

Bonanza makes good gun screwdrivers. Stay away from Chapman, they are brittle and the smaller sizes break so easily they are basically useless.
 
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JH, the top set of screw drivers pictured have hollow ground blades. They should be fine for screw slots/widths they fit, no matter which type of screw you are working on.

The second set of pics shows an old style, set of screw drivers that used to be relatively cheap and with what I consider very poor shapes. They would definitely bugger a screw slot.
 
Chapman sets. Been using them for 40 years. Important thing about screwdrivers is to have a sufficent selection of drivers so the size/blade thickness properly fits the screw head. AND on those really nasty bubba'd screw heads or "frozen in" screws - when the rachet in the set is used PROPERLY in a vice - if the screw can't be removed - then it will have to be drilled out. With Chapman you're not paying for multiple handles as one fits all and the whole set is compact enough to fit into a range bag. One set has travelled "a million miles" with me on the IPSC circuit over the years.
 
Another vote for Chapman. I was about ready to order a Wheeler kit and then spotted a set of Chapman's for about a hundred in a Lee Valley catalogue. Very happy with them .. they must have about 10 different hollow ground flat drivers for instance.
 
I'll second/third/or fourth(wherever we are)... the Chapmans set. Had it for 25+ years. Ratchet and screwdriver handle. Lost 2 of the small hex bits but the rest is still fine. I also use 4 of the older larger Forrester ones. Same age and still going strong.
 
FYI, the Brownells screwdriver set is manufactured by Vermont-American, and these can usually be found at hardware stores or tool shops. I bought mine about thirty years ago from CanTire and have had no problems other than losing a bit or two.
 
I use Chapman, Bonanza, Wheeler, and the handle of a DAC Gunmaster kit when using the Wheeler set.
I wasn't impressed with the Wheeler screwdriver handles the tips come or slip out too easy.
 
Although I don't particularly like screwdrivers with interchangable bits, I have had a Chapman set for probably 30 years. Makes a decent field use set and no complaints.

I pick up good quality phillips and torx screwdrivers and worn out good quality slotted drivers - all with good sized handles at yard sales and flea markets for next to nothing. I have a drawer full of them and, when I need a size I don't have, I just grab an appropriate sized driver out of the drawer and grind to fit. A dremel with a small stone is well suited to the job and a bench grinder makes quick work of squaring up the sides. I have generally found the steel in the torx bits to be especially good and they can be ground to fit a wide range of gun screws.
In my opinion, anyone who works on guns would be well served by getting into the habit of grinding their own screwdrivers to fit.
 
I use a Wheeler set and for the price it meets my needs. In my younger days had some bits from Lymans which snapped trying to remove tight screws. I have learn that slow and steady and no rabbit starts works for me. Any experience comments on the Wheeler Torque Wrench?
 
I collect screw drivers (garage sales etc.) especially old quality looking pieces and grind to fit my applications. This method has worked very well for me, and its nice to see I'm not the only one!
 
bearhunter said:
Finding a set of good quality flat blade screw drivers is very difficult. I gave up on it a long time ago. Most of what is available today, are to soft.
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I like the Pachmyar flat blade bits. They are definetly not soft and the are parallels.

I broke one, wrote to Pachmyar and they sent me 2 free of charge.

http://www.pachmayr.com/home/31pc-tool-kit.php
 
First thing I bought when I became serious about "dicking" with guns was a Chapman setof drivers in the nice little RED box. Nothing else compares for quality, versatility and compactness for using either at the workbench or out in the field/range. Of course if $$$$ is no concern you can pay WHATEVER YOU WANT...
 
guntech said:
40 years ago I bought several screwdrivers from Simpson Sears in various sizes and ground them to fit screws as required. I am still using and grinding them to fit as required. I also have a whack of Brownell's tips and grind them to fit as well.
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Bearhunter said it too, that's the way to go.
I saw this the first time when a gunsmith from Quebec worked on my S&W29, he took a screwdriver and ground it until it fit perfectly, before taking of the side plates.
 
I have a set of Grace hollow ground screwdrivers. I'll give them an 80% rating. Good for most work but not for tough-to-get-out screws. Handles are not conducive to getting a good grip on them, for me anyway. The other day one of the tips bent on a particularly tight screw. On the up side, the tip did not break and and what I was working on was not buggered up and the screw was not marred at all. I guess from that perspective it was the best possible outcome of a bad situation. The fit of the tip in the slot was nice and tight but the slot was a little shallow so that may have contributed to it.
 
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