Punch set recommendations wanted

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Hi guys, I am considering to get a good quality punchset for my pistols, but am rather new to this area. There seems to be many variables, including the punch materials, coatings, hardness, etc.

I will need the set to have punches for roller pins and flat-headed pins. Please offer your opinions, I prefer quality over anything else. Thank you in advance.
 
Try Brownells, Starrett for individual punches and Grace USA for sets? Starrett sets may be $$$ Good luck. For "pistol" work IMO you should be able to get away with 1/16, 3/32 & 1/8 to start.
 
If you meant roll pins, there are a couple makers that make an end profile that makes them self align, as well as compress the rolled material inwards.

For regular punches, hard to go wrong with Starrett.

Be aware that 1/16th inch roll pins can be misery. They are often screwed up on the install, making the removal, an exercise in patience and pain. Buy a few extra 1/16 pin punches. If they bend or get broken, they can be reworked to make starter punches (short stubby end) or center punches, for doing layout of holes to be drilled and such.

LOTS of options out there for machine tool suppliers that will sell you what you need, depending on where you are. KBC is pretty good, Thomas Skinner and Sons too, Probably a dozen others that don't advertise outside of Machine shop circles.
 
Check out Brownell's - they make short "starter punch" with replaceable pins - I have .039", .060" and .091" - the pin replacement part numbers are 080-513-639, 080-513-660, 080-513-691. Packages that the punches came in are long gone, so I do not have the part numbers for the punches. As I discovered, is well worth to buy a package of the pins, when you buy the punch.
 
Potashminer said:
Check out Brownell's - they make short "starter punch" with replaceable pins - I have .039", .060" and .091" - the pin replacement part numbers are 080-513-639, 080-513-660, 080-513-691. Packages that the punches came in are long gone, so I do not have the part numbers for the punches. As I discovered, is well worth to buy a package of the pins, when you buy the punch.
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You can buy needle bearing or die ejector pins from various sources, any Bearing supply place, eg: BC Bearing, for the roller pins, lots of industrial mail order places including KBC will have ejector pins or some other hardened pin, like their drill or reamer blanks, if you want to go cheaper. Really super easy to put a hole in a bit of rod to hold the pin in, with a lathe, still not all that tough to do in a drill press, or with a hand drill (hint: spin the rod, hold the drill bit).

Lots of options out there, including just going on the scrounge at a mechanic's shop to see what you can get as far as old bearings from U-Joints.

Making your own tools is cheap and easy, and if you can make it once, you never need fear losing it in the shop, or breaking it, as another is just a few minutes away.

One thing to watch about hardened pins as punches, is that if you break one off in a hole, it can make a bad day a whole lot worse! Use a starter punch to get the pin moving, then use a regular pin punch to move it along.
 
I have and use Wurth Pin punch set and Wurth Drift Punch Set. I purchased these after using them at work and see how well they took abuse. I also have a set of Lyman Roll Pin punches.
 
You could also see what Your local Snap-On or Mac Tools dealer has. I don’t know how vast their punch inventory is, but I do know the quality is great. I have abused many Snap-On punches and they can definitely take it.
 
I've been using Starret for close to 25 years. As has been said, the 1/16" are miserable and have been replaced. Short, starter punches for any of the small pins are the way to start.
 
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