Most of us want to keep our guns in tip-top condition, ensuring they work properly when needed as well as safeguarding their value. Many general purpose tools, especially screwdrivers, are unsuitable for use on firearms and can actually damage them.
The common household screwdriver, for example, features a blade that is tapered in a V shape, whereas the screw heads on firearms are straight-sided, meaning that if the screw is at all tight, the household screwdriver will likely slip and damage either the screw head or the finish on the gun — maybe both.
That’s why it’s worth investing in quality, specialised gun tools for your maintenance program. You don’t need many and the price is small compared to the cost of our guns, plus it is an excuse to get some great new tools!
Over the past couple of years I have been using more and more Wheeler tools. The company seems to have tools for almost any task.
In doing gun and accessory reviews for this magazine I am forever installing or removing scopes, mounts, lights and other accessories in order to test them so I use my gun tools a lot. There are many I have cast aside over the years but the Wheeler ones are decent quality at a reasonable price, and I have yet to break any of them. I am known for breaking stuff so this is a big deal.
Australian importer NIOA lists 32 different Wheeler tools on its website and most gun shops in Australia can order any of them pretty quickly.
I will touch on three items I seem to use a lot in this brief review just to give you a taste of some of Wheeler’s handy dandy tools.
30-PIECE HEX & TORX DRIVERS
This product’s full convoluted name is the Wheeler Gunsmithing SAE/Metric Hex & Torx P-Handle 30pce kit and it’s full of long-handled Torx and hex drivers. As many of our firearms and accessories are made in the USA, you need a decent selection of both metric and SAE tools to be effective.
This one kit replaced several other kits I had and is far more handy, with the option of the short and long drivers allowing me to use them in all the weird and wonderful locations where gun makers put hex or torx screws.
The other thing I like with this kit is that it is slim enough (front to back) to easily fit on the shelf above my bench at eye level and I can instantly see which size tool I need.
The kit sells for $129-149. It has become one of my most used tool sets. Love it.
TORQUE WRENCH AND BIT DRIVER
The Wheeler Engineering FAT Torque Wrench Screwdriver with 10-piece bit set sells for $124-$159. It is easy to use. It comes with 10 bits and will accept most other size bits from different kits and even different brands, making it a very versatile way to make sure you never again break or strip screws or bolts by over-tightening them.
It also ensures all fasteners are tightened to a correct and consistent level, which is critical for things like scope mounts and rings.
Just twist the bottom of the tool until you see the indicator show the correct inch-pound level you want (there’s no metric measure), insert the correct size bit and then tighten away until the tool clicks over, telling you that you have now reached the correct tension for the item you are tightening.
I cannot tell you how much money this tool can save you if you tend to be at all heavy-handed when tightening scope mounts etc, to say nothing of the inconvenience of breaking a screw off in a scope mount the day before you had that special hunting trip planned, potentially leaving you in a real bind.
The FAT Wrench comes packed in a click-lock plastic case, ensuring you will never lose anything as it won’t open accidentally. It is a neat size to stack on a shelf or bench.
PROFESSIONAL GUNSMITHING SCREWDRIVERS
The Wheeler 43-piece Professional Gunsmithing Screw Driver set ($79-$99) is a compact kit that I can use at the bench or throw into a range bag. It has an excellent combination of flat blade, Phillips head, Torx and hex heads.
Wheeler engineers actually tested over 100 common firearms to find the most common screw sizes, then manufactured this kit to fit them exactly. This is the true advantage of getting tools from a dedicated gunsmithing tool maker like Wheeler.
The kit is in a handy click-lock box that sits out of the way on your bench or rides in your range bag and will never spill open accidentally, so you avoid scattering bits everywhere at the worst possible moment.
The driver handle and blades click together precisely and they really do fit like a glove into most gun screw shapes and sizes.
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