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Firearms Technical Trivia, April 2001:
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2. TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
Building an FAL requires a certain
minimal set of tools and equipment. While some of these tools can
be obviated or jury-rigged, in all circumstances, we opted to obtain the
proper tool so as to err on the side of caution at the expense of economy.
The list and total expense are deceptive as many of these tools are already
in the home workshop. The table below indicates the tooling and gauges
we used for the project, source, purchase price (excluding shipping) and
any rationale for our use of that particular tool. All prices are
strictly retail - many of the vendors listed give substantial discounts
to Type 03 FFL holders.
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| Bench Vise, Wilton Tradesman, 6" Jaw |
800.873.3626 http://www.use-enco.com |
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A good vise is absolutely essential when building an FAL; it is needed for mating a barrel to a receiver, removing the receive stub from a barrel, and holding the barrel steady while installing the muzzle device. Additionally, it can be of great use when installing the locking shoulder. Minimum jaw size should be 4.5" with bigger being better. That being said, there are many vises available at 1/3 the price. So why did we choose the Wilton Tradesman? Simply put the Wilton was one of the few vises available that boasted a tensile strength of 60,000 psi. Most other American made vises have a tensile strength of 30,000 psi, and Asian imports often less than that. We interviewed a number of people who'd built FAL's, as well as several gunsmiths, and machinists. Almost every one of them had broken one or more less strong or less expensive vises before moving to a 60,000 psi vise. We opted to skip the breaking step. We're not saying that you WILL break a vise while building a FAL, but why take the chance? |
| Digital Calipers, Mitutoyo "MyCal" |
800.873.3626 http://www.use-enco.com |
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You'll use a caliper to determine the proper headspace dimension as well as measuring parts for dimensional differences. Digital calipers are nice, as they very easy to use and many have a measurement resolution of +/- .0005", but you will not be ill served at all with a less expensive dial caliper with a measurement resolution of +/- .001". Whatever calipers you choose use, make sure that the measurements are consistent and repeatable. |
| Pin Punch Set, Starrett No. 565 |
641.623.4000 http://www.brownells.com |
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You're going to need to punch hardened steel pins in and out of various pieces of the FAL. While brass punches will work in some cases, there are many requirements for a hardened steel punch. These punches will also find many uses in general home gunsmithing applications. |
| Roll Pin Punch Set |
641.623.4000 http://www.brownells.com |
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Purely a nice to have. Makes it easier to install and remove roll pins that you may use to replace missing or damaged solid pins. |
| Roll Pin Holders |
641.623.4000 http://www.brownells.com |
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Purely a nice to have. Makes it easier to install and remove roll pins that you may use to replace missing or damaged solid pins. |
| Masen Brass Hammer and Punch Set |
641.623.4000 http://www.brownells.com |
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Brass punches are particularly useful when you want to avoid marring a surface or damaging a steel component. As with the Pin Punches, the brass punches will come in handy over and over again. |
| 16 ounce Claw Hammer |
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Needed to start and/or drive the locking shoulder home, as well as to aid in moving or removing pins. |
| Hollow Ground Screwdriver Set |
641.623.4000 http://www.brownells.com |
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You'll need screwdrivers for general assembly work. The advantage to a hollow ground blade is that it fits the screw's slot perfectly, and transfers the torque equally to the entire slot, minimizing the chance of buggering the scre head or scratching the surrounding metal. |
| Lead Vise Shims |
641.623.4000 http://www.brownells.com |
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Protects barrel and/or receiver from vise jaws when clamped. |
| 1/2" Breaker Bar |
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Used in conjunction with receiver wrench to install barrel and remove receiver stub |
| 3/4" Breaker Bar Adapter |
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Used in conjunction with receiver wrench to install barrel and remove receiver stub |
| Receiver Wrench |
972.790.2636 http://www.angelfire.com/biz/tools4fals/ |
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Used to install barrel and remove receiver stub |
| Locking Shoulder Sizing Rod Gauges |
972.790.2636 http://www.angelfire.com/biz/tools4fals/ |
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Used to determine proper locking shoulder for proper headspace |
| Headspace Gauges |
248.853.5555 http://www.clymertool.com |
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Go, No-Go, and Field Reject headspace gauges. Necessary to set headspace (select proper locking shoulder) as well as verify headspace after possible set-back. |
| MAPP Torch |
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Used for attaching muzzle device |
| Silver Solder/Flux Paste (STL 1205 Silver Braze) |
641.623.4000 http://www.brownells.com |
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Used for attaching muzzle device |
| Heat Stop Paste |
641.623.4000 http://www.brownells.com |
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Used for attaching muzzle device |
| 18" Length of 6x6 Railroad Tie |
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Used for general purpose pounding |
| Specialized FAL Tools (Buttstock/Pistol Grip Tool, Extractor Removal Tool, Front Sight Tool) |
847.277.7258 http://www.dsarms.com |
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Used for stock removal and installation, bolt disassembly, and front sight removal. |
| DREMEL Rotary Tool |
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Used for general polishing and smoothing as well as for cutting receiver stub to aid in removal. |
| TOTAL | $1,100.62 |