Just lost a full day's work and $80 on a 'universal' firing pin jig

I was in a rush to get a batch of old Mauser bolts done and grabbed one of those cheap, no-name universal firing pin jigs off an online auction site. The ad said it fit 'most military rifles' and the price was right, about $80. Got it in, set it up on the mill, and the alignment was off by a solid 3 thousandths. Tried to adjust it, but the whole fixture was just soft metal and sloppy. Ended up having to scrap the pin I was working on and start over with my old, slow hand method. That was yesterday, and I'm still mad about the wasted time and material. Anyone have a solid, affordable jig brand they actually trust for oddball stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark7232d ago

Seriously? You bought a no-name tool off an auction site and expected precision work. What did you think was going to happen for eighty bucks? That's on you for trying to cheap out on a job that needs real gear. Sometimes the old hand method is the only way to get it right.

troy_sanchez42d ago

That 3 thousandths misalignment is a real killer, I feel your pain. Mark723 has a point about cheap tools, but sometimes you just need to get the job done. I've had good luck with the basic jigs from Brownells for weird old bolts, they're not perfect but they hold true.

evant481d ago

Even with a good jig like Troy mentioned, you still need to check the headspace after every cut.